History: Modeling Agency, 1948, United States

An example of a modeling scam is when an agency claims to have work but really what they are doing is trying to sell photoshoots and modeling courses to aspiring models. A legitimate agency should only make profit from agency commissions.
A highly-publicized scam was exposed in 2009, when a Louisville-based male modeling agency called "Models-Today, LLC," owned by a convicted felon named Russell Claxon was exposed as having never obtained any jobs for the models despite fees in the hundreds of dollars. Due to the unusually large number of consumer complaints filed against the business, including solicitation for gay male prostitution, this story was disseminated across the Better Business Bureau national networks and provides information on how to avoid such scams.
It should be noted that due to a lack of regulatory oversight, particularly in the United States, scams can be easily carried out and sustained. As an example, Models-Today's owner has recently begun operating a similar company called Active Male Models, LLC.