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Entertainment Agents’ Association warns promoters of fake agent scams

By | Published on Wednesday 16 May 2018

Live Music

The Entertainment Agents’ Association has published a checklist for promoters, following an increase in email scams involving fake agents.

The trade body for booking agents says that, in recent months, fraudsters have attempted to convince promoters that they are the official representatives of artists including Adele, Justin Timberlake, Dire Straits, Beyonce, System Of A Down and Eminem, when they most definitely are not.

“We’re seeing a worrying increase in this style of email scam”, says Association president Neil Tomlinson. “Before agreeing any show and sending deposits, promoters must be 100% sure that they are dealing with the real booking agent for that artist”.

Emma Banks of booking agency CAA adds: “Please be very careful if you get mails that don’t quite look right. Follow the common sense steps that the Agents Association have suggested and don’t send any money until you have double checked that the ‘agent’ is indeed who they say they are. Please get on the phone to the agents you are doing business with – everything on email makes these scams so much easier for people to instigate”.

Those common sense steps there mentioned are as follows:

1. Check the email address is correct, in particular the email domain, and if in any doubt call the agency to confirm it (do not use the telephone number on the email).
2. Check the artist’s website for any conflicting touring plans.
3. Make sure you have full contact details of the agent you are working with and speak to them on the phone at least once.
4. Before sending a deposit, call the agency to confirm the booking and check their account details.
5. Check with promoters in other markets to verify the artist is touring in that region at that time.
6. If an offer is accepted and seems too good to be true, it probably is.



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