Red flags and scam check
Nine warning signs to help you pause, check and seek support.
Most freelance opportunities are genuine, but it is sensible to pause when something feels unclear, unusually pressured or unsafe.
This practical checklist highlights some common warning signs to look out for when you receive an offer, casting, audition request or approach about work. A single red flag does not necessarily mean that something is a scam, but it may mean you should stop and make further checks before responding, sharing information or agreeing to anything.
You do not need to investigate an opportunity yourself or prove that something is wrong. If you feel unsafe, are being pressured or cannot verify who you are dealing with, step away and seek support.
Stop if you feel unsafe
Leave, end the call or do not attend if something feels unsafe. You do not need to prove that an opportunity is fraudulent or explain why you are stepping away.
Do not attend an audition or casting in someone’s home or alone in a hotel room. If a first meeting is proposed at a private address or isolated location, pause and ask for a recognised professional venue, public location or online alternative.
Do not send money or share bank details, identity documents or other sensitive information until you have independently verified who is asking, why the information is needed and how it will be stored. Never share banking passwords, PINs, card security codes or verification codes.
If you have sent money or shared financial security information, contact your bank immediately using a number you trust. If you or somebody else is in immediate danger, call 999.
Nine red flags to look out for
These warning signs can appear in casting notices, job listings, direct messages, emails, calls and approaches made through social media.
One warning sign does not always mean that an opportunity is fraudulent. However, it is a reason to pause, check the details independently and seek support if you remain concerned.
01.
Can I verify who is contacting me and do their details match?
Check the person, organisation and opportunity using sources you find yourself. Pause if the email address, website, phone number or social profile does not match the organisation’s official channels.
02.
Are the job and payment details clear and consistent?
Be cautious if the role, dates, location, fee or person responsible for payment keeps changing or remains vague when you ask reasonable questions.
03.
Am I being pressured to act quickly or keep this private?
Pause if you are pushed to decide immediately, discouraged from speaking to your agent or union, or told that asking questions could cost you the opportunity.
04.
Am I being asked to pay to secure the work?
Do not pay an upfront fee, purchase equipment from a named supplier or transfer money simply to secure a job, release payment or move an application forward.
05.
Am I being asked to receive, return or forward money?
Do not transfer money for somebody else or return an apparent overpayment before checking directly with your bank. Be particularly cautious about cheques, unexpected payments and requests to use your account to move money.
06.
Is sensitive information being requested too early?
Pause if you are asked for bank details, identity documents or other personal information before you have verified the opportunity and understand why it is needed. Never share passwords, PINs, card security codes or verification codes.
07.
Does the casting, meeting or location feel unsafe?
Do not attend an audition or casting in someone’s home or alone in a hotel room. Pause if the location is private, isolated, changes unexpectedly or does not match what you were originally told.
08.
Am I being asked for inappropriate images or audition material?
Stop if you are asked to provide intimate images, perform sexual activity, remove clothing or include material that was not clearly and appropriately disclosed. Do not continue because you feel pressured or fear losing the opportunity.
09.
Are reasonable questions or independent checks being resisted?
A genuine engager should be willing to clarify the opportunity and provide written information. Pause if questions are ignored, written terms are refused or you are discouraged from checking with the organisation, platform, agent or union.
Who to contact
The most appropriate organisation will depend on what has happened and where you are based.
FMTW cannot verify individual opportunities, investigate allegations or provide emergency, legal or financial advice.
If someone may be in immediate danger
Call 999 if a crime is happening now or you or somebody else is in immediate danger.
Read the official emergency guidance →If you have sent money or shared financial security information
Contact your bank or payment provider immediately using a trusted number, such as the number on the back of your card or within its official app.
Read the recruitment-scam guidance →Your union, agent or professional association
They may be able to help you assess a casting or work-related concern, check industry practice or explain what support is available.
Find unions and sources of support →The listing platform or genuine organisation
Report the account, listing or message to the platform where it appeared. If an organisation may be being impersonated, contact it using details from its official website.
Do not use the contact details contained in the suspicious message.
Report Fraud
Report Fraud accepts reports of fraud, attempted fraud and suspicious communications affecting people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Check the reporting options →If you are in Scotland
If you live in Scotland or the incident happened there, Report Fraud directs people to contact Police Scotland by calling 101.
Read Police Scotland’s fraud guidance →IMPORTANT OR SAFETY INFORMATION
Important information
This resource provides general information from Freelancers Make Theatre Work. It is not legal, financial, safeguarding or emergency advice.
A warning sign does not necessarily mean that an opportunity, organisation or individual is fraudulent. FMTW cannot verify opportunities, investigate concerns or advise you what action to take in an individual situation.
If you feel unsafe, have shared sensitive information, sent money or are concerned about a casting or work opportunity, contact an appropriate organisation using the signposting above.
Sources and further information
The guidance and signposting on this page were informed by the following sources. Always check the relevant organisation’s current information before acting.
Last reviewed: August 2026
Links and guidance can change. Check the date and scope of any external information before relying on it.