The FTC issued a consumer alert warning about virtual casting call scams that impersonate casting agents or talent recruiters to harvest personal data, payments, or voice/video recordings for fraud. The agency provided signs of these scams and urged consumers not to send money or personal documents to unsolicited contacts and to report incidents.

The Federal Trade Commission published a consumer alert detailing a rise in “virtual casting call” scams that prey on aspiring performers and content creators. Scammers pose as casting directors, talent agents, or production companies and request personal information, background documents, upfront fees, or voice and video recordings — materials that can be repurposed for identity theft or AI voice‑cloning. The FTC outlined red flags such as unsolicited offers, requests for payment or banking details, pressure to act quickly, and refusals to provide verifiable production credentials. Practical tips included verifying casting companies through independent industry directories, asking for written contracts, refusing to transfer funds or personal ID documents to unverified contacts, and keeping recordings private until legitimate representation or booking is confirmed. The agency urged victims to report scams to the FTC to help the agency identify patterns and coordinate with other law enforcement partners. The alert links this emerging fraud vector to broader concerns about synthetic media misuse and underscores risks for creators who share high‑quality voice or image samples online.