The Free Speech Coalition today raised the alarm about a scam producer on Instagram who is “fraudulently identifying themselves as Alison Boden, former CEO of Kink.com”. Boden now serves as the Executive Director of FSC.
“The bogus ‘producer’ reaches out to people through DMs posing as Boden, asking them to work with ‘her’ on shoots or shows,” FSC said in its alert. “This is the fake Instagram account. We have reported the account multiple times — and encourage others to do so — but so far it remains live. While this is the only account we are aware of, there may be others on Instagram or other platforms.”
FSC added that any performers who are “approached by someone claiming to be Alison Boden for production or cam work should report the account immediately, and alert FSC at report@freespeechcoalition.com.”
“The elements of this scam appear to be similar to several other incidents reported in recent years,” noted in its statement.
To protect themselves with respect to any potential booking, the FSC recommends taking the following precautions:
If you have a licensed agent:
– have them verify the booking, contacts and details
If you do not have a licensed agent:
Only communicate with new producers or agents through official company email accounts (if the person does not have an official account, ask them for a contact at the company that you can email to verify the relationship)
– ask for references from other models, and verify them
– get contracts and other paperwork in advance and have it vetted by an attorney
– avoid negotiating or agreeing to shoots via sites like Instagram, Whatsapp and Facebook
When in doubt, contact the FSC.
“We ask all existing performers, as well as those seeking to work in the adult industry, to always confirm the identity of any unknown director, agent or other contact by calling or emailing the company they claim to represent,” the FSC said in its alert. “Most companies have publicly available profiles. If you are unable to reach the company, or are otherwise hesitant to do so, please contact FSC, and we can help confirm.”
The FSC said it is “currently investigating this scam.”
“We encourage anyone who has been approached, or has any knowledge of this scam or others, to report potential incidents to us so that we may alert the community, as well as law enforcement,” the FSC said. “Fraud and identity theft are criminal offenses, and can be punishable by prison. Rape by deception — in which a person agrees to have sex under fraudulent pretenses, such as a bogus adult shoot — is a state felony.”
Read the full statement on the FSC website.
