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I saw an ad on Gumtree a few weeks ago about casting for a psychological thriller in Edinburgh, and the person who posted it claims the script has been praised by film experts (I am a bit wary of Gumtree too, as it has a reputation for attracting poor victims with tons of scams). When I replied to it, I got a response back from a guy simply going by his first name. Well, I was interested in being in this movie because I enjoy acting, particularly in horror type stuff.

He said he would contact me after the 'shortlistings for the auditions' and today, he emailed me (I cannot see his real e-mail address since adverts omit that) and he asked me if I have the phone messaging app, called WhatsApp.

Well, I said no, I do not, because my phone is just a cheap one. Then he says we can text message each other instead. Anyway, he actually emailed me saying his wife is due her baby soon and he has offered me a producer role and a small part acting in it.

I'm a bit unsure of this, to be honest. My mother wants to help me reply with something sensible to see if he is being honest. I'm not saying this is BS, but you still have to be careful on the Internet.

P.S. I'll reply back later once this person sends me another suspicious response.

I don't know about this, you guys. It "could" be a genuinely sincere person just wanting a wee helping hand, but how do you KNOW that?

The ad.

So, we have a script nearly completed and all previous drafts have been praised by industry experts and we are currently selecting locations and sourcing equipment. We now need a full cast for our feature film.

To begin with it would be classed as voluntary work as our budget only strectches so far. However, when the film is released we would look to pay the actors. You will also receive a credit on IMDB and copies of the movies for you to apply for other film and tv roles.

The film is a psychological crime drama and focuses on three main characters and how their lives evolve and the dramatic conclusion.

We do wish to warn all applicants that the film has some very strong language, full frontal nudity and very violent and upsetting scenes so you would need to be 100% committed to all of the above before applying.

We welcome actors and actresses of all body shapes and sizes and ages. You cannot be too old or young as there is various parts to audition for. Based on your photo and audition we can have a chat about which part you want and what we think you might be most suited to.

So, if you have dreamt of starring in a film please get in touch. No experience necessary, we will only be judging you on your acting and not your experience. Please send a cover letter telling us a little about yourself and a photo. First scenes will be filming in the new year so we need to get auditions in as soon as possible.

An email exchange I got today.

Jonathan via Gumtree Mail <Seller.2fk4ig5vruf9l@reply.gumtree.com>
10:55 AM (1 hour ago)

to me
I don't sorry. I just had a couple quick questions. I'm struggling to get this movie moving due to full-time work and my partner is expecting a baby in a couple weeks. As you've shown such a massive interest in the movie would you like to help me get it moving? You'll have a small acting part and you'll get a producer credit on imdb when completed.

PeterHoping44: "I'm a bit unsure of this, to be honest. My mother wants to help me reply with something sensible to see if he is being honest. I'm not saying this is BS, but you still have to be careful on the Internet."

You've essentially answered your own question here. Since Gumtree is known for scams, there is a considerable possibility that this is a scam too. If I were you, I would avoid this. There are things in the ad that strike me as massive red flags:

"We do wish to warn all applicants that the film has some very strong language, full frontal nudity and very violent and upsetting scenes so you would need to be 100% committed to all of the above before applying."

"We welcome actors and actresses of all body shapes and sizes and ages. You cannot be too old or young as there is various parts to audition for. Based on your photo and audition we can have a chat about which part you want and what we think you might be most suited to."

Auditioning and choosing random people and then filming them nude... no. Auditioning and choosing random little kids for a horror movie containing nudity and violence... also no.

Plus the e-mail address being withheld... I would think this is also a sign that this is a scam.

Better to be safe than sorry.

Now I know WHY they got rid of the dating section; I recall that was filled with utter BS and scam artists, too.

Sounds like a scam.

I'll stick to StarNow, even if it isn't the greatest place for jobs. At least they list genuine adverts.

There's no money involved, or anything else a scammer would want, so what do you think they'd be scamming people out of? I know many people in this industry (no actors, mostly sound/crew/camera) and this is how it works. When you're just starting out you have to work for free and the things you work on will likely have hardly any budget. I imagine when he said the script had been praised by industry experts, that these are just a few connections he has who read it, not anyone noteworthy. Reading through his advert, it's thorough, upfront, and professional, thus I don't see any problems there. The only concern I would have would be that he asked you to produce (you didn't say you had experience in this, right?).

Well, Gumtree may also attract sex offenders. Not all advertisements are about scamming people over money. Either way, you have to be careful of anyone that sounds enticing.

With that said, he doesn't seem to know what he's doing. He doesn't want to pay to list his "job" (hence why he uses Gumtree) and he asked me to place an ad on StarNow, but I kind of offered him to list it for him, seeing as how I am subscribed to their service for 6 months and he doesn't seem to want to pay a penny.

He gave me his mobile number so that any casting personnel could chat to him on WhatsApp. I'm being offered a minor acting role and he will list me as a producer. So he says anyway. That is not necessarily unusual. The only reason I cannot use WhatsApp is because of my ongoing legal carry on over Sara and Joanna. The court still has my Samsung phone. These crappy cheap ones with no Internet access just do the basics.

But he seems like a total amateur. He wants to include scenes of nudity, and doesn't pay the cast for this. When I attempted to put up the ad, it said anyone doing nudity has to be payed the National Minimum Wage, which you would have thought he would be aware of, so I had to ask him if I could cancel the ad. He asked me if there was a way around that, then I said no. He says he will think it over. The ad was cancelled, at least for now. He really shouldn't advertise on Gumtree though, if he is not even ready.

P.S. I just received this just now.

Put 500-1000 and when I talk to them I'll explain it's upon completion of movie.

True, but it's always advisable to proceed with caution. As I said, this is how this industry works. They post on sites like gumtree and craigslist because they are just starting out and have no money to pay fees for other sites. And they come across as disorganized and like they don't know what their doing because they don't. They don't have a lot of experience. They often have these unrealistic and grand expectations, which is why this guy thinks he can get actors to do nude scenes for free. I'm not saying it's not ridiculous, because it is, it's just how they operate. It gets a bit better once you have more credits and can move up to the more professional gigs, but it's still pretty head-wrecking.

OK. He has not emailed me since yesterday morning. I'm already having a tough time finding anything on IMDb, StarNow, Universal Extras or Fame Street as it is. I've applied to just a few things thus far.