Voice Acting Job Scams & Red-Flags

Full credit for these resources goes to Kira Buckland and NAVA. Thank you for your contributions to this community.
(this page will be updated accordingly)

With every creative field, there is always the risk of a few dishonest individuals or organizations attempting to take advantage of people’s dreams. These can range from industry people who make a career out of extorting money from newer actors, to predatory "agencies" or casting companies, to straight-up scammers who have nothing to do with the industry but use it as another avenue to swindle their victims. Whether in jobs, classes, or online services, it’s important to know what to watch out for in order to protect yourself as much as possible.

Things to keep in mind:

Some scams are very well orchestrated. They make every effort to fly under the radar and avoid raising suspicion, causing people to be completely blindsided if a seemingly legit client suddenly disappears without paying. This is why it’s important to use your best judgment and make sure contracts are in place for jobs with significant amounts of work or money involved, and to be aware of what to look out for.
Just because one of these red flags is involved doesn’t automatically mean the project is a scam. Sometimes it’s just a matter of a client being unaware of how certain procedures are supposed to work. If the project doesn’t seem sketchy otherwise, it can be worth at least attempting to educate and/or negotiate where appropriate.
If you think you may be the victim of a scam, ask trusted peers or mentors for a second opinion. Chances are they may have seen the same email circulating or know someone who has had an experience with that "agency" that's not really an agency.

Common Scams

1). The "Commercial game show host" advert project:
This is a classic overpayment scam, and is quite possibly the most notorious and well-known VO scam. This one has become so prevalent in recent years that it is deserving of its own entry. The scammer will use a variety of throwaway email accounts under different names. They will claim to have found your contact info from your website and that they are in need of a voice actor for a "commercial game show host advert project" who must be in a good "mental and emotional state of mind". Sometimes this message includes the phrase "Well I'm no rocket scientist." ~ They claim they will pay a reasonable rate and that the voice actor can be located anywhere because they will rent a studio close to you. The supposed "studio rental" is where the scam really happens. In this specific case, the “client” offers to pay you more than the agreed amount for the job so that you can send the extra money “to pay the engineer”. This is nonsense. If the client is setting up studio time for you to record a job for them at a location they specify, it is their responsibility to deal with the associated studio rental fees, including paying the engineer. It also makes fundamentally no sense to pay that extra money to the voice actor and hope they pay the appropriate people, rather than just handling it themselves. But the reason for this is because the check they’re sending with the larger amount is absolute bogus, and when the bank refuses it for fraud, it’s YOU who will be out the money that you sent.

2). A job offer from a supposedly well-known company, studio or agency:
While it's not unheard of that a talent may be approached directly by a major company for contract work, be very wary of a sudden email claiming to be from a major anime studio or national agency offering vague promises of work, especially if you've had no contact with anyone from their organization in the past and no reason to expect an email from them. Sometimes the scammers will use LinkedIn to find names of actual company representatives to impersonate, but often it's someone who would have nothing to do with hiring voiceover artists, such as a recruiter or HR manager (see below). If they open with talking about bank details rather than an audition/recording process, that's a red flag. If they ask you to add them on WhatsApp or Telegram to discuss the "job", that is another red flag - while some clients particularly outside the US do occasionally use chat services to communicate with contractors, this is not how major companies in the US operate, and it may be a ploy to steal your financial information. A good way to identify legitimacy is to closely check the email address. A legitimate organization will have a company domain that emails are sent from (@companyname.com), not a Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo address. Be aware of fake domains that look legitimate but are not actually official, and cross-reference with the company's official website if need be.

Sometimes scammers will impersonate companies through Voices.com, upon which the "client" reaches out to them asking to be contacted off-site, with a message such as the following: "Thank you for reaching out. We have thoroughly reviewed your sample and portfolio materials and are genuinely impressed with your work. However, the project, for which you submitted your proposal, has concluded, and the position has been closed. Nevertheless, we are thrilled to extend an invitation to interview for the available position of Full-time Voice Over Actor with our company, [INSERT NAME OF OTHERWISE LEGITIMATE COMPANY SCAMMER IS IMPERSONATING]. This is a full-time remote position and guarantees a minimum of three projects per week, with supervision considering your area of voice-over specialization..." ~ As we mentioned above, voice-over work is a contract based job and doesn't work in the way they describe. You should always be cautious with new clients who insist on paying you off the site (which is a TOS violation and you should report and flag the job in their system).

One company in particular that has fallen victim to imposters is the localization company "TransPerfect". While TransPerfect itself is a legitimate company, scammers who are not affiliated with the company have been known to impersonate as such and using their name in order to gain a false sense of trust. The official company has since made a public statement to warn people of this scam.

3). A recruiter or HR manager offering a full-time VO job with benefits:
This simply isn't how voiceover works. But scammers don't always understand that, and may make fake job postings asking for a "voiceover artist" that offers a generous salary with paid time off and benefits! In reality, voiceover is freelance contract work. You get paid per job/session completed, not some specified monthly/yearly salary (doesn't every actor wish they had guaranteed income?!) "Paid time off" is also a joke because as a voice actor, your "time off" is whenever you don't have sessions or auditions coming in. And because voice actors are not employees, a recruiter or HR manager typically has nothing to do with hiring them. This is usually outsourced to an external casting director, freelance casting service or marketing agency. Again, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

4). A lengthy and generic "audition" asking you to narrate random or incoherent sentences:
There are all types of projects and scripts out there, but beware of overly vague auditions that ask for a large sampling of random phrases or sentences. The goal is quite possibly "AI farming", in which the scammer grabs a sizeable recording of an actor reading assorted copy in hopes of training text-to-speech algorithms using the actor's voice without their knowledge or consent. While not all auditions will provide details due to the confidential nature of certain projects, you have a right to ask questions as to what type of project you're actually auditioning for and how the recordings would be used. Again, trust your gut if something seems off.

5). An agency asking for a "membership fee" but with no real track record of bookings:
There are stories of actors approaching or being approached by an agency who offers to sign them immediately without even hearing their demos or having a meeting. Most legitimate agencies - even regional ones - are highly competitive, and only take on actors who fill a specific need on their roster or whom they reasonably believe will make them money. So if an agency offers to sign an actor no questions asked, it's worth a bit of scrutiny - especially if they ask you to pay some sort of subscription fee. In general, an agency makes money when their talent makes money - they will take a commission from jobs they help book for you, but they shouldn't charge you upfront. Some actors have reported that there are smaller regional agencies which do charge a "listing fee" to help keep their overhead costs down, but do not agree to pay this unless you can vouch that the agency is 100% legitimate. There is at least one "agency" that asks hopeful actors to pay a subscription fee to a casting service owned by them in order to access auditions (and while auditions do appear, there are reports that they seem to be bogus castings not connected to any actual job). It's not unheard of for agents - especially those that also handle on-camera bookings - to require that actors to subscribe to Backstage and/or Actors' Access to be submitted for casting breakdowns, but these are legitimate, verifiable third-party services not owned by a specific talent agency. If an agency you submit to claims to charge a listing fee, but you see friends/peers listed on their site, feel free to reach out to them and ask for their honest experience (Have they booked or received callbacks with this agency? How do they feel about the quantity and quality of auditions they are getting?)

6). Paypal chargeback scams:
This one isn't super common, but it does occasionally happen to creatives such as artists, streamers, and yes---voice actors. In this situation, the client and talent agree on payment for a job, to be paid via PayPal. The talent completes the work and delivers it to the client, who then pays (usually promptly, and sometimes even upfront!) However, the client then initiates a chargeback via PayPal or their bank, claiming the transaction was "unauthorized". Many times, banks will side with the cardholder even in the face of evidence, leaving the actor out of a payment plus a penalty fee, while the client still makes off with the recordings. While it's not always foolproof, having clear proof that prices were agreed to and services were rendered can help in dispute resolution. Using PayPal's invoicing system - commonly used by artists for commissions - may provide an extra layer of evidence to show that the client did indeed agree to the charges.

7). Using an audition as a final recording:
This is still fairly uncommon, but it does worry a lot of actors, especially those who participate on pay-to-plays or other online casting sites. Commercial clients will often post a full script for an audition, particularly if the script is short. Now, just because a client posts a full script as the audition copy doesn't mean they're trying to do anything unsavory - many times, they simply assume this is how it's done. If a client were to be unethical, however, they could theoretically take someone's audition recording and use it as the actual spot, and the actor might never find out. You generally don't have to worry about this with auditions from verified sources (such as agencies or private casting rosters), but if you're not sure the client is trustworthy, it's okay to read an excerpt rather than the full script, or to slightly change a line to different wording. Audio watermarks, however, should be avoided as they are considered distracting and annoying when reviewing auditions.

8). Vague Social Media Posts:
We primarily find these types of posts in Facebook groups. Posts similar to: "I need [gender] voice over artist to record my script." These posts are far too vague and promise work for whoever reaches out. When you ask for details, they typically ask you to DM them, (meaning they want you to send them a private message). When they are not upfront about the rate (how much the project will pay), the genre of the project (whether it's a commercial, audiobook, character based voice-over, etc...), or the company that the project is for, then this is often a scam, sometimes in an attempt to use your voice for ai generated content.
Example images below.

Red-Flags

(Things that aren't always scams, but could be)

1). Making grandiose promises of future endeavors:
You might be told that if you'll work for them for free or for low pay "just this one time", that there will be more job opportunities for you in the future. While every creator wants their project to succeed, it’s important that their goals have some basis in reality. Beware of anyone who makes a bunch of lofty claims of how successful they’re going to be in the future without anything to really back it up. It’s okay if you decide you want to do a favor for someone because you believe in their work and/or are passionate about the project, but if someone refuses to pay you because they promise it’ll be “well worth your while” in the future when the show gets on TV or the game goes to major consoles and sells millions of copies…chances are they’re not being realistic and are just looking for people who are willing to work for little to no money. This can be especially a problem for young and inexperienced actors who end up agreeing to poor working conditions in hopes that it will someday land them in a TV show or movie or console game. It’s up to you whether or not you’re okay with the terms involved, but don’t fall for promises that aren’t based in reality.

2). Offering a huge payout with no evidence of past work and no clear source of funding:
Everybody loves money, and the idea of a job that’s willing to pay well over industry standard seems like a dream come true. But the alarm bells start ringing if it’s a virtually unknown producer or “company” with no track record of projects and no real indication of where, exactly, they are getting this surplus of money to pay people. For example, if an indie game is offering a gigantic sum of money to their actors that goes well beyond what even a reputable studio would offer…do they have publishers already locked in? A successful crowdfunding endeavor that provided the funds needed to pay their contributors? Artwork, scripts, and other assets already in place? VO is generally one of the last assets to be added into a game, so if they are making big promises to their voice actors but have nothing to show for their work otherwise, that’s a red flag. Now, the possibility is always there that it’s a very wealthy person just trying to make a project with their own personal funds, but it’s very important to get as much information as possible and also to make sure a contract is in place. Which brings us to…

3). Refusing to use a contract for jobs involving large amounts of money and/or work:
A contract is one of the most basic forms of protection you can put in place so that you can theoretically have some recourse if a client runs away without paying you for your work. “Verbal agreements” don’t really hold up in a legal setting, so it’s important to have something in writing that guarantees payment for work completed—even if the project ends up being cancelled down the line, the client is still obligated to pay you for the portion of work you already recorded for them. If the client’s excuse is that they don’t know how to write up a contract, you can use our simple VO Agreement Template provided in our contracts thread. (Disclaimer: The template included has not been reviewed by legal professionals. We encourage you to seek professional counsel if you are worried about working on a job with a large sum of money and work at stake.) Practically speaking, you don’t really need a contract if it’s a matter of someone tossing you a few bucks via PayPal for a comic dub or something, but for larger-scale professional jobs you should absolutely have one—-it protects both parties, so it theoretically benefits the client as well to sign.

4). Refusing to disclose how your voice will be used even after an NDA is signed:
Sure, there are exceptions for top-secret government projects or something which involves extremely sensitive company trade secrets, but for the majority of day-to-day voiceover work, clients should practice transparency about the usage involved. For example, is this a game? A show? Paid ad placement for social media? Will the voice be used to train AI or text-to-speech algorithms? The use of code names is fairly common in fields like gaming and is considered an acceptable method to help prevent leaks, but if a client refuses to tell you anything at all about how your voice will be used/distributed even after you offer to sign a non-disclosure agreement, it warrants further scrutiny. The NAVA AI Rider can help protect you if you suspect the client may wish to recreate your voice using AI technology.

5). A client or company with no verifiable identity:
Not everyone has much of a web presence, but if someone is emailing you with a major offer and they’re not signing their emails with a real name or their “company” cannot be found anywhere online, you don’t want to risk having no way to track them down if they attempt to run off without paying. While this doesn’t automatically mean they’re not trustworthy, it’s good to double check that the signed contract at least has some type of legitimate information—-if you have a dispute later on but nothing more than the client’s email address to go off of, you might run into a difficult time.

6). Attempting to prevent you from working with other clients in the future:
Sometimes, noncompete clauses can be in place for development staff in order to, for instance, prevent a developer on one game from also working at competing company and giving away insider information. However, these clauses generally don’t and shouldn’t apply to voice actors. As a freelance talent, you shouldn’t be prohibited from working on other projects even if, for example, it’s a game with a similar style or general plot as a game you already worked on. (In some cases, contracts may state that the character is the company's intellectual property and you cannot perform that specific character for a project that is not theirs, which is reasonable, as long as it only applies to their IP and not your voice in general.) Brand conflicts are a thing when it comes to commercial work, but that’s best handled by an agent. Be VERY wary of any contract that attempts to lock out potential future work for you as a freelancer, and challenge this clause if you see it. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of people using developer contract templates and genuinely not realizing that it shouldn’t apply in the case of VO.

7). Asking to use payment methods that are unconventional for VO work:
Some examples include using "Western Union", "Moneygram", or other rare or unheard of methods. If you’re doing work for a client online, the most common methods of payment are Paypal, wire transfer, or occasionally a mailed paper check. While services such as Western Union and Moneygram in and of themselves aren’t scams, these services are often utilized by scammers themselves (see Western Union’s page on identifying fraud and Moneygram's fraud FAQ.) If the company or client doesn’t seem reputable and/or you don’t know them well, it’s okay to ask them to pay you via PayPal instead.If something seems sketchy and you’re not sure, ask around to trusted friends and other actors. NEVER accept more than the agreed amount for a job with the condition that you "pay back" the excess or send part of it to someone else - this is an indication of an overpayment scam.

8). Requiring your Social Security Number, birthdate, or other sensitive information for a small indie job:
Your SSN is very personal information that should be kept secure. It’s true that you will have to fill out W9s for legit employers and studios for tax purposes, but you don’t need to be giving it to Joe Schmoe online (with no company backing or accounting department) to PayPal you $100 for an indie game. Even if the person asking for it is trustworthy, e-mail databases can get hacked or people can be careless when it comes to keeping these forms confidential. If you are located in the United States and regularly run into situations with online clients that require your SSN to fill out a W9, consider applying for an EIN instead.

9). The client is more preoccupied with asking for your financial info than discussing the specifics of the job or audition:
If the client can hardly even tell you what you're supposedly being hired for, but they immediately start talking about getting tax forms or bank info right off the bat, it's okay to take a step back and evaluate what's going on. And if it's just an audition rather than a job, they shouldn't need any of that information upfront.

10). Talent rosters that will only consider submissions from actors who have paid them for classes or demos:
Some actors do naturally catch the attention of a casting director when taking a workshop, and that's OK! There are also "casting director showcases" which are generally seen as a legitimate method of getting in front of someone who can provide you feedback and may potentially consider you for future auditions. But if a casting director or studio insists that their roster is only to be comprised of actors who have taken classes or gotten demos done with them, or they guarantee you a spot on their roster if you do so, this is unethical behavior. A good casting director should aim to cast the most fitting actor for the role, not give preferential treatment to those who pay them for coaching or demos.

11). Model & Talent Agency Classes:
There are some "modeling and talent agencies" that claim to encompass everything, including print, on-camera, and voiceover, and they offer fancy course packages which supposedly train you for all facets of the industry. They may even provide headshots or demos as part of these courses, or try to sell hopeful actors on going to an overpriced conference to get in front of managers or casting directors. However, when more research is done, it is difficult to find much work that such an agency has actually procured for their clients---they seem to be more in the business of selling workshops, headshots and conference offerings than taking care of the people already on their roster. While you may end up learning something in these courses, chances are your money is better spent on targeted voiceover classes and getting your demo done by a reputable professional who is aware of current industry trends and expectations.

12). Constant excuses about why payment hasn't been delivered:
Sometimes, things happen. Maybe their accounting person changed hands or the client ghosted them on payment or they really are dealing with some personal matter that has kept them offline. Some grace and understanding can be extended for life circumstances, but at the end of the day, they still have a business to run and they owe you the agreed-upon compensation for the service you provided. Many online invoicing services allow for automatic follow-ups when an invoice is overdue, and if that doesn't work, you can send an email inquiring about the payment status for the job (note that nonunion jobs can and do pay up to net-90, but if you had a different agreement in place or it's been past 90 days, it's certainly okay to follow up.) If you have a regular client that you routinely have to chase down for payment on every job, you may wish to evaluate whether it's worth it for you to continue working with them.

13). Payment disputes with actors on previous projects:
If other actors have or had issues tracking down payment from this particular client on past or current projects, tread very carefully if you wish to proceed. Unless they've fully resolved previous issues and are since committed to doing better, chances are they're not suddenly going to change their ways. Go in with both eyes open and make sure that you don't deliver hours and hours of work for someone who's going to bail on payment.

14). No company name:
The client does not state a company name anywhere or provide any information about who they are supposedly working for.

15). Client insists on using a third-party messaging service:
More often than not, if a client insists on using a messaging service like WhatsApp or Telegram, this is something to be wary of. While some clients particularly outside the US do occasionally use chat services to communicate with contractors, this is not how major companies in the US operate, and it may be a ploy to steal your financial information.

16). Comments and flattery:
When the client uses generic phrases such as "we were impressed by your website", rather than specifics on your voice or the supposed job. It is also important to be ware of messages via DM stating "Seeking Voiceover Professionals! I'm reaching out because your voiceover portfolio is impressive. We're looking for skilled freelancers for various projects. Interested?" or "Having analyzed your page, I am impressed by the quality of work displayed, essential for any voice-over artist." ~ Another company email to avoid would be anything random from "GainRep". Always be wary.

17). The client offers unrealistic payment:
When the client offers to pay you more money than would be realistic for the type of job being asked. For example; rates that surpass even union or industry standard rates.

18). Social Media Recruitment:
This typically happens on Twitter/X and BlueSky, where the user claims to work for a "production company run by voice actors", despite not listing any specifics on said company or what type of work they've supposedly produced. They might reply to a typically unrelated post of yours with a message such as: "”Having analyzed your page, I am impressed by the quality of work displayed, essential for any voice-over artist.” ~ Right away there are some red flags here, starting with the way this message is written. It appears to be AI generated. While clunky writing isn’t in and of itself an indicator (many clients’ first language is not English and may use auto translator services, for example), it just doesn’t make sense and feels very generic (the game show host scammers also use phrases such as “impressed by your website” as opposed to anything about your work in specific). If someone were to genuinely reach out to you on Twitter about work, it would usually 1) be on a relevant tweet (such as on your demo reel, a pinned post, or even just a general @ - not a random old unrelated tweet), and 2) would include an invitation to reach out further in some way. ~ If you check the profiles there are usually a bunch of random stock images or stolen images made to appear to be selfies of the user, along with a message for interested voice actors to connect on WhatsApp or similar. The accounts all seem to operate identically but posing as different users from different countries. ~ While we don’t have direct confirmation of anyone getting involved with this, likely indicators point to it being a scam. We recommend exercising extreme caution if you choose to follow up with any accounts fitting this general description.

19). Data Farming:

Newer voice actors in particular have been being targeted by companies looking to train their AI algorithms. They claim it will be "great experience" for anyone to get their start in the industry and an "easy job".

Here are some phrases to look out for:
1. "No prior training or experience necessary" - (most voiceover jobs prefer those who have some type of training/experience.)
2. "You will record yourself having a conversation unscripted with another person" - (this is almost a dead giveaway of AI data farming jobs, if you are "conversing" with another person and don't even have a script)
3. "You don't need to perform, just read out loud / talk naturally"
4. "It's a way to get experience / chance to build your portfolio" - (phrasing like this is often used in exploitative jobs to make it seem positive)
5. Pays $25-40 per hour or similar - (this is actually a very low rate for a VO job but they are hoping to lure in newbies who compare it to an hourly day job rate)
6. Despite the low pay and claims that you don't need experience, they are very particular that you must have an extremely quiet space to record in - they may either say you must have professional equipment, or "you can just use your phone" (red flag)

Even if they claim "this is just for internal use and not for broadcast", it's quite easy for them to feed these into algorithms that generate synthetic voices based on recordings from numerous people. Be very cautious accepting jobs like this, and look over any contracts carefully. Click HERE for an article detailing a situation on this topic.

General Tips

Go in with a watchful eye and trust your instincts when it comes to clients you've never worked with before.
Talk to other actors. If something seems fishy, get a second or third opinion. (If you're concerned about NDAs, you can redact any identifying information about the project or client.)
Beware of inconsistencies in the job description, terms used that show they don't know how voiceover works, or things that don't seem to add up (What even IS a "commercial game show host advert project?")
If an email is supposedly from a major company, note anything unusual in the email address or communication method used.
Know that it's OK to ask questions if something about the job, usage or pay isn't clear to you. If the client is concerned about confidentiality, offer to sign an NDA.
Never accept more than the agreed amount for a job with the understanding that you are to send back the excess or pay it to someone else.
Beware of clients that are extremely pushy in their communication (scammers don't want you to take time on your decisions and realize it's a scam)
If you are working independently on a large job (such as an audiobook or other long-form narration) for a client you've never worked with before and can't fully verify their legitimacy, you may consider either asking for a portion of the job to be paid upfront as a deposit, or for the payment to be delivered in installments as project milestones are completed.
Use invoices when necessary to help guard against chargeback scams or payment being sent to the incorrect account.
If an audition is from a source that can't be verified (such as posted on a Facebook group or pay-to-play site), consider reading only a portion of the audition script to guard against your audition being used as the final product.
Ask for a contract before any work is to be delivered.
When possible, try to get language included in your contracts that prohibits the reproduction or training of your voice using artificial intelligence algorithms. The NAVA AI Rider is a great template for examples of language you can use. In some cases, you may need to work out a compromise with the client on the wording to be used.
NAVA also has an article on scams/red flags - check it out here!