CBC’s Marketplace has a excellent article on Photo Contest Scams. Read the article One winner + 70 second place winners = something fishy HERE.
There is a long list of “I’ve been scammed” reports at the Rip Off Report website.
Warning signs of a scam:
- The contest is free to enter (this COMBINED with the following)
- The only purpose of the website does is “the contest.”
- Very soon after entering, you receive a “you’ve won!” notification
- They ask for money in several ways. For example, payment for a bio or listing, or they offer your photo in a commemorative plaque or most often they offer to sell you a very expensive book.
- Especially watch the “cute pet” and “cute baby” contests. These grab you because of your emotional connection. Don’t let that get in the way of common sense.
Please note that many legitimate photo contests charge an entry fee. This fee is to cover costs of administering the contest and funding some of the prizes.
Why are many contests FREE to enter? Companies or websites promotion themselves or their products often run contests as a effective promotional tool. Photography and writing organizations and groups often run free contests as part of their mandate of promoting the profession. Some contests are run as a “continuing legacy,” grant or scholarship.
If you are suspicious about a contest see if you can figure out why the site or company is running the contest. For example Photo Life — Showtime is a contest run by Photo Life magazine. The contest is an ongoing promotional tool for its readers and subscribers. AND its a great way to profile reader’s work and fill space at a relatively low cost!
It is often the combination of free, followed by a request for money (no matter how that request is disguised) that signals a scam contest. Use your best judgment when entering contests, in the end the statement “buyer beware,” is your best defense. Stay alert and look for the warning signs.
Note: We try our best to not include anything that screams “scam” at us. You may be surprised at how many contests we disallow! At the same time it is a judgment call … for example we do include photo contests that “grab rights” because many photographers WANT to enter them. As much as we wish we were, we are not gods or censors. We do NOT guarantee the legitimacy of the contests listed in the database. Deadline Photo Contests … Ongoing Photo Contests.
IF you feel uncomfortable about the small print in a contest … don’t enter it. There are new contests every day. Wait for one that is right for you. If they ask you for money AFTER they’ve told you you’re a winner … RUN FAST and hide!
Be sure to check out our Photography Contest Listings … right now we have over
20 Deadline Photo Contests … and 10 Monthly and Ongoing Photo Contests.
Melanie
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Scam? Great American baby contest? Been looking up all kinds of things about this one and most of it looks like a scam. Unfortunately I got suckered in. I send a picture of my baby and it was “chosen” and they wanted me to spend money a plague or book or whatever. I started to look into it and it seems I might be a sucker. Does anyone know about this one?
I’d say you are right … as soon as they start asking for money, instead of sending it … it is a scam. Sounds similar to the scam poetry contests at poetry.com.
there are so many scams running on the internete so watch out;,:
There are also LOADS of great, legitimate contests. Just be careful and watch for the scam warning signs.
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