Creative Talent, Christi Talent, Clearly Creative Model & Talent Man
Complaint 70916 Details

These are the events that occurred when i answered an ad from the Winnipeg Sun to be an extra that was dated Jan 30, 2012
1. I Phoned Jan 30,2012 to make an appointment to be an extra that was advertised in the Wpg Sun
2. Thurs Feb 2, 2012 went to interview at 18th floor 201 portage Ave Canwest building wpg phone #800-9113: the process for this interview went as follows:
Complete application (with the name Cristy talent) requesting with info such as SIN#, size, hair color, eye color, address, email info, talents. Then Peter James (approx 5’10”, short black hair, Hawaiian looking in ethnicity, blue shirt, black tie, stalky-Looks exactly like someone from my Facebook friends-who coincidentally is from Los Angeles and runs a similar type business of which i looked up and could not find any info on and he was associated with global entrepreneurs) brought me and my friend, Jim Klassen ph #(Personal Info Removed), into interview. Peter used a lot of profanity towards me and talked nice and cool to my friend. Every time he answered a question he used swear words. He explained what Creative Talent was about.....said he was from an office in Calgary (which I later found out is associated with Christi Talent in Calgary and has gone under several names). Peter asked if i would be interested in becoming an extra in projects that were coming to Winnipeg. He was looking for 5000 people to put into his data base called “the actors den” www.actorsden.com which he said to not tell anyone about this website. He wanted my password and user ID. After that he took my picture for this website and to be used for casting directors. He then said for a small fee of $150 plus tax this money would be used for couriering 100’s of pictures to different casting directors (which he really doesn’t need, by having me on the site). I paid him $100 cash and received no receipt. He told me that i could print up my own receipt once i signed up onto the actors den which had a fee attached to it for each month of use of approx $4.56 to $4.98 a month???I forget exact amount. His assistant from Toronto was to call me later on that night to discuss details further regarding my job as an extra, discuss my measurements etc and she did not call; however, i did receive an email a day or two later asking me to sign up on the account. While in the office i signed a contract and he gave me a few sheets of onset etiquette.

3. I came home and phoned someone i know to tell him about this new alleged new job and he looked up information and said how and who they were affiliated with and said i was scammed so i started to do my own research and contact people in the business and government people i know. This is what i found out:
a. They are not allowed to take money from me and can only ask for money of 15% once work has been completed (See TAMAC sheets)
b. They are not allowed to advertise in the newspaper (See TAMAC Sheets)
c. I checked for information with a lot of places and people and found out this was a place who changed their name often, and the film industry did not know who these people were and they suggested to ask for my money back as what this company was doing was not protocol or legitimate for an agent in this industry. Other names they are under include creative talent, Christi talent. Clearly Creative Model & Talent Management Inc. and creative talent and do not provide work to prospective extras, actors etc. like they say.
4. What i want out of this investigation is:
a. For someone to go there and check them out by obtaining an interview to see if the same thing happens to them and catch them before they leave town. They said they were staying in the rented office until this Friday 10.
b. If possible i would like my $100 i paid in cash returned to me
c. I do not want this to happen to anyone else

5.if you need the following info i can give this to you: copy of contract, copy of information he provided as etiquette (unfortunately i wrote all over it trying to get my SIN number on fraud alert and contact the anti fraud place etc), a copy of the guidelines that are supposed to be followed by TAMAC (Talent Agents and Managers Association of Canada – which shows what i found in comment 3 a and b above and from several people in the business etc and a Film industry place looked this up for me to help me out), and copy of newspaper ad and my code to get into the actors den that peter james needed to have and Peter James business card which shows the Calgary office also.
6. There i also a is a picture of the person from my Facebook who looks exactly like him, but may not be him, yet are in similar business and are both from Los Angeles and maybe he was swearing so much because i recognized him and i commented at interview on how i knew someone from my Facebook and he skirted the issue. They both had the same shirt and tie and hair, face etc.

7. Peter James said there was no refund; however i think I can cancel out of the agreement within 30 days somehow. Can you help me out with this? I am so stressed out with all of this and with what people are telling me about the fact that people are coming into town from Calgary posing as other companies and trying to get them into the porn industry, as peter james did say there might be a trip on a bus somewhere, and also other people are saying i should not have given out my SIN number as there is so much identity theft. This guy has everything about me and after hearing everything from these people who are knowledgeable about these situations it kind of makes me worried. I have been trying to do what i can all day to make sure this guy cannot ruin my credit history or commit identity theft..
8. I was wondering if the newspaper should be notified that this type of agency is not allowed to be putting an ad in the newspaper and do not want any other people caught in this.
9. The police will not do anything at all. I did open up a file with the antifraud place through services Canada site and phoned them.

If this is really legitimate, i am sorry to have bothered you, however, with all the research and agencies and government etc that i have contacted they all say it is a scam. How do i approach this person to cancel my contract and can i ask for my money back or do i wait for you to deal with this? A film company who gave me the TAMAC sheet said that i should go to them and show them the TAMAC sheet and ask for my money back as i now know the rules. Or will this get me into trouble. There is the option to get out of the contract within i think 30 days but do not know how to do that an am afraid i will not get my $100 cash back since they did not issue a receipt and when i phone them the phone seems to go to the Calgary office sometimes.
If they are going to be done their interviews and gone by this Friday as they say this is URGENT, as i need answers as to what i should do to get my money back or if i should approach them at all. Can you please call me as soon as possible? I have a Dr. appt in the afternoon on wed, Feb 8 at noon or maybe 11am to about 1:30.

I look forward to your response and if you need more info and if the guy from Facebook is the same guy or you need more info on him, please contact me. However, i would like to have contact with you once you receive this letter so i know what i should do by Friday before this guy leaves town, if he already has not yet. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

(Personal information has been removed.)