I'd love to get your take on the weird expereince I've encountered in directed sessions recently...!

A few of my students recently asked if I could do a video about avoiding scams in the voice over industry. Honestly? I’m glad they asked. Because getting scammed is one of the worst feelings there is. Most people are good, honest, decent human beings. And then—out of nowhere—someone pulls the rug out from under you. You lose time. You lose effort. Sometimes you lose money. Sometimes all three. So let’s talk about how these scams actually work—and how to spot them before they cost you anything. Why Voice Actors Are Easy Targets If you’re an independent voice actor, chances are you work with clients from all over the world. That’s a good thing. It also means you’re constantly dealing with new people you’ve never heard of before—auditions, bookings, inquiries. And that’s exactly where scammers slip in. So where do the red flags show up? Red Flag #1: “We Love Your Work” (But Nothing Specific) Sometimes you’ll get an email that doesn’t use your name. That alone? Not a scam. Agents and production companies often email multiple talent at once. But here’s the real issue… If the email says something vague like: “We love your work and think you’re perfect for this project.” …yet doesn’t reference anything specific from your site or demo? 🚩 Red flag. Real clients usually say things like: - “Loved your Jaguar training video” - “Your museum narration demo was perfect for this” Generic praise = slow down and investigate. Red Flag #2: The Email Address Doesn’t Match the Company This one’s huge. You read the email. It sounds professional. They claim to be from a big company. Then you look at the sender… 📧 Gmail. Yahoo. Hotmail. NOOO!! If someone claims to represent a major agency or production company, their email should match the company domain. When I’ve questioned this in the past, the excuses start: “I work from home.” Maybe. But highly unlikely. Here’s the tell: The moment you casually mention the word “scam” in your reply…

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For a demo tape, how long should it be? How many seconds should a portion of a radio ad I did in the past should I include? How long should each segment of the demo be? 🤔

Here's Peter baker with some tips for you!