Anything Goes : Scam alert!! by Ryan Quinn

Disgusting

Scum of the earth

more proof, he has tried this with others

no response after this.

WOW, SMH

Yea I had already done my research on the guy before todays convo, he had a bogus answer for everything. It's just very demoralizing running into these situations.

I'm glad you posted to let others know

Mark Deuce Lakiesha Michelle Your welcome, It is such a shame that this is something else that writers have to worry about. They try to get you excited and eager...always check them thoroughly. I'm sure this has worked for this person before.

Yes, It's very sad. Were trying to come up and to see people this way out there trying to take from us that knows how hard it is.

Yes Ryan Quinn I figured Jose was a scammer when he messaged me. Thank you for sharing

Thank you for letting us know. It helps when we all work together to ensure nobody gets scammed.

Lee-ann Suddick I'm happy to hear he wasn't able to take advantage of you as well. Did he ask you for a "commitment fee" of $3,500 too? The real Jose has a stage 32 and was last online 2 weeks ago. I sent him a message to let him know what was going on as well.

Asmaa Jamil I couldn't agree more, I think stage 32 should consider adding a verification process to help this type of fraud from occurring. Fiverr has a sufficient process where you submit a photo of your driver's license. I'm sure it's not perfect either but at least it is something...some type of security that helps us know we are engaging with the person they say they are.

Ryan Quinn No, it never got that far…My intuition was screaming at me lol

Lee-ann Suddick That's awesome, unfortunately I'm sure he or she has succeeded at this before. They played it well, but I had already researched the situation before our convo...I was really hoping to get them to show their face, but no dice. It would be great to be able to hold these clowns accountable in a court of law.

Ryan Quinn I absolutely agree with you, as well as getting justice for those who steal other Artist’s copyrights - Absolutely disgusting

Yeah he try to scam me. I knew it seemed weird. I almost gave him information.

The photo is of the real Jose Pozo, who is a legit producer from Spain. The scammer who was using Jose Pozo's likeness and name had his bogus account supposedly shut down by S32 a few days ago.

Anthony Murphy as far as I can tell his account is still active. From the sounds of it, he has been pretty busy trying to suck writers dry.

Derrick Vernon Glad to hear you didn't fall for this low lifes lies. God only knows how many other accounts this person operates on.

Ryan Quinn Yeah I really thought I finally got my big break in finally about to negotiate for my scripts and now finding out he's a fraud is a bummer. people like him is why it's so hard to trust anyone. I'm like busting my butt off just to get my work read and sold. Well thanks for your help and the heads up.

Derrick Vernon Don't feel bad man, I was hopeful too. Just keep writing and pushing, ever need any help feel free to reach out to me.

Ryan Quinn I reported the fake Jose Pozo account, which was set up in August 2023, three or four days ago, and was informed later that day by Emily J of S32 that the fake Jose Pozo account had been deactivated, and it showed up as deactivated on the message the scammer had sent me. Does the message sent you by the scammer in your mailbox state deactivated over the photo? After searching S32 this morning, this is the only account (search results showed two accounts before deactivation of the scammer's account) that comes up, and it's the real director's/producer's account, which was set up in 2014: https://www.stage32.com/profile/364227/about

Anthony Murphy Check out this profile on Stage32

https://www.stage32.com/profile/1096353/about

when I go to the message it doesn't say deleted at least not on my mobile app. I'll have to get one my laptop to see if it shows deleted on there. But that is the link to the fake Jose I just shared.

oh yea I've come across many red flags on him because I just happened to reach out to him to see if he needed help with his current project but I got many red flags immediately. He definitely looks for inexperienced people and didn't like the fact that I know how the business works. He did everything he could to avoid a Zoom call. It was a classic case of "give me your script first". In the words of LA Knight "NAH NAH!"

Ryan Quinn This is where the link you provided led me:

We're sorry. The member you were looking for is no longer on our network.

If you are looking for someone in particular you can use name search on the left or browse member profiles below.

Anthony Murphy looks like they got him, hard to tell how many other accounts that person operates. I really think stage 32 needs to add a verification process of some sort. Thanks for all your help.

Ryan Quinn Yes, we did get him a few days ago. All of us mods knew that profile was suspect and I highly doubt it was the real person. Probably someone using his name.

@Ryan Don't get me wrong, It's good for all of us to report these scammers as soon as we're contacted. When I reported it, several members told me that they were probably going to send him or her money, so there might be others still in contact with the scammer off of the S32 platform. I'm just letting you know what went on a few days ago regarding this scammer and what Emily J of S32 said about deactivating the fake account, which apparently has been done, so perhaps do check on your laptop, because my S32 phone app is often inaccurate.

Anthony Murphy Yep from my end we got him pretty quickly! Because all of us mods knew it was a scammer! Hopefully nobody gave him money, but as far as I know no damage was done.

Ryan Quinn I suggested to Emily J that S32 needs a dedicated email like scams@stage32.com so that our emails to S32 about scams don't get lost in the hundreds of support emails that they get a day, but the S32 staff is usually quick to respond.

Scam means a con game or other fraudulent scheme for making a quick profit.

There are scams everywhere. Even in places that appear reputable. Caveat emptor.

The S32 mods and staff are usually very responsive and do a great job overall. A thank you to Ryu and all the mods and staff for looking out for us writers. But writers do due diligence and don't give money to anyone who contacts you, no matter what they promise. This scammer will have another fake account set up immediately, if he doesn't already, so if you get contacted with a development offer, shoot an email to support@stage32.com before forking over money. It's common sense.

Agree with Anthony Murphy. The best and quickest way to resolve this is to report it immediately to Stage 32 and sending them a link to the profile. No producer is going to ask you for money. I would encourage anyone to immediately discontinue the conversation and report it to community@stage32.com.

As a former 1L, I have learned to use my middle name; otherwise, be suspicious. Online, false impersonation or false personation is a criminal offense in California under Penal Code 529.

community@stage32.com Please contact them. Remember that professionalism enhances the quality of our interactions. Let's keep our conversations constructive.

Promote a learning atmosphere by engaging in discussions with a focus on professionalism and mutual respect.

Your insights are valuable. Share them professionally, keeping the tone constructive and respectful. Long story SHORT Please let Stage32 handle it. I am sure they are on the case.

THIS WAS ANOTHER SCAMMER…

Wanted to transfer Millions to my bank account

My reply

.

Find the name of the profile on Stage32 and email community@stage32.com

Done!

He approached me, too. But I think the next day his profile was taken down.

Ryan Quinn This has been taken care of. I just got wind of it.

Robin Gregory My fellow Scorp - I bet you saw right through him! Hee hee xx

Lee-ann Suddick That's crazy..These scammers are ridiculous. Out here literally looking to ruin lives of others for a dollar they aren't willing to actually work for.

Ryan Quinn Haha…Bring it on! The scammers have no idea who they’re dealing with on Stage32…Creative minds that aren’t afraid of a challenge. Eventually word will get out that they’re messing with the wrong people - cos we’re all about passion, truth and heart xx

Thanks for sharing and emailing Stage 32, Lee-ann Suddick. Darrin's account was deleted.

Thanks Maurice Vaughan

Yea thanks Maurice Vaughan!

You're welcome, Lee-ann Suddick and Ryu Reeves. I didn't delete Darrin's account, but Stage 32 let me know it was deleted.

So right, @Lee-ann Suddick. When he offered his phone number and said his up front fee was 100% refundable, I got the proverbial NOT feeling. So glad you were on top of it too.

Robin Gregory Haha good going Scorp!

WOW! So sad. Thank you :)

I swear that's a picture of Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan in "The Walking Dead." I recognize the episode, too.

E Langley It does look like Jeffrey Dean Morgan, but the scammer actually used the real Jose's photo. I help fellow screenwriters Via Fiverr.com and there are even scams on there. People will message and say that they have a proposal for you and leave a link. If you ask for more info before clicking on the link they, turn off messaging. It's sad so many people in this world would rather scam someone than work to earn their own way.

Yeah. Life's a bitch and then you die.

Thank you for the invitation to connect. I am in need of a screenwriter. So, happy to be here!

Hi Judy, what's the project in need of screenwriting?

Ryan Quinn Thanks for the heads up. Man, it's snaky out there.

Judy Prescott Marshall Hi, I'd love to help if I can. Please email me if you're still needing a scriptwriter leeannsuddick1@gmail.com