Anything Goes : Cannes offer by Tom Norton

Was the offer unsolicited Tom Norton ?

@Suzanne Bronson Yes. She reached out to me first. It's still tempting though.

If Hollywood Con Queen has taught me anything, its not to trust anybody-- especially if they name-drop out of nowhere.

Ask her for a zoom meeting first and make sure it's her. Never send money. Search her name on LinkedIn and see if you have a connection in common. The industry is incredibly small, you probably have a second or third connection in common. Best of luck!

I just went on LinkedIn and checked her out. Lamourie Media. She is my second connection, three of my connections are in her network. She is probably connected to lots of people so you could easily find her on LinkedIn and check if you have got an email from the real person and not a scam.

Me again! :) Lamourie Media has an IG account, 3000 followers, which is a quite small account. If you write her a message on Instagram, she will probably see it and reply. Never be afraid of checking people out! She looks like a nice person on the IG photos! :)

Susanne Palm I probably should have specified that she reached out on LinkedIn itself. Honestly, the reason I became wary was because of the warnings of family and friends more than the offer itself. They keep reminding me that asking for money is a red flag.

Well, then I really don't know. :) At least have a meeting with her before you decide anything.

I agree with Susanne Palm It does seem suspicious that she reached out unsolicited and asked for money before even having a phone call. The person on LinkedIn and IG is probably real, but that doesn't mean the person reaching out to you isn't an impersonator. You are wise to be cautious, see if she'll have a face to face zoom and have a convo first before agreeing to anything.

Thank you, everybody. I just had a look back at my conversation with Lamourie. She wrote very long messages and asked for 775$ USD for the Cannes thing and 1000 for a full month.

Tom Norton Hi Tom, the saying is correct. Never give money to those you don't know. Basically, that $775 dollars would appear to cover her costs of getting a Marche Badge. The early bird badge was 449 Euros and today it would cost 600 Euros. Plus maybe a few viewings. I would say No to any approach from a stranger. And don't worry - THERE IS NEVER A STUPID QUESTION to be asked in the Lounges. Just be wary of people offering to represent you, when they don't know you or your work.

She's listed on imdb pro as an actress/publicist. Her webpage emphasizes the publicist angle and says she's a regular at Cannes. Her phone suggests she's based in Toronto. Seems like a pretty pricey ask for something as vague as "representation," but she lists 3 credits that you could investigate what others think of her.

Vague is the word. I must admit that I don't know what it means to have an agency representing me at a film festival/film industry market. What exactly is the service and how much should it cost? I have only been represented by acting agencies and they have meetings, photo sessions and interviews before doing anything. And are of course free. There are six million people with credits on IMdB and most people in the industry have been in Cannes sometimes, so those things don't really mean anything.

Never ever ever hand over money to anyone in exchange for vague services based on tenuous internet clout. There is so much impersonation these days, you've always gotta double check random inquiries. But chances are if they're indiscriminately reaching out to you and making big promises, then they are likely scamming