LOS ANGELES — Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has alerted the industry that a fake Instagram account is fraudulently identifying itself as former Kink.com CEO Alison Boden and reaching out to prospective performers.
The FSC alert follows:
Performers should be on high alert for a ‘scam’ producer on Instagram fraudulently identifying themselves as Alison Boden, former CEO of Kink.com. The bogus ‘producer’ reaches out to people through DMs posing as Boden, asking them to work with “her” on shoots or shows.
This is the fake Instagram account. We have reported the account multiple times — and encourage others to do so — but so far it remains live. While this is the only account we are aware of, there may be others on Instagram or other platforms.
Any performers approached by someone claiming to be Alison Boden for production or cam work should report the account immediately, and alert FSC at report@freespeechcoalition.com.
The elements of this scam appear to be similar to several other incidents reported in recent years. To protect yourself in any potential booking, FSC recommends the following precautions:
If you have a licensed agent, have them verify the booking, contacts and details.
If you do not have a licensed agent:
- Only communicate with new producers or agents through official company email accounts (if the person does not have an official account, ask them for a contact at the company that you can email to verify the relationship)
- Ask for references from other models, and verify them
- Get contracts and other paperwork in advance and have it vetted by an attorney
- Avoid negotiating or agreeing to shoots via sites like Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook
- When in doubt, contact FSC
We ask all existing performers, as well as those seeking to work in the adult industry, to always confirm the identity of any unknown director, agent or other contact by calling or emailing the company they claim to represent. Most companies have publicly available profiles. If you are unable to reach the company, or are otherwise hesitant to do so, please contact FSC, and we can help confirm.
FSC is currently investigating this scam. We encourage anyone who has been approached, or has any knowledge of this scam or others, to report potential incidents to us so that we may alert the community, as well as law enforcement.
Fraud and identity theft are criminal offenses, and can be punishable by prison. Rape by deception — in which a person agrees to have sex under fraudulent pretenses, such as a bogus adult shoot — is a state felony.
Find FSC online and on Twitter or call (818) 348-9373.
