Anonymous wrote:OP - instead of warning her that this is a scam, play into her vanity.
Tell her you're impressed and happy she was approached by a modeling agency (I mean, come on - having a SIL that's a model would be really cool) and if she wants to be a serious model, she should compare agencies so she is represented by the best. Someone like her shouldn't settle for an agency that doesn't have the right connections or takes a higher percentage of her pay. She should research the company and look at others too.
This would be a nicer way to tell her to research the scammers and maybe she'll figure it out on her own. She may not realize she's being scammed, but maybe she'll just think they are a shoddy company and set her sights on the more famous modeling companies (and not really get anywhere).
Yes, play into it and tell her you’ve read so many things from people who have been scammed by such realistic looking offers that you’d hate to see her waste her time and money on someone like that, on someone who wasn’t going to be able to deliver her the best opportunities. Tell her to be sure to negotiate with a few places to get the best leverage since it’s such a big commitment.