Where do sites like a---------s.com get our email addresses from to send unsolicited emails to us? Also is this site connected to MS casting as I have just had an identical casting brief from them for a carphone Warehouse test commercial that came via castweb earlier. I have firnds who have been bopmbarded by emails from them and I know others on this site have had them too. I hate this sort of hijacking of my details. How does anyone else feel?
I joined for a few months to test it out. And it takes castings from all over (free sites and subscription ones) and just puts them on there, somtimes ommiting important info. One guy contacted me after I applied for something saying he had no idea why he was suddently getting submissions for his play which he advertised on his own website only in his local town. He apologised that I had wasted my time and was angry that it had been advertised without his permission. The castings are taken from Castweb, CCP, Shooting People, Mandy etc. So really whoever is running it pays subscriptions to all of the above and then advertises the jobs on their site. I also now get 2 emails from them. Obviously one from me registering but another one to the same account which they must have got from my website or something! I won't be continuing with them as it's not worth it as i'm paying twice for the same info! You live and learn.....
If you are getting spam from a service you haven't subscribed to (or even heard of), I highly recommend pursuing the buggers to find out how they obtained your details.
You might also want to drop a note to the casting companies who're being used to get the castings in the first place- it could damage their reputations, and they'll have the resources to pursue these people.
I have emailed them via their site to enquire where they obtained my details. I am not holding my breath. Needless to say there is no telephone contact! I will think about contacting the other casting company who were advertising the job.
I am in the nice position of having my own pop3 server attached to my webhosting service and therefore have 'anything I want'@forbeskb.co.uk as my email address. This allows me to register with sites such as ccp, ukscreen, imdb, mandy, etc with site specific email addresses so I can instantly track who's selling my address to third parties!
Costs next to nothing to annually! Something to consider if it annoys you that much!
I don't want to be a scare-monger, but have you checked whether receiving these texts has cost you?
There are some companies doing this (illegally) so it's something to watch out for.
For very handy advice about blocking junk mail, calls and texts this site is great http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/no-more-junk
(from the site)
Reverse billed text messages, where you get charged for receiving a text to your phone, are becoming increasingly common with people being scammed out of £100s, without realising until it's too late.
However sending texts to people who have explicitly specified they don't want them is unlawful. If you're receiving a premium rate text messages then it's easy to stop them…
Just reply texting STOP or STOP ALL.
If this fails, get in touch with your network provider and asking them to stop the messages. If you're still tearing your hair out as a last resort get in touch with the premium rate regulator PhonePayPlus and it'll investigate your complaint.
They have been emailing me too. Infact I was going to ask about them on this forum. My agent would get Spotlight breakdowns, but I'm not with Castweb or Shooting People.
So is it worth registering or not?
I'm with T-Mobile and when I asked them to stop these really horrid texts that I've been getting they said I had to stop them myself and gave me a number to call. So far I haven't had any more but I did leave a message to ask them to call me back so I could find out where they got my number from but no reply so far - there's a surprise. But T-Mobile were adamant that they couldn't stop them despite them collecting money from my account to pass on to the texters. Makes me so cross! Almost makes me want to come off contract and do pay as you go - seemingly it doesn't happen then.
Castweb and P.C.R are dealing with this abuse of there casting info and will keep me posted as I will you all. Needless to say they have not responded to my request asking where they obtained my email address and I suddenly seem to be off their list!!
Yip! I received a list of castings today from M*S***P***.com and I emailed them asking where they got my address from.... The email address started with the word property and was from a domain name which was being held but was addressed to a guy named tony... it seemed to be spam but when I checked out the link it looked spookily like f**e***k but acting related.
I didn't join!
I don't like to think of my email address being passed about although I know the lovely people at CCP had nothing to do with it as I'm registered here with a different email account! :)
Hope everyone down South is enjoying the sunshine! Here in Glasgow is wet and cold. :(
XX
OK guys!! Remember I was telling you that I have unique email addresses for each of the services I subscribe to! Well I've just started receiving casting info from A--------s.com and guess where they got my details from? Well I'm receiving the emails at facebook@forbeskb.co.uk!!
They must've gone through facebook and compiled a list of actors, etc. manually!!
Forbes this makes sense to me now and I know who this person is......Ages ago I remember getting a friends request on Facebook from a Casting Director (she was listed as one) who I had mutual friends with so I accepted thinking it would be handy to have that contact. Back then this website was linked to this person as I remember her sending emails via FB about it. Now as you know a lot of us are on there and once friends with you, it's easy to see which of your friends are actors. Especially if your profiles are not set to private. Plus you are more likely to accept their request after seeing that you have mutual friends, let alone that they are a listed as a Casting Director. I reckon this is how she is doing it. Once I accepted she simply weeded out my actor friends and added them as friends and bingo, she has their email address if it's available in your info. I have confirmed this by asking my closest friends if they have been receiving any emails from this company. And yes they have! Now I am usually very picky on who I accept friend requests from and I only accept people I have met, plus my profile has always been set to private. This just goes to show that even though you have mutual friends you should be really careful to who you accept. Funnily enough she is no longer on my friends list so I guess she has got what she wanted and finished with my friends details. But I do know her name..........
Forbes you are right and I have put 2 & 2 together and confirmed with friends on facebook who have also received their emails and I now know who the person is........
I have noticed that Castweb have started to list in some castings that A--------s are not allowed to advertise the same casting. So hopefully this company will soon be immobilised!
I have also recieved these annoying texts, I assumed it was CCP leaking my mobile phone number because I'm sure I haven't put it on any other sites?
Editorial Comment No Nicoletta, we don't pass on your details to third parties - you can decide if employers can view your mobile number by going to 'my profile' -> 'contact details'.
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