i POP! John Robert Powers affiliate SCAM!!! Eugene Oregon

My 8-year-old granddaughter participated in an iPOP! talent "audition" at our local mall this afternoon.  She and her mom came home with a packet of information describing her next steps toward stardom:  signing up for costly modeling and acting workshops, marketing seminars and a professional photography portfolio.  Enrollment fees alone were quoted as $900.00, and the costs skyrocketed from there.

In my research I found iPOP! and UTG to be affiliated with John Robert Powers Modeling School, which among professional models was known to be bogus itself back in the day.  Perhaps not everyone realizes that aspiring models and actors should contact agencies directly and never pay for lessons or training.  On the other hand, there is apparently no shortage of parents willing to shell out whatever $$$ required for their children's amusement.

Please, please, PLEASE don't fall for this scam!!!  These people are highly sophisticated ripoff artists and will do everything in their power to convince you your child has what it takes.  As someone else on this thread said earlier, there are no shortcuts.  Success in these fields requires talent, yes, but also focus, dedication and perseverence.  

Good luck to all of you!