How to Avoid Scams in Comedy

It’s a shame to write, and it’s no secret to you all, but we live in a world full of scams and dishonesty in any profession, and most parts of life. It’s 2025 and still many of our grandparents are receiving word that we are distantly related to a Nigerian Prince. Our phones are smart enough to alert us of many spam calls now, but they don’t catch all of them.

Standup Comedy is not immune to scams and dishonest folks reaching out to promising work, with nothing but nefarious intent. It’s safe to say, the more your online presence grows, the better of a chance you have of a scammer reaching out.

Here are some tips on how to deal with and weed out some of the scams you will encounter as a comedian. Additionally, I am lumping in some good advice on how to deal with shady bookers who may not be a scam, but may be trying to take advantage of you.

Trust Your Gut

If it SOUNDS to good too be true. Typically from the first message you get from a potential scammer…it’s going to sound off.

Things to watch out for:

If they’re to vague and the point of contact sounds like they could email blast/copy and paste the words they’re saying to you, and many other folks.

If they’re reaching out to you on social media. I’m not saying EVERYONE who tries to book you via social media is fake, but the majority of them are.

Anytime they promise a weird kind of payment that starts with “Pay me this much first, and then I’ll pay you X amount.”

Ask them how they heard of you. If the response is shady, then probably so is the responder.

Take it to IRL, ASAP

Most scammers will approach you online via email or social media. Take the conversation to “In Real Life” as soon as possible. If you think the email you get about a possible gig sounds slightly shady (or even if you don’t) in your response, you should give preliminary details like pricing and answering any questions they have, and then you need to insist on a time when you two can schedule a phone call (or zoom call) to discuss the gig in more detail.

The majority of scammers you deal with will ghost you after you insist on a phone call.

Ask Google, and Your Comedian Friends

Most scams will give you some very brief and iffy introduction for what company they work for. Go ahead and google them. Look for a website, social media presence, and any online reviews that are given. If it looks off, it probably is.

Also a special note to comedians that are branching out to acting. There are TONS of acting and modeling agencies that are in fact scams. Google is a wonderful resource here because a lot of people have been duped, and will post all about it online afterward.

A simple google search of “Is (insert talent agency here) a scam?” will yield incredibly helpful answers for you.

Another resource you have is other comedians you know, especially the ones that have been around the block longer. Every so often I’ll get a message from a friend, screenshotting a TikTok message or email they have received and asking if it’s legit. And usually my response is, “Oh that’s definitely not. I received that same message a few weeks ago.”

Gig scams are like the Flu, and get around.

Contracts and Get Paid Before Performing

The majority of scams or bad deals in comedy will happen with corporate or private gigs. Most clubs and indie shows booked by fellow comedians have the kind of reputation where you may not need a contract or to insist on getting paid beforehand, because the club or booker already has a reputation.

When I work comedy clubs, I know they have a system of how they pay their performers and do their bookings. They’re “established”. Especially if I am featuring, hosting, or guesting, I won’t insist on getting paid first or sending a contract because they usually have a generic “this is what you get paid, after the show”. If they don’t honor that commitment, I don’t work with them again and I tell all my friends.

It’s a little different when you headline a gig at a comedy club. You’ll have more details to work out, so a contract usually is a good idea however you likely will still be paid in the same way that they have set up to pay all their performers every week. Again, if something shifty happens with payment, don’t work with them again and tell the other comedians. This is how we keep bookers honest.

The really shady clubs eventually develop a reputation where none of the really good comedians will work with them , their business suffers, and then they’ll eventually close. And to that I say, Good Riddance.

When you are contacted by a company or an individual for a “private” gig (which, by the way, usually pay better if you know how to negotiate it!) those are the ones that you should insist on two things. A contract, and getting paid before you perform. I insist that they pay me any time before I get on stage. I also don’t get on stage until I am paid. I tell them this upon booking, so it is no surprise. (I also am happy to regal them with tales of shady gigs in the past before I did not have this rule)

If you insist on being paid before the show, and share a contract…All the scammers will likely disappear. You also may have “real gigs” that are actually “really bad gigs” that refuse to keep up with your professionalism and won’t sign the contract, or agree to the payment terms you stated. These are fantastic gigs to lose, and if by a month before the venue/booker has not signed my contract or agreed to my terms, I tell them to find someone else.

Scams to Watch Out For

I wish I had an exhaustive list of all the scams to warn you about, but they come and go. Here are the ones I’ve dealt with.

Fake Talent Agencies–

It could be a talent agency, or a booker, or whatever. Basically “Pay us to book you and we’ll get you tons of gigs” The way this plays out is that you pay them, and then they disappear. Avoid this scam by NOT paying anyone ever to work. (Agree to commission offers , where they get paid when you get paid) Also, google whatever talent agency or whoever and if they don’t have a good reputation, or a reputation at all, you should be thinking “Danger Will Robinson” and block them.

Random People Finding You On Social Media

I call these “Vaguebook Gig Requests”. Someone will message you on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, or whatever social media is currently in at the time of you reading this. They give you some kind of weird situation like “Can you come do some time at my son’s birthday party?” And then if you ask for more details they’ll usually say something like, “Here’s the thing, I’m divorced and my finances are still connected to my ex…but if you send me $200, I’ll pay you back $400” or whatever…clearly it’s a scam.

Maybe they don’t ask about exact money but they might ask about banking information. Whatever they ask for, don’t share the information. Either block them if they’re vague enough, or ask for a phone call to verify they are a real person….Or do what I do, and mess with them a ton until they cuss you out in a foreign language. And then screenshot the conversation to provide your followers with some laughs.

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I hope this article helps, but did I miss anything? Feel free to comment below with a scam other comics should watch out for. Or what related advice do you have for the collective good?

Or is there a standup comedy related topic you’d like me to eventually write a blog post about? Share it in the comments and I’ll add it to my list! As always, thanks for reading and have a great day!