Baby modelling agency makes a fool of grown-ups

A 30-year-old woman was allegedly duped of Rs 5.7 lakh by a baby modelling agency in Koramangala recently.

Preethi (name changed), a resident of Ramamurthy Nagar Extension, filed a complaint with the Koramangala police on Sunday.

Preethi, who has a two-year-old son, said her husband had gone to Phoenix Mall, Mahadevapura, on January 6, 2019. At the mall, she was approached by a woman who was looking for a baby to model for television commercials.

Preethi exchanged phone numbers with the woman. On the same evening, the woman asked Preethi to bring her son for a photo-shoot at their modelling agency in Jakkasandra in Koramangala.

Preethi took her infant for the shoot and was amazed to see around 100 babies for the shoot.

Portfolio round

On returning home for the photo-shoot, Preethi got a call from the agency, informing them that their son had been selected for the portfolio round. The agency staff instructed Preethi to pay Rs 23,000 for the portfolio which she paid diligently.

Soon after the portfolio shoot, the agency staff gave more good news, this time stating that their baby had been selected for a diaper commercial.

The couple were told that a photo-shoot had to be done at Ooty and asked Preethi to pay Rs 1.25 lakh for the same. Preethi did as asked.

Later, the agency staff told Preethi that she had to pay Rs 3.25 lakh for the movie-shoot for the diaper commercial. Elated that their baby boy will be acting in a commercial, the proud parents paid the money.

Later, when the agency staff were dilly-dallying with the dates and the shoots were getting postponed, they felt something amiss and demanded their money back. However, the agency staff switched off their phones and remained incommunicado.

Preethi then filed a complaint with the Koramangala police. The police suspect the agency could have cheated many others with the same modus operandi. Further investigations are underway.