So, here’s a little behind-the-scenes moment from Evelyne’s new adventure into the acting and dance world.

We’re still pretty fresh to the industry — learning, asking questions, figuring things out as we go. And apparently, one of the first signs you’re “officially in the business” is… you start getting targeted by scammers.

Who knew? Forget trophies — the real milestone is your first fake casting email.

Last week we received an incredibly enthusiastic message. A photographer claimed he found Evelyne on Backstage (she isn’t even listed there yet) and thought she was perfect for a “luxury Amazon/PUMA kids fashion photoshoot.”

The message included every shiny buzzword imaginable:
PUMA. Amazon. NYC Soho. Russian clients. David LaChapelle.
Basically, it was like someone Googled “famous things” and copy-pasted the whole list.

Then came the plot twist:
They wanted to send us $5,000, including extra money we were supposed to forward to a “fashion stylist.”

If you’re new to this, translating scam-speak is now part of our skill set:

“We’ll send you a cheque and you’ll forward part of it to someone else” = run. Always.

The cheque is fake.
The stylist is fake.
The opportunity is fake.
And your bank account becomes very, very real — in the worst way.

Once I got past the initial eye roll, I actually laughed. Because in some strange way, this is a milestone. Evelyne is working, building her experience, and apparently catching enough attention that even the scammers want a piece.

But jokes aside, we want to help others avoid falling for this, especially families who are also new to the industry. So here are the big red flags:

• Huge unrealistic pay for a small shoot
• Terrible writing and random capital letters
• Endless paragraphs stuffed with brand names
• “We’ll find a studio later” (not how real productions work, they need time to setup)
• And the classic overpayment scam involving wardrobe money

Real castings don’t operate like this.
Legitimate productions never send money to kids to redistribute to stylists.
And PUMA isn’t booking global campaigns through mystery Gmail-adjacent domains.

We’re sharing this because the entertainment world is exciting — but you need good instincts, good information, and sometimes a good laugh.

If you’re a performer (or a parent of one) and something feels off, pause and check.

Trust your gut.

Ask people who’ve been around longer.

And remember: if PUMA ever truly wants your kid… they won’t start the conversation with a cheque.