VO SCAMS AND RED FLAGS

Watch out for these ploys:

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1.Overpayment and stealing your time

 

The client overpays your agreed upon rate, then urgently demands the voice over actor send some of the money back, usually to a third party scammer.
These days, though, they’re seeing the entire project through - making you record, edit, and send final audio before ever mentioning payment. By the time they circle back with the eCheck “overpayment,” the cheque hasn’t cleared and eventually bounces, leaving you out both time and money.
Tip: If you’re working with a brand-new client, it doesn’t hurt to mention upfront that you don’t accept eCheck as a payment method

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2. Rates That Look Reasonable

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For years, outrageous rates were the giveaway. Now, scammers are using realistic numbers to get past your radar. Don’t rely on rates alone as your only check.

 

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3. Hyper focused on payment or immediately sending fake NDAs or "Contracts"

 

Legit voice seekers are concerned about the project they’re hiring you for. Scammers are hyper focused on talking about money and almost nothing about the gig. Or instead of rushing you into payment talk, some scammers send a professional-looking NDA or contract for you to download. These can be loaded with malware or phishing links. If you’re unsure, don’t open attachments until you’ve verified the sender is legitimate.

 

4. The Game Show host assignment

 

An old script that’s been circulating for years, usually with an $850 rate as bait with phrases like “an assignment for you” “a rented studio close to your location” “I’m no rocket scientist but I’d say…” 

 

5. Use of terms not normally used in voice work

 

A potential client uses language not normal to the field, like “strong breathing” or “ability to speak loudly and clearly” or offers of “generous paid time off” or “flexible vacation schedule.” These are all red flags pointing to scams.

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6. Lookalike Domains & Gmail Addresses

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Think: @paypa1.com (with a “1” instead of an “l”) or support@paypal-security.com (rather that just @paypal.com). Always expand and inspect the full sender address, not just the display name.
If someone says they’re with a company but they’re contacting you from a personal Gmail/Yahoo account? Huge red flag. Legit company emails almost always come from company domains.

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7. Impersonating Real Employees

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Further to the last point, some scammers don’t just invent names - they impersonate actual employees at real companies. They’ll copy LinkedIn profiles, job titles, and even photos, so a quick search makes them look legit. But if the email address doesn’t match the official company domain, that’s your clue something’s off. 
Scammers are also swapping in lookalike characters (like Cyrillic letters) in email addresses so that “CompаnyName.com” looks real at first glance.

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8. Hidden Links & Redirects

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Hover you mouse over a website link before you click. A link might look like it goes to the web address that is typed out, but it could actually be hyperlinked to another URL entirely. If you hover your mouse over it before you click, it'll show the true address that it'll bring you to. Some scams even use legitimate platforms like Google Docs or Dropbox as the first step before redirecting you elsewhere.
A more recent twist: scammers send a link to what looks like a company project portal or branded shared drive. These are often phishing pages designed to capture your login info or get you to upload sensitive details

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NAVA's guide to protecting yourself against VO scams

 

Bottom line? 

 

Never send money to a client or for a client. Because legitimate clients never ask voice over artists to do that.

Scammers are investing more time and effort into making these schemes look real. It’s not about paranoia, it’s about staying sharp. When in doubt, take a pause, do your research, and verify independently before moving forward. If something seems off, it probably is.

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​Big thanks to Derlva Trainor for sharing her research above on VO scams

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