Fake Vanity Fair Email Scam

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You might believe that scam emails are a thing of the past, but there are still many scams (and many people falling for scams) through email today. The latest fake email I’ve encountered in the beauty realm is a fake Vanity Fair email scam. Keep reading to see the email and tips on how to check if you’ve received this scam, too.

 

This email scam operates very similarly to the Brides.com scam from last year, in which a Brides editor was impersonated, attempting to recruit makeup artists for upcoming magazine photo shoots. I received two of these emails in 2019, both with extremely vague information.

In this scam, it seems that Vanity Fair is reaching out to you via email to work on their upcoming photo shoot. In my case, they say the photo shoot is in Chicago, Illinois, on March 13, 2020.

Here’s how we know that this email is a scam, and not actually from Vanity Fair.

The sender’s email isn’t from VanityFair.com

Instead of coming directly from Vanity Fair’s official website, vanityfair.com, this particular scam email comes from the domain “vanityfairhollywoodmagazine.com” – and if you go to the website, you’ll see this:

 

There is nothing at this domain address – it is simply registered by an unknown person through porkbun, a domain name registrar, and shows their standard page for empty websites.

If this was a legitimate email from Vanity Fair, the email would be from @vanityfair.com, NOT @vanityfairhollywoodmagazine.com.

I’ve also seen tweets that others have received emails from vfhwdmagazine.com, which is also an empty and fake website.

It’s possible the scammers have other fake websites, but as long as it isn’t from vanityfair.com, it is not real.

Vanity Fair doesn’t hire makeup artists from Instagram.

Firstly, the email says it’s from Danielle Walsh – who is a contributor at Vanity Fair, not an editorial assistant of the magazine. A contributor that writes the occasional article for the platform isn’t in charge of hiring makeup artists for a photo shoot.

Secondly, magazines do not find makeup artists from Instagram.

Vanity Fair is a huge magazine that already has a network of established makeup artists; If they needed additional artists, they would simply look within their existing network, or get a recommendation for another professional artist they already hire.

Certainly they don’t hire young makeup enthusiasts who have beauty accounts on Instagram – some of which are teenagers.

They ask YOU to pay THEM.

After discussing some “details” (that are vague and don’t give you specific information) with the fake Vanity Fair email, they give you the contact email of their makeup kit vendor.

They give you an excuse that you must contact that email about makeup kits necessary for the shoot – so I did.

In the fourth email below from their “makeup specialist vendor,” they quote the cost of $1000 for a makeup kit, which must be paid by YOU. In the fifth, they lay out how you need to pay $2000 immediately.

The fake Vanity Fair email tells you that they will reimburse you, but that’s part of the scam – they won’t.

Read through these emails to see the scam yourself:

 The Emails:

Here is the text of the emails sent to me by the fake Vanity Fair email, from vanityfairhollywoodmagazine.com.

First scam email:

Dear Kailey, 

My name is Danielle Walsh, the Editorial Assistant of Vanity Fair Magazine with our head quarters situated in New York. Vanity Fair is an American monthly magazine for popular culture, current affairs and fashion.

Vanity Fair Hollywood Magazine is currently looking out for makeup artists for its June 2020 Issue. We found your previous works through your social media page while looking out for talents that will suit the case. Our Associate Editor was impressed with your previous works and instructed me to get in touch with you so as to know if you would like to work with us on this editorial shoot. If you would like to work with us on this shoot, do not hesitate to get back to me so that I may provide you with further information.

Second Scam Email:

Dear Kailey, 

We received your email and it shows you are willing to be a part of the upcoming shoot. This edition of Vanity Fair Magazine will be shot in Chicago, Illinois on Friday, March 13, 2020 and the crew is to be available from 9AM till the end of the shoot, which should be by 4PM. Hotel accommodation would be provided for all. As for travel, a round trip e-ticket would be issued and sent to you via email at due time if you do not live within Chicago, Illinois. 

The shoots would be used for the magazine pages and the pictures would also be exhibited on our website. Therefore, you are required to be flexible, reliable, self-motivated, enthusiastic, with a professional appearance and a passion for delivering exceptional service. You must have excellent interpersonal, communication and listening skills. You should also have an up-to-date knowledge of available make-up kits and beauty products. 

You will be compensated with $2,000 for your service with a 50% deposit paid to you upon agreement. In the rare case of overtime, you would be paid $200/hr for the overtime.

Key Responsibilities:

You will be responsible for applying make-up aesthetically for models; Apply make-up to the models using a color palette and different tools such as mascara, sponges, eyebrow shapers, lip liners, brushes, and applicators.

Match skin color to color palettes to determine best looks.

Ensure make-up looks natural and well-applied under different lighting.

Apply touch-ups as necessary and remove makeup from clothes if some is transferred.

Wipe off make-up and reapply as needed.

Maintain a clean work area and ensure all work instruments are sanitized in accordance with Vanity Fair Magazine standards.

Ensure continuity in make-up and liaise with other members of the design team to ensure the overall look/effect is consistent and coherent.

Budget and order materials and equipment from our specialist vendors.

You stand a chance of making a reasonable amount from this deal, and even a noticeable fame. I believe that it will be a positive experience for you especially if you are looking to expand your portfolio.

Kindly let me know if you are fully willing to accept this job offer and can meet the above responsibilities listed.

Sincerely,

…

*All emails from “Danielle” contained the same signature and disclosure the first email did!

This email lays out the responsibilities you would have as a makeup artist. If this Vanity Fair email scam was legitimate, there would be a contract created instead of a list in an email.

Third Scam Email:

Dear Kailey, 

It’s good to know you are fully willing to be a part of our team for the next issue of Vanity Fair Magazine shoot. Here is an additional information you should know about the shoot and the necessary directives. The shoot is for one day and I will forward you the mood board at a later time so you can be fully prepared for the shoot. We are having fifteen (15) models altogether in which you would be allocated three (3) models to work on while the rest of the makeup artists will handle the remaining models. The looks are of 3 different looks and the theme of the shoot is “Elegance Beauty”. 

Your travel expenses would be covered by us, so for your round trip e-ticket to be processed, we require your full name as it appears on your valid government issued ID, your date of birth and the closest airport to you at which you would love to depart from. You are expected to be in Chicago a day or the night prior to the shoot while we could schedule your return for the night of the shoot or the following morning depending on your preference. Kindly specify your preference on your return. We have also made transportation arrangements to convey every members to and from the airport, hotel and venue of the shoot. You shall be provided with two nights’ hotel accommodation if you wish to leave Chicago the following morning of the shoot. 

Listed below are the materials you would be needing for the upcoming shoot.

Professional Makeup Kit – 101 – Light.

Professional Makeup Kit – 201 – Medium.

Professional Makeup Kit – 301 – Dark.

Vanity Fair Magazine has specialist vendors which are usually patronized for the purchase of makeup products as we would not like to face the challenge we had during our last shoot as some of the makeup artist we hired then did not have all the necessary kits to be used on our different skin type models. Therefore, the kits needed would be provided. Please be informed that it is the company’s policy that every makeup artists that would be working with us on this upcoming shoot gets in touch with our specialist vendor for the purchase of the necessary kits irrespective of whatever makeup kits they already own while the funds for the purchase is being released to every artist. The kits would be ordered directly to your house address so that you can practice with them before the shoot to get more conversant with the products before the shoot date so as to be able to demonstrate an exceptional service on the shoot day. These kits automatically become yours after a successful completion of the photo shoot. 

Lindsey Grubbs is a model agent and our makeup specialist vendor. Contact her for the availability and price of these kits together with any other product you might be needing and give me a feed back of the quotation. Her contact is lindsey@lindseygrubbsaesthetics.com

Ensure you indicate that it is for Vanity Fair Magazine shoot as you make the inquiry and do get back to me as soon as you receive a response from her.

NB: Funds will be made available to you for the purchase of the materials. The funds for the kits purchase and your 50% compensation deposit would be made out to you in the form of a pay check as soon as it has been duly endorsed by the designated authorities of Vanity Fair. 

You will also receive credit for your service in the magazine. All behind the scene shots will be provided to individual makeup artist in May and then you will be able to show case your work with us on your social media platforms and portfolio. As for the company’s sanitation standards, you will get to know them during the briefing session when you arrive in Chicago. 

We look forward to having a professional working relationship with you.

Sincerely,

…

In this email, they ask for your full legal name, birth date, and closest airport.  This information can help them scam you and steal your identity in the future.

Additionally, they pass along the email of Lindsey Grubbs – who is also a real person being impersonated. They want you to purchase a kit from her, and indicate that they will reimburse you.

If this was legitimate, they would work out a wholesale discount with their supplier and provide all the necessary products for the photo shoot.

Instead, the Vanity Fair email scam is trying to get you to pay for the products – except you will never receive the products or the reimbursement.

Fourth Scam Email:

Good afternoon Kailey,

Thank you for reaching out. The products for the upcoming shoot for Vanity Fair Magazine are readily available and these are the prices they are current sold for; 

Pro Makeup Kit – 101 – Light – $679.00

Pro Makeup Kit – 201 – Medium – $679.00

Pro Makeup Kit – 301 – Dark – $679.00

These kits are of different brands like Tarte, Morphe, Anastasia Beverly Hills and Benefit, MAC, NYX, Sephora, Laura Mercier, Burt’s Bees, Maybelline, Estee Lauder and so on and it contains every items you would be needing for the upcoming shoot for Vanity Fair Magazine. The above quote gives a total of $2,037. 

You are required to pay a commitment fee of $1,000 to begin the ordering process of your kits as this period seem to be a peak period for us due to high rate of clients ordering for our products and we wouldn’t like to disappoint any of Vanity Fair’s personnel due to limited time to the shoot. These kits would be shipped to your home address before the shoot date. 

You will deduct this commitment fee you are to pay out of pocket from the total amount when you have the funds released to you by Vanity Fair Magazine.

…

The rest of the email lists the contents of the kits, which is long and irrelevant to the important part of this email: you have to pay the $1000 commitment fee out of pocket. This particular email is from Vanity Fair email scammer “Lindsey” (but isn’t the real Lindsey).

Fifth Scam Email:

Dear Kailey, 

Good to know you have received a response from Lindsey Grubbs. I received the quote you forwarded to me. Lindsey forwarded her response to you to us as well. As earlier stated, the funds for the purchase would be made available to you together with your 50% deposit as it is mandatory you make use of these kits only.  

The payment will be made in form of a pay check which will be made out to you. The funds will be sent to you soon and you are expected to deduct your part payment of $1,000, then use the remaining to purchase the products from Lindsey. 

Information reaching us from Lindsey is that you are required to pay a commitment fee of $1,000 to begin your ordering process with her. Didn’t she inform you of that? Well, the commitment fee she’s requesting for would enable her make a reservation and shipping of the kits to your address. By receiving your kits early enough would really be of greater advantage to you as you would have been conversant with the kits before the day of the shoot, which would make you render a more professional service on that day. These kits automatically become yours after a successful completion of the photo shoot.  

So therefore, you are to proceed immediately to make out the commitment fee ONLY to her out of pocket today, Tuesday, February 11th via her preferred mode of receiving the payment so she can have your kits processed alongside your counterparts. You will be reimbursed of this fee which would come along with your 50% compensation deposit.  

You would need to contact her again on how to get the fee across to her. You should also send her the address where you want the products delivered to. I believe this arrangement is understood.  

When you receive the funds, you are expected to deduct the sum of $1,000 you are to pay out of pocket for the commitment fee, plus your compensation deposit of $1,000, which amounts to $2,000 and have the remaining balance for the purchase of the products sent to Lindsey. You shall receive your remaining 50% compensation balance on set on the day of the shoot. 

For your reimbursement and compensation deposit, you are therefore required to provide the details below in order for the pay check to be made out to you.  

Your full name, address, city, state, zip code and a contact phone number. With this information, the funds will be made available to you and I will let you know when to expect it. If there is any other information you should know before the shoot, I will personally pass it across to you in time. Do also send us the requested information required for your flight ticket to be processed. 

Be reminded that time is of essence, therefore, you are to expedite actions promptly and accordingly.  

NB: You will also receive credit in the magazine for your service. 

We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

…

Some areas bolded for emphasis.

In this email, the Vanity Fair email scam team makes it seem very urgent and rushed. They do this to try to get you to pay them $2000 quickly before you realize that it’s a scam and they will be stealing your money.

Do NOT Send Them Any Money.

This is a scam, and if you send them any money you will never see it again.

Here are some other people who have been sent this email scam:

Please share this article with others in the beauty community to protect them against this email scam!

Have you received this email scam? Tell me your experience in the comments below.

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