e.tv and its one local soap Rhythm City is warning South Africans about yet another fake auditions scam asking people to pay R500 to enter a fake audition process purportedly to happen this Saturday at e.tv's offices in Hyde Park.
The fake soap audition call for Rhythm City follows 9 months after SABC2 and its local soap Muvhango had to put out a similar warning in December 2014 scamming people with a notice for fake auditions and a call for money to be paid.
While actors and models do not "pay" anything to audition for part - nor would ever be asked to remove clothes or send in naked photos - fake auditions are rife in South Africa, with soap a popular target in a country where the daily locally produced soap operas are a schedule stable and popular television viewing on the SABC, e.tv and M-Net's channels.
e.tv says the fake email circulating on social media with a Rhythm City audition is a scam and that the R500 that is asked is not a real audition from the production company Quizzical Pictures.
The fraudulent email is purportedly from Rhythm City actress Amo Chidi.
Quizzical Pictures is emphasising that it does not charge for auditions and e.tv says the free-to-air broadcaster is contacting the South African Police Service. "Such illegal acts will not be tolerated and anyone taking people's money fraudulently will face the full might of the law," says e.tv.
"All auditions for the soap are coordinated through the Rhythm City production company Quizzical Pictures," says e.tv. "They are not organised by any third party or cast members. Quizzical Pictures does not charge for auditions."
"We would like to urge the public not to be taken for a ride by such fake imposters".
