Print the value of index0
ATM Anchor Talent Management Face' Max Casot Another deceptive talent management company in Hollywood who's out to scam unsuspecting actors! Sherman Oaks CA
ATM Anchor Talent Management's owner, Face' AKA Max Casot, sounds friendly when you talk to him. He says all the right things laced with positivity and good energy. He tells you how he can launch your career and how he can introduce you to the "powers that be." He then goes on to skim commissions, take actors' money, and weave empty promises while failing to produce significant bookings or forward progress for the actor. Here are the facts about ATM Anchor Talent Management as of the date of filing this report.
The don't hold a current business license in Los Angeles
They represent themselves as managers, yet attempt to procure employment and insist actors' checks come to the company, which requires that the business be licensed. However, they are NOT licensed with the State of Califiornia.
The are NOT bonded. If they steal your money, you have no protection.
They have a police report filed against them for illegally cashing clients' checks and not sending the actors the funds. Seven separate charges of identity theft, bank fraud, and check fraud.
The illegally deposit checks specifically made out to actors into their business account, which is illegal on two fronts. First, the only way a talent rep is legally able to deposit a production check is if they deposit it into a trust account. This company DOES NOT have a trust account. Secondly, the only companies legally able to accept funds on behalf of a client is a licensed company, and as mentioned above, this company is NOT licensed.
Any company representing children must hold valid Child Performer Services Permits for ALL employees. NONE of the employees hold valid permits, as required by law.
The company currently has two separate California Department of Labor charges filed against them, one for non-payment of employees and forging required company accounting records and the second for acting as a talent agent without holding a valid talent agency license, illegally depositing actors' checks, not paying actors within the required 30 day time period (some funds are now a year overdue), charging a commission for securing employment while not licensed, and skimming commissions (taking more out of checks than their stated contract or SAG allows) sometimes up to three times what was allowed/contracted, and failing to provide to actor required documentation with their payments so they can determine if what was takent out/received is correct.
Bottom line, this company is operating illegally, defrauding actors out of funds, skimming commissions, and putting child actors in danger by filing for permits that would ensure their protection. With all the reports of abuse, fraud, and theft in Hollywood, you'd think businesses like this would fade into the shadows, but this business is blatant in their disregard for the law and the safety of their actors. Don't walk, RUN away from this company if they try to represent you or someone you know!
3 Updates & Rebuttals
Debbie
Lake Balboa,California,
United States
Again, not quite...
#4Author of original report
Mon, April 05, 2021
Face' claims he's "proven them wrong." Please, ask him to prove it. Ask him to give you one legal document, one dismissed case, one police report that shows that he was not at fault, because these documents don't exist. On the other hand, if you want to leave your email below, I'm HAPPY to provide a copy of the current outstanding judgement I WON against Mr. Max Casot AKA Face' that remains unpaid. It is filed with the DLSE.
He is fraudlently acting as an agent without a license, bond, business license, or physical address where he gets mail. His mailing address is a Postal Annex. He rarely mails checks without meeting clients on a street corner to "exchange" checks. In addition, he has committed tax fraud and is currently under investigation. Please, ask him for legal proof of his innocence. It doesn't exist.
Educate yourselves
Lake Balboa,California,
United States
Ummm... not quite
#4Author of original report
Thu, June 21, 2018
Wow! What an uplifting, yet significantly inaccurate post! My name is Debbie Britt and I did, indeed, work for ATM for fifteen months before I learned what was going on in the company, so I left. The original report lists nothing but facts, but here are some additional updates.
1) Yes, I have claimed that I was misclassified as an independent contractor and I filed a complaint with the Department of Labor and Standards Enforcement. After a preliminary hearing on Monday, 6/18/18, the DLSE ruled there IS enough evidence to move forward with a formal hearing.
2) I have also claimed that ATM owes me nearly $5k in unpaid commissions. I presented my evidence to the DLSE. They also felt my claim had merit and they and have assessed over $3K in penalties. This case will also be moving forward to a formal hearing. These are verifiable facts.
3) In the course of preparing for the hearing, I also learned Face' signed and deposited checks into his own account made out to me personally. Depositing a check made out to a person without their signature or authorization is illegal. Period. Just because a check is made out to Person A and is sent "in care of" Person B does not give Person B the right to deposit it. It simply means they may recieve it to account for it and pass it along to Person A for signature. The ONLY exception is if Person A has given Person B a power of attorney or if Person B has a trust account and a signed authorization from Person A to act in trust. I know I never gave ATM or Face any type of legal document whatsoever to cash or deposit any checks made out to me. In fact, this company and owner now has not one, but two police reports filed against him for check fraud, bank fraud, and identity theft. That is a FACT. In addition, those funds were never paid to me, which is theft.
4) Face' AKA Face Face AKA Face None AKA Max Casot AKA Max C Casamahapa AKA Max J Casamalhuapa AKA Max C Casamalhuapa works only out of a P.O. Box. No home address. No physical business address. No real office. ONLY a rented P.O. Box. Now, ask yourself, why would any legitimate business owner a) have to change their name this many times and b) refuse to list his address anywhere where someone might find it? Only someone with something to hide. In fact, Breakdown Services REQUIRES companies to list a physical office address. He is in violation of this policy by claiming his P.O. Box is a legitimate office.
5) ATM is acting as an illegal agent. The State of California defines a manager as someone who advises a talent on their career. They cannot submit for auditions, they cannot speak to casting, they cannot negotiate contracts, they cannot schedule auditions, they cannot secure bookings, and they cannot receive funds. Any one of these acts requires a California Agency License, a $50,000 bond (to protect actors' money), a contract that has been approved by the DLSE, and if they're repping children, a Child's Services Permit. ATM Anchor Talent Management has no license, no bond, no business license, and no Child Services Permit. By the very act of depositing my checks or any actors' checks, he is violating this law. If a talent company receives checks, the ONLY way they can be deposited is into a trust account. The trust account is separate and apart from the business account and any checks drawn from it MUST state it is a trust account. ATM Anchor Talent Management holds no trust account, so by depositing checks made out with ANY other name than ATM Anchor Talent Management, he is breaking the law. Period. All checks must either go to a licensed talent company or be sent directly to the person on the check No exceptions. He states that he's not a talent agency, yet he is illegally acting as a talent agent, so yes, the "rules and regulations" do, indeed, apply to him if he is having actors' checks sent to his company address.
6) Legitimate, solvent businesses don't meet you on a street corner to exchange checks. They don't need to. They have enough in the bank and can wait a week or two to get paid. However, Face routinely does this to actors because he's so desperate for money, he holds an actor's check hostage until he gets paid himself.
Don't take my word for this. Google it. Educate yourself. Contact the DLSE and ask them or visit their website and search Talent Agency License and see what it says. Have you ever gotten a strange feeling from him? Has he ever asked you to meet him to "exchange" checks? Has he ever received any of your checks then made excuses why you haven't received it (lost in mail, not received by production, etc)? Have any of your checks gone "missing" or are inexplicably late? Have you checked your tax forms against the money you've received to be sure they match? He can claim all he wants he's not violating the law, but he he is, in many, many ways. If you are a client and he has done any of the above to you or with your checks, take a hard look at what you want from your career. There are PLENTY of solid, honest trustworthy managers out there and this is NOT one of them.
Face
Sherman Oaks,California,
United States
And this happened...
#4REBUTTAL Owner of company
Wed, June 20, 2018
Hello, ATM Family!
Happy Wednesday! I wanted to share a post that was found on the RippOff Report site today with negative comments about me and ATM: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/atm-anchor-talent-management/sherman-oaks-ca-91423/atm-anchor-talent-management-facemax-casot-another-deceptive-talent-management-company-1443887 This is an actor by the name of Michael John Lane who booked a national commercial last year. First, he accused me of not paying him his commission. I proved him wrong.
He then accused me of cashing his 'personal' checks, claiming he was not the one who had cashed them. I once again, proved him wrong. HE received ALL payments and commission due to him. Now, he has posted accusations on RippOff Report, but I know he is being guided by Debbie Britt, a previous talent manager who was under ATM. Debbie has accused me of misclassifying her as an independent contractor instead of an employee, and she is claiming that I owe her past due wages. Debbie has since started her own company Cornerstone Talent Management, and Michael Lane is one of her clients.
I want you to know that I have not done anything illegal. I do not cash checks that are not made out to ATM. I do not keep or take money that is not mine, and I operate a business that is professional and compliant with California state and federal laws. I am NOT a talent agency; therefore, some rules and regulations do not apply to me. I was VERY upset when this article was forwarded to me, but they were mainly personal feelings and emotions (hurt, disappointment, anger, etc)., however, professionally, I am doing well. No matter how hard I try, I know I will never be able to please everyone. But I am at peace knowing that I try. Please feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss. Face' ATM Anchor Talent Mgmt.