A Brooklyn model says she's been waiting more than a year for $3,000 she earned working with celebrity makeup artist Pat McGrath, money she needs for rent and tuition. She's one of several models, photographers, stylists and parents who allege that Ludlow Scout, a modeling agency on New York's Lower East Side, owes them thousands of dollars in refunds or unpaid labor.
Selena Christina Perez, a 23-year-old Brooklyn resident, alleges Ludlow Scout owes her $3,000 for work connected to Pat McGrath, money she says represents rent and tuition that has been missing for over a year, according to the New York Post. Perez accuses agency owner Shannon Leebern of withholding model payments, and claims Leebern demanded she remove a TikTok video about the situation — a request Perez says she refused. Still, Perez says she hopes to eventually receive the payment she believes she's owed.
Ludlow Scout's lawyer told the outlet the company does not agree that it withheld money owed to Perez.
A Pattern of Unpaid Refunds and Missed Shoots
The complaints extend beyond Perez. Jennifer Boland, a Florida mother whose teenage daughter signed with the agency, paid $1,600 in April for multiple photo shoots, per the same account. Ludlow Scout reportedly promised her a refund in three installments, sent $600 on September 26, and then, according to Boland, failed to deliver the next two payments.
Sources allege Leebern kept test-shoot money instead of paying photographers, and the agency has also been accused of delaying or withholding photos from model portfolios.
In Georgia, Perla Diaz alleges Leebern booked a shoot under Diaz's name and collected payment without actually arranging it, an incident she says occurred in Bibb County on September 28. Diaz reported the alleged booking to Sgt. George Witherspoon of the Bibb County Police Department, and says she was told to pursue any lawsuit against Ludlow Scout in Georgia rather than Los Angeles.
Photographer Alain Vasallo Says Shoots Were Never Confirmed
Photographer Alain Vasallo alleges that two models arrived for shoots he had never been notified about, and says he requested a $750 payment to accommodate the unplanned booking. Leebern claimed she had confirmed the shoots with Vasallo, a dispute the outlet presents without resolving which account is accurate.
Ludlow Scout's lawyer said it was conceivable the agency could not finalize a photographer booking, and the company denied knowingly representing a shoot that had not actually been arranged. Leebern has denied wrongdoing overall, according to the report.
BBB Logs More Than a Dozen Complaints in Three Years
The scrutiny lines up with what's on file at the Better Business Bureau, which lists 14 total complaints against Ludlow Scout over the past three years, including 10 closed in the last 12 months. The bureau also notes the business is not BBB accredited.```Individual cases on file echo the pattern described in the Post's reporting. One complainant said they forwarded $850 via Zelle in December 2025 to secure a photography session that was not scheduled as planned; that complainant later told the BBB the funds were returned this past July and considered the matter closed. Another complaint alleged a model was scammed, along with her photographer, out of $750 for a shoot, though the complainant later reported the business paid the $550 owed to the photographer and that she received her images. A third complaint described a $2,200 deposit paid in installments for two test shoots that were never scheduled; that complainant said the business acknowledged the refund request back in December 2024 but repeatedly delayed payment.
Ludlow Scout opened on the Lower East Side in 2014, founded by Leebern, and has operated as a mother agency discovering and training new models, per the Post's account. Modeling agent Della Bass reportedly left the agency in 2023 to start her own business.
Anonymous Account Fuels Documentary Plans
A newly launched Instagram account called Ludlow Scam has been detailing alleged agency misconduct, including claims of unpaid invoices, threatening texts and excuses for missing cash, according to the Post's reporting. A documentary about the allegations is reportedly being planned by Nichoalds and Dametrius Ward, and a related post has drawn more than 6,000 Instagram likes.
Ludlow Scout's lawyers claimed the Ludlow Scam account tagged Leebern's underage son and family friends, and the lawyers have reportedly been unsuccessful so far in getting the anonymous account banned.
What Federal Guidance Says About Upfront Fees
The allegations surface against a backdrop of long-standing warnings about the modeling industry. The Federal Trade Commission advises that legitimate modeling agencies generally will not ask applicants to pay for a test shoot, for photographs, or to secure a job.
