Photo: Matt Shearer / WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — In recent months a scam has taken aim at local musicians by pretending to be one of our co-workers, DJ Pup Dawg from JAM'N 94.5, on fake accounts to accept money under the false promise of putting their work on-air.
The practice of paying a commercial radio station to air a song is called payola, and is something that's considered illegal under United States laws concerning bribery. DJ Pup Dawg told WBZ's Matt Shearer that he's blocking five to seven fake profiles a week, and wants to make his audience aware that he would never take cash for airtime.
"Somebody got scammed and they ended up calling corporate," DJ Pup Dawg said.
One scam account even reposted DJ Pup Dawg's video advisory that warned his listeners of the ploy.
DJ Pup Dawg says that getting on the show legitimately will take hard work and effort.
"Us DJ's, we'll come find you, I promise you— but you got to do the work. The radio is kind of like the best of the best, so if you're not the best of the best I'm not going to be playing it," DJ Pup Dawg said.
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JAM'N 94.5 is an iHeartRadio station with the best Hip Hop & Throwbacks in Boston and is the home of Ashlee and the JAM'N Morning Show With Santi & DJ 4eign.
WBZ's Matt Shearer (@MattWBZ) reports.
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