Freelancers Scams: Basic Red Flags You Should Know

Every new freelance endeavor is an interesting adventure. Numerous steps must be taken, such as creating a portfolio, arranging financial matters, and searching for employment. It's growing more difficult to weed out freelancing frauds from genuine jobs. Researching a project and submitting a proposal to a customer for their work may be a thrilling experience. However, sometimes a dishonest customer or fraudster can publish a project, which can lead to issues for the platform's legitimate users.

These scams target authors and other independent contractors for financial gain. Some scams are set up so that the perpetrator may get free labor from naive authors by offering a "trial period" or promised remuneration that never materializes.

In other common freelancer employment scams, the victim's personal information is stolen.

Learning about how these common freelancer scams function and the typical methods used by con artists to catch you off guard is your greatest defense. Then, when greater work opportunities present themselves, you'll be ready to grab them with both hands.

The Fake Employment Ad

In addition to general classifieds sites like Craigslist, specialized freelancing markets also provide this kind of fraud. It is common practice for scammers to offer "jobs" that don't exist in exchange for your personal information, such as your email address.

Avoid being scammed by doing background checks on the firm in question before agreeing to a video chat with a representative.

The Request for an Extra Sample

This con preys on inexperienced authors who are eager to make a name for themselves. However, authors of any skill level are susceptible to falling for this.

Freelancers who fall for this con are told they must provide work for free so the hiring organization can assess their abilities. Usually, the company's goal is to get as much unpaid labor as feasible.

Make a portfolio online to show off your writing samples and completed projects and avoid this problem. Then, provide it to prospective customers as a sample of your work.

Falsifying the Identity of an Established Company

Scammers will often attempt to seem genuine by using stolen or very similar-looking emails from established companies.

To verify the authenticity of the person you are communicating with, you should thoroughly review their email signature and address.

Avoiding Commitment by Not Signing a Contract

A first customer should have no problem agreeing to sign a freelancer contract or Statement of Work, even if the work is just $500.

Always have the job signed, sealed, and delivered unless you are very familiar with the customer, have worked with them in the past, and have trusted, they will pay you.

Before beginning work, you should have every detail of the project mapped out, including how much will be paid, what will be included, and when it will be finished.

Overpayment Scams

Receiving a significant sum of money up ahead is a common fraud that has cheated numerous freelancers, including writers. This sum is often offered as a deposit by publishers to authors.

The victim deposits the check and is then asked or pressured by the con artist to send back a portion of the funds. The contractor will send it back since he or she will not realize the first payment has already been processed.

The victim then learns that the first payment was never made, either because the check was counterfeit or because the fraudster requested a refund via PayPal or another online payment system.

Conclusion

Creating a unique portfolio to showcase your work is just one of the many things you can do to put yourself in the best position to succeed at Paperub.

You may save yourself time and effort in the long run by making your portfolio accessible on a public platform, where potential fraudsters won't be able to see it until you give them a reason to.