Congratulations! You’ve taken the first step towards becoming a freelancer. You’re making your schedule, deciding your pay, and working from home in your pajamas.
What could be better? Well, maybe not getting scammed by unscrupulous people on the internet (who are decidedly NOT wearing pajamas). If you want to avoid being tricked out of your money, follow these tips for avoiding scams:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Be cautious of job offers promising high pay with minimal effort. |
| 2. Avoid clients who refuse to communicate outside the platform. |
| 3. Do not share sensitive information too early in the freelancing process. |
| 4. Use secure payment platforms like Escrow services to protect your payments. |
| 5. Report potential scams to the platform’s support team immediately. |
| 6. Educate yourself about common freelance scams to stay informed. |
| 7. Seek guidance from reputable resources on avoiding fraud in freelancing. |
| 8. Establish clear payment terms with clients before starting any work. |
| 9. Stay vigilant for red flags in job postings and client communications. |
| 10. Trust your instincts and avoid opportunities that seem too good to be true. |
Check For A Legit Company Address
A company’s address is another important thing to check. Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure that the company has a physical address and not just an email address. If they want you to send a check or money order by mail, they should have a physical address.
You should also be able to call them at that number and reach someone who can speak with you and answer questions about their services or business dealings with other clients in your area.
If someone is asking for your personal information before they give theirs, don’t do it! You’re not doing anyone any favors by sharing yours now only so they can take advantage of it later on down the road when your guard is down (and exactly what scammers want).
Someone trustworthy won’t need anything from you until after everything has been set up and agreed upon and even then, only if necessary for things like billing purposes or if there are any questions about something else along those lines further down into future interactions
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Research The Company Director
When you’re researching a company, look for the company director’s name on the website. Look for their name on LinkedIn, Google, and Facebook. If they have a Twitter account, look at that too.
If you find out that the person isn’t who they say they are or if their social media profiles are fake, there may be something fishy going on with your potential client.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Lots Of Questions
The best way to avoid getting scammed is to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into with a potential client. Before agreeing to any projects, ask questions about the job, company, contract terms, and payment schedule.
If they seem hesitant or evasive about giving you straight answers (e.g., “we don’t know when the next payment will come in,” or “the final payment will depend on how many clicks we get”) that should be a red flag for you!
Ask about deliverables and deadlines as well if there aren’t any specified deadlines in the contract then make sure that there are at least some general milestones for both parties to agree on before starting work together so that everyone knows where each other stands throughout the project.
Watch Out For Promising Too Much Money Without Any Real Work Involved
It is important to remember that scammers are people, too. They have families and friends, and they are often from all different cultures and backgrounds. It is just as likely for a scammer to be American or European as it is for them to be from India or Nigeria.
Scammers will tell you whatever they feel will get them what they want from you; some might even pretend to be your friend when in reality their goal is just to rip you off.
If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is! Don’t ever let yourself believe that anyone could make so much money doing so little work only greedy people would try something like this on someone else!
If a client promises you more than double what others do without asking for anything in return such as an upfront payment or additional services (such as advertisements), then something isn’t right about their offer.
Freelancing is more than just a side hustle; it can be a full-fledged career. Discover why freelancing should be seen as a long-term career choice in our insightful article on why freelancing is a career, not a hustle.
Don’t Accept Your First Offer
Your first offer is almost always the lowest. When you get a new client, it’s common for them to offer you less than what you’re worth. This is because they don’t know how much they want to pay and they get your pricing from other freelancers’ websites or estimates.
You can use this to your advantage by being confident in your abilities as a freelancer and asking for more money than the first offer that comes your way.
You should also be wary of clients who rush you into making a decision or closing on an agreement too quickly because they might not be looking out for your best interests as much as they are their own (or those of their employer).
Request An Email Address Ending In The Company Domain Name
If you’re a freelance writer, there are some simple ways to tell whether an email address is legitimate or not. First, check the domain name at the end of their email address. If it doesn’t end in “@[company name]” then that might be a red flag that this could be a phishing scam.
If you find an email address that doesn’t end in the company domain name, ask yourself: Is this person representing my prospective client?
Do they work for them? Or is it just someone who wants me to send them money? In either case, you should still do as much research as possible about who they are and what kind of business they represent before sending any information or money over.
Service Listings That Refer To “Agents” Or “Consultants”
When you’re looking for a service to work with, you want to make sure it’s safe. One of the best ways to do this is by checking out the company’s social media presence and website. A well-established service will have a strong web presence, as well as many positive reviews from happy customers.
You can also check out whether they have any negative reviews or complaints filed against them. If there are no bad reviews, it might be time to wonder why there aren’t!
Be Wary Of Anyone Who Suggests You Pay Them With A Wire Transfer Service Like Western Union Or Moneygram
Here’s another common scam technique: If you are contacted by someone who wants you to pay them via wire transfer services like Western Union or MoneyGram, this is almost certainly a scam. You should never have to pay someone you don’t know in advance.
You can also avoid scams by not providing any of the following information: credit card number, social security number (SSN), bank account number, passport number, or other identifying information that could be used against you later on.
Crafting a winning freelance proposal is essential to land great clients. Learn the ins and outs of creating effective proposals in our detailed guide, The Definitive Guide to Freelance Proposals.
Don’t Hand Over Your Credit Card Information
First, we’ll talk about what not to do. Don’t hand over your credit card information to any freelancer you’re unfamiliar with. This can leave you open to fraud and identity theft, which will cause more problems than the money lost from a freelance scam would have in the first place.
Don’t pay for services with a credit card either it’s safer just to use PayPal or Venmo (a payment method that lets you send money via text message). And don’t use a debit card for online transactions if someone takes control of your debit account and empties it, it’s essentially gone forever.
Don’t Give Out Your Social Security Number Right Away
One of the most important things for a freelancer to remember is that you should never give away your social security number right away. The only time you should give out your SSN is when you’re sure the company is legitimate and trustworthy.
If someone asks for your social security number over the phone or through email, it’s probably a scammer trying to steal personal information from you.
Don’t Jump Through Hoops By Signing Up For A Trial Before You Even Apply For The Job
It’s important to note that if you don’t know the company, you should never sign up for a trial. If you do decide to go through with it, make sure that it is a free trial with no obligation or payment required. If they are asking for money and/or personal information, be wary!
Also, make sure that the company has a reasonable return policy and that you can easily cancel at any time if necessary.
Always Make Sure You Have Access To A Phone Number And/Or A Physical Address
While many reputable freelancer sites will have this information available, it’s not always available on small or new freelance websites. Having an email address is almost always enough for verifying identity and for contacting your potential employer, but having more information can be helpful when deciding whether or not the site is legitimate.
Don’t Work With Someone Who Pretends To Be Someone Else
It sounds too good to be true. That’s why we said it twice in a row. If you’re asked to pay a fee to apply for or get the job, it’s likely a scam. The same goes if you are asked to pay anything else before being hired like an “application fee” or “training” or “licensing.”
These fees are usually charged under the guise of “recruiting expenses” and are not required by law. However, there is no such thing as free money: Any company that asks you for money upfront is probably running some sort of con game, whether they mean it or not (and most companies do).
As a freelancer, getting paid what you’re worth is vital. Check out our article with 15 quick & easy ways to get paid more for your freelance work to learn strategies to maximize your income.
Do Not Accept Any Offers Without A Contract
As a freelancer, you’re going to be working with many different people and businesses. Some will be great; others will be less than ideal. You need to know how to protect yourself from those who are not reputable.
Contracts are an essential part of any business deal, but they are especially important when dealing with freelancers because they provide clear terms and conditions that both parties can agree on before work begins.
A contract ensures that everyone knows their rights and responsibilities regarding the project at hand, so there are no misunderstandings later on down the road about how things were supposed to go or what was expected of them during the process.
Look For Spelling And Grammar Errors On The Job Listing
If a job posting contains spelling and grammar errors, it is probably not legitimate. If a job listing is full of spelling and grammar errors, it’s likely not a real company. If you find this to be true for several different listings, then it’s time to go back to your initial questions about whether or not the opportunity is legitimate.
If you see that there aren’t any spelling or grammar mistakes in the listing, but the company name doesn’t sound familiar when compared with other companies that you’ve worked for before (or maybe even researched), then take another look at those original questions from above:
Check For A Privacy Policy
The very first thing to do is check a website’s privacy policy. This should be easily accessible from the homepage and it should be written and understandable. The policy should also be up-to-date, as policies can change over time in response to changes in technology or legislation.
Finally, it’s important that the language used in a privacy policy is plain English; if you’re not sure what something means then ask someone who works in IT or law if they can help you translate!
Learn from the experiences of other freelancers to navigate your own journey. Our article on 27 lessons learned during the first year as a freelancer provides valuable insights and tips for those starting out in the freelance world.
Conclusion
We hope that you have found these tips helpful in avoiding freelance scams and protecting yourself as a new freelancer. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, we believe it’s a good start for anyone starting in the world of freelancing or looking to expand their client base.
With these tips in mind, you can confidently enjoy your newfound independence while also taking care of yourself!
Further Reading
Upwork and Fiverr Scams and How to Avoid Them: Learn about common scams on popular freelancing platforms and discover ways to protect yourself from potential fraud.
Avoid Getting Scammed as a New Freelancer: If you’re just starting as a freelancer, this article provides essential tips to avoid falling victim to scams in the freelance world.
How to Avoid Scammers on Freelancer.com: Find out practical advice on how to stay safe on Freelancer.com and prevent scammers from taking advantage of you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is A Freelance Scam?
A freelance scam is an attempt by a freelancer to get money from a client without providing the service they agreed to. It can be difficult for beginner freelancers to avoid these scams, so here are some tips to help you avoid them. Why do people try to scam me?
Some people try to scam beginners because they think it’s easy or fun. Others do it because they think it’s easy or fun. Some people are just greedy and don’t care who gets hurt in their pursuit of money.
How Can I Avoid Being Scammed?
You can avoid being scammed by following these tips:
1) Research your clients before agreeing to work with them
2) Always see the contract before starting work
3) Never send payment before the work is complete
4) Don’t fall for unrealistic deadlines
5) Check references
6) Don’t accept payments via Western Union
7) Be wary of language barriers
8) Take time off after each project
9) Don’t pay too much attention to “likes”
10) Trust your gut
How Do I Get Started As A Freelancer?
It’s easy! You can go to [website name] and sign up for free. Once you’re registered, you can start posting projects and bidding on them. It’s that simple!
What If I Don’t Have Any Clients?
Don’t worry about that! Just post some projects and bid on others that’s how you’ll get clients of your own. And remember to check back regularly, because sometimes you’ll find a client before they even post their project!
What If I Don’t Know How To Do What They’re Asking?
That’s okay! You can always turn down jobs that are too complicated or not in your area of expertise. And if you need help learning new skills, our community forum is full of people who will be happy to help out!
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.