As a&nbsp;freelancer you are looking for work and earn money. You may be seeing freelancing as
full time job or side hustle to earn extra money. There are lot of site
freelancing sites and new freelancers are looking for their first job, the ones
who are settled in freelancing sites are looking for growing their reputation.
At the same time, there are employers who are joining these freelancing sites posting
their projects. These employers have to enter very basic information to join
these sites and can easily post their projects. Lot of employers can be genuine
and trying to get their work done with good quality and at reasonable
costs. But there are few which join such sites with intention to trap
freelancer into scams. 

 The biggest
advantage that scammers take is lack of knowledge and awareness. So first thing
you need to do is make yourself aware of types of frauds and strict to certain
things which I will explain further. 

There are
various scams faced by freelancers and list is never complete as scammers devise
new methods to trap their baits. 

 Low Budget and promise for work in
future &nbsp; &nbsp; Employer asking to submit 15 unique articles of 600 word articles which according employer will be judged and verified for quality.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;They will trap new, less experienced freelancer and without allocating the work ask them to submit articles. Later reject the proposal for quality reasons. Employer got articles and probably from multiple freelancer for free.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It’s better to avoid extremely low budget and vague jobs.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Work from Home Membership scheme&nbsp; Employer will provide external communication method like email,
phone number (WhatsApp) etc. When you contact them they will ask you to join a
membership scheme which will promise to give you work from home. 

&nbsp;

Any employer asking you to contact you outside freelancing site is
potential scammer. You need to be very cautious especially when you decide to
get in touch outside communication tools provided by freelancing site.

 Moving Money for Strangers

&nbsp;
 This is common trap for North American freelancers. 

&nbsp;

Example: Employer will ask for virtual assistant and asking to get in
touch in email. He will explain detailed duties and excellent pay on
weekly\monthly basis. He will show he is genuine business person and very busy
with his schedule. He need help in accepting money from customers. He will ask
to open a bank account, your id, employer, resume where you will be depositing
money from his client. 

&nbsp;

This will be attractive offer with very good pay but this most dangerous
and you will lose lot of money. Targets will be North American freelancers
where identity theft is bigger problem. 

&nbsp;

First mistake to avoid do not get in touch with employer outside
communication tools provided by freelancing site. If you get in touch, think
twice what has been asked. Never share any personal details – name, address,
employer, id proofs such as passports, driving license. 

&nbsp; 

 These criminals want you to do their banking for them. If they earn your
trust, they'll use your account to cash phony cheques, collect funds from other
accounts, and move stolen money offshore. They use a variety of schemes to
convince you that they're legitimate. Some will even give you money to earn
your trust. By accepting and re-directing electronic deposits (such as wire
transfers), you could be participating in a money-laundering scheme if those
deposits were proceeds of a fraud or other criminal activity. The stories vary,
but the results are the same: fraud and financial loss.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

 Students, Housewives - work from home
scam 

&nbsp;

 Employer promoting job for work from home for students, housewives. They
will mention no experience necessary, no reviews needed, no education
background needed. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

They are targeting such freelancer so that they can get work done very
cheap and even after getting work done may ask for refund, leave bad reviews. 

&nbsp;

Ask details of work, volume of work before you start. Invoke freelancing
site admins if you think employer is taking undue advantage. 

&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Direct contact and getting work done
outside 

&nbsp;

 Employer asks freelancer to get in touch outside the site such as email,
phone. Ask freelancer to start work, get the work done and disappear without paying
money. 

&nbsp;

This is the reason each freelancing site warns you to not get in touch
with employers directly as it goes outside their purview. If employer really
want to get work done they have they reason to go outside the freelancing site.
Employer do not pay commission to freelancing site, freelancer pays it. So
there is no reason for real employer to ask you to get in touch outside the
site. Genuine employer wants to work through site as they also need protection
from fake, poor skilled freelancers. 

&nbsp;
 Promise for long term projects and
pay at end of work

&nbsp;

 Employer promising long term projects, worked lined up example lot of websites, apps to be developed, data entry work, translation jobs and so on. Employer&nbsp;ask to get in contact
external communication. 

&nbsp;

Employer will insist you to work without contract. The scope of work will
not be defined and when ever increasing work is done and its time to do
payment, employer will disappear. Do not get lured with promise of long term jobs, employer may intend to
get work done cheaper with fake promise. Also if employer asking you to get
touch outside freelancing site, probably you will never get paid. 

&nbsp;

 Increase your awareness You likely to come across may such scams during your journey towards
freelancing. I am not saying each employer is not genuine. But you need to be
cautious and aware of such methods to avoid frustration, losing money, working
for free and letting someone take advantage of lack of awareness and knowledge.


&nbsp;

 What can you do? If you come across such scams, what can you do? You can do a lot to help
freelancer community. You can use “Report Abuse” feature in profile of such
employers so that freelancing site tracks activity of such employer can ban
them. You can invoke admin in one to one conversation between you and employer
when you doubt something is not right.&nbsp;
Once you have doubt, stop further damage by not communicating with
employer, avoid giving personal information. 

&nbsp;

 Be safe, happy freelancing. Wish you all freelancer a great year ahead! &nbsp;&nbsp;

Common freelancer Scams and how you should be cautious to avoid getting into trap!

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