Freelancers Beware — Spotting Scam Jobs

Working online since 2006, I could say that I’ve had my share of good clients, great clients — and the occasional bad clients. Even after the majorly traumatic experiences I’ve had with them, I’ve never, ever written about them and posted about the things I experienced.

Maybe it’s because I believe that each person deserves a new lease in life, as well as I know that I, too, have had my faults as a worker.

Today, however, I came across a post in a freelancer marketplace that made me realize how fortunate I am as a freelancer. Let me show you the screencaps of what I saw before I say why it made me feel fortunate:

Click pictures to see text in full.

Although there are a couple of other messages beneath the last one, those were already off-topic and no longer relevant to this discussion.

Anyway, I was saying that in my career as a freelancer and online worker (since 2006!) I have yet to encounter people who only ask for samples, only to reject their applicants. Yes, I’ve had a couple of incidents where I wasn’t paid for six whole months (same perpetrator) and when I did get paid the second time, I only got partial payment, but never, never did I encounter these sample/freebie freeloader fake clients through first-hand experience.

That’s what keeps me from lurking in freelancer marketplaces. It’s really a bigger gamble, as opposed to finding a great client or several and staying with them through thick and thin.

For those who are starting out in the industry, though, a good, safer place to start would be Odesk. The systems are better, and there’s more protective measures for both freelancers and clients. The payment methods are also more convenient, as Odesk has its own debit card by Payoneer. So far, it’s among the best freelancer platforms out there. The only other website that can possibly rival its security and reliability is Elance.

So the point here is, be wary about the jobs you apply to. If they ask for too many samples, especially samples of a very specific and suspiciously niche-y nature (as in it already looks like the project itself), then this is already a clue that you’re probably applying for a scam.

If you’re really the type who plays it safe, maybe it’s better to look for clients on job boards, as individuals and small companies tend to post there as opposed to marketplaces.

Good luck in all that you do!