Whether you have been a freelancer for a couple of years or just started your journey, you must have heard about freelancers falling prey to cunning scammers and opportunists. At worst, you may have been taken advantage of on some platform.
As a result, many freelancers cannot trust even the best freelancing platforms. After all, no one wants their hard work to be tragically wasted. However, giving up your career as a freelancer is not the way to go.
Here are some of the most reliable ways you can avoid freelancer scams.
Look Up Your Clients
If you are using a reliable freelancing platform, you may have access to useful information about your potential clients. You can see their reputation on the platform, as well as other clients’ feedback, payment history, and much more.
This information plays a crucial role in shaping their image in your eyes and helping you make your final decision.
If it is a bigger project, you can also ask your client about the project or the company for which your services are needed to research it and ensure legitimacy.
Use Secure Payment Methods
With the rise of several reliable freelancing platforms and millions of parties hiring freelancers for their projects, freelance platforms and escrow companies are working actively to make payments secure and hassle-free for their clients.
While most freelance platforms have several protocols to safeguard users against payment disputes and fraudulent activities, you can do your part by choosing reliable payment platforms such as PayPal and Google Pay.
Strengthen Your Contract
A detailed contract can be very helpful in securing your rights in case of a dispute or any other fraudulent activity. It gives a sense of security to freelancers and their clients as well. If a client hesitates to sign a contract, it can be your sign to deny their offers.
While making your contract, make sure to add all essential sections, such as project expectations, timelines, revisions, deliverables, and any other conditions according to industry standards and the specifications of your project.
Emphasise the importance of carefully reading the contract to your clients and following the same rules for yourself. A strong contract can help you prevent misunderstandings or legal disputes after it has been signed.
Break Down Your Payments
One of the best things you can do to avoid freelancer scams is to break down bigger projects into smaller ones. In your contract, you can mention a term to highlight corresponding payments. It means you can receive corresponding payments when you complete each part of your project.
This approach can help you reduce the risks of abandoned payments for your work. You will be more motivated to proceed with the project, and your clients will have confidence in meeting their deadlines.
Ask for Testimonials
Clients’ comfort is not the only factor in a professional relationship. You must also be equally comfortable and confident before proceeding with a new client.
Instead of trusting your luck in terms of comfort, you can request references and testimonials from their previous freelancers before committing to a project.
Reading references and testimonials from previous professionals they have worked with can help you decide. You can access their professionalism, communication style, and payment track record.
Avoid Oversharing
Some clients can be great to work with. Communicating with them can even feel like talking to an old friend. While having this level of comfort feels great, you must never forget the boundary between your personal and professional lives.
Regardless of your comfort level with your client, never share confidential information such as your bank account details, passwords, or social security numbers.
You should identify essential information for project completion and share it securely through only secure channels.
Dodge Urgent Requests
Every freelancer has come across clients who have very tight deadlines. These clients may pay great rates and want you to work immediately. Although a great offer can tempt any freelancer to say yes to the project, you must be wary of such requests.
When a client pushes you to start a project immediately, you may not have time to discuss the details or negotiate your pay.
Ask your client if they can set aside some time for a short meeting to establish clear terms and define other important details. If they keep evading your requests, avoiding a risk is better.
Backup Your Work
Data integrity must be crucial for every freelancer. In a world of opportunists and scammers, you cannot take risks. Always backup your files and data to protect your work from manipulations and loss.
Use secure mediums for data storage, such as cloud storage, external drives, or data rooms, to ensure data integrity and security.
Keep an Eye on Warning Signs
Scammers and opportunists are everywhere, ready to exploit anyone who seems vulnerable. However, they rarely scam freelancers without showing any warning signs. Here are some of the most common warning signs to avoid.
- Exceptional Pay Rates
- Requests for Communication Off the Platform
- Unnecessary Test Projects and Samples
- Unusual Payment Forms
- Desire for Excessive Secrecy
If you see any of these signs, the best thing to do is to walk away and look for other offers. Even if you decide to take a risk, proceed cautiously and define every term in your project clearly.
Report Suspicious Activity
If you have encountered any fraudulent activity on a platform, it is your moral responsibility to report it to the relevant authorities of freelance platforms and share your experience on community forums.
Sharing your experience can reduce the number of scammers on your freelancing platforms and help other freelancers from similar experiences. Every report can help you create a safe ecosystem for freelancers.
