How to Avoid Getting Burned by Online “Freelance Writer” Scams
There’s something about wanting to get one’s foot in the proverbial door, particularly in a highly competitive field like freelance writing, that seems to make one’s good sense go kablooey.
Tonight I just happened to find myself browsing through the messages on yet another “freelance writing” forum, one with a population that seems more than just a bit heavier on the newbie or wannabe side, and noticed quite a number of posts “warning” about this or that online “client” who turned out to be a scammer (or simply a nonpaying deadbeat).
Not surprising, since there’s no shortage of scammers/deadbeats online (or off, for that matter), and not just in the freelance writing arena obviously. What is surprising is that, after reading through the messages and brief reports, in almost every single one, all I could really say was, “I can’t believe you fell for that one.”
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So, for what it’s worth, here are a few tips that may help you steer clear of the dutdes oozing pure evil (even if you don’t need this info, consider passing it along):
Get it in writing. Always always always. I’m talking about the details of the deal, of course. The minimum info you want memorialized can be summed up very simply in this single sentence:
Who will pay who how much for what work.
Obviously a lot of other details, depending on the deal, may be needed to be documented, but the above info needs to be present in all freelance work arrangements before any work begins.
It doesn’t even need to be a formal contract, although having one is obviously best. An email exchange with these details that you can trace to and prove was said by (aka use to nail) the client in court will suffice. Even better…
Get a deposit. That’s $$$ up front, in your pocket, with the balance payable upon the completion of the project. Not always needed, particularly with solidly legit clients, but if you can get it — woohoo! — get it.
This is a particularly effective tool with unknown/gray area potential clients you just aren’t sure of (again, no shortage of them online). Or the shady ones who like to employ the “We’re in a rush rush rush, so get started with the work and we’ll pound out the details later!” angle. To which you can reply, “Understood, so rush rush rush this deposit to my Paypal account and work can begin — click! — just like that! We’ll work out the details after.”
NOTE: Do not be afraid to ask for a deposit if the situation calls for it even if you’re new to the freelance game! If you want to be treated seriously, act accordingly. I didn’t say not nice, but where your money’s concerned, be business-like serious.
Make sure your prospective client is traceable. All the contracts and emails in the world are useless unless you can trace it all back to the “client.” Having a deposit eases the pain a bit if you’re stiffed on the balance, but you’ll obviously still want some way to track down and get the rest of your money.
This is the part that got my head shaking the most as I read through that forum’s messages, namely the number of “clients” they dealt with sporting free (aka anonymous, really) Gmail or Yahoo email addresses and Blogger sites. Not that having an actual registered domain means the client is legit and provided legit contact info, but it sure does help.
I’m sure there are legit employers who use Gmail,Yahoo, Blogger and the like, but if there’s a situation that simply demands a deposit, it’s a prospective client who uses freebie online services.
Samples of previous, even unrelated work is always sufficient. This addresses those scams that require you to write a new “sample” article or content on the specific topic or project they want to hire you for. BS. They’re just fishing for free content they can steal. I don’t even have to be a former magazine editor (I am one, though) to tell you that any idiot can tell how well (or badly) you write based on pretty much any substantial sample you provide on any topic.
And finally…
They pay you, not the other way around. If they ask for payment of any kind — to process your application, to weed out the non-serious, etc. — before you’re even hired, you know where you can tell them to stick it. You’d think this is a no-brainer, but from what I’ve seen on forums, unfortunately not.
If you have any other tips to share, comment below. Good luck!
— EES
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I also had someone offer to buy the contents of a discontinued blog. He offered to pay through PP–$250. I didn’t want PP, tho–so he offered to pay with a check…then asked about a wire transfer…I backed off. Maybe it was legit, although he said he was a consultant to a big website owned by WebMD…which I sort of doubted. Anyhow, it sounded fishy. He was using gmail, too.
Quite interesting, Star.
Pure conjecture on my part of course: Acquisition likely legit — purchasing your existing content outright for $250 — but intended use probably misrepresented.
Don’t know what the content’s on (I’m guessing something medical or health related). Also guessing the content would be used to create a small info blog that’ll never get updated — maybe even a whole series of them with the same content with some modificatios — and used to try and draw in SE traffic, monetized with AdSense and/or aff programs.
I’m probably wrong, since I can think of ways to do that legally without creating and spending a cent on content.
I bet you are right…Oh, well, I didn’t do it and don’t want my 1000 posts used to make some bozo richer. That’s 25 cents a post–why it’s almost what some people offer for posts. LOL.
I haven’t seen your stuff, but yes, $250 for a thousand posts is low.
If you’re looking for ideas on what to do with that content, check out today’s post. There’s a link to an article in there that you may find helpful.