Now these days it has become too tough to get work from Freelancer.com because of the amounts of fake projects being posted every day by fake employer accounts. So, I thought of sharing my experiences on how I identify and avoid fake projects and fake clients. For my newbie fellow freelancers brothers and sisters.
Before placing a bid :
- Check if the client’s Payment Method is verified or no. If not verified, Don’t bid. Very high chances that project and client would be fake and your bid will be a waste. Remember, Freelancer.com gives you only 7/8 bids (but adds 1 bid every 2days) for Free membership. Take a look at the screen shot below to know where and how you’ll know if the employer’s payment method is verified or not. If payment method is verified, the icon next to the text “Payment method verified” will be colored green.
What if the client is real, but new in Freelancer.com?! Keep reading…
After you placed a bid and employer messaged you :
First, Do not accept the project right away.
- Chat and discuss with the client regarding the project. Do a Question-Answer session. Make sure you understand what client really wanting from you. Ask yourself, if you can deliver what is the client is wanting.
- Request the client to create 100% milestone, if not, then at least 50%.
- If the client is new in the marketplace, request the client to verify payment method.
- If client is asking you to contact outside of the marketplace, avoid doing it.
- Client want to pay you upfront via Skrill, Paypal, Check etc directly rather than via the marketplace? Avoid it, if its first project with the client.
- Client is asking you to pay some security money for a lucrative job/project?! Stop contacting and simply block the client. Because, if you keep talking with the client, he would convince you to believe him and pay! Also, If you can, report the Project and Client to freelancer.com as Scam/Fake, it could save others from his trap!
If you’ve already accepted the project :
- If the client is fake, you are kinda screwed!
- Freelancer.com will take a 10 % commission for the project you’ve accepted. E.g. if your bid on the project was $250, freelancer.com will take (or put in negative balance) $25 from your account.
- You lose Project completion rate, which is not good for your profile!
- If the project is real, so the client too. But had no Milestone Payment, You delivered the work, there are chances that the client won’t pay you! So, the project will be counted as Incomplete until the client pays in full and finish the project.
Remember, there are people who always try to find a way to steal money from you, or get some works done and don’t pay. You can prevent this situation if you just take some precautions. Remember the quote “Precaution is better than cure”!