Working online is a dream for people of all ages across the globe. Remote work adds an extra sense of freedom to someone's employment, whether you are a student looking for a flexible income or a nomad not wanting an anchor.
Many scammers recognize how enticing these online opportunities are and take advantage of vulnerable people. Don't let scammers scare you from getting the job of your dreams. Exploring some basic rules about freelancing job safety helps you avoid scams and stay safe online.
Why Do Freelancers Work Online?
When you are a "freelancer," you work for yourself. It's a job status that means you get to choose your hours and projects. Unlike many traditional contracts, you do have to handle your own insurance and taxes, but many people find it to be a small price to pay for the freedom of a freelancing lifestyle.
Although not every freelancer works online (and not every remote worker is a freelancer), online work and freelancing often go hand in hand. Online work, like blog writing or web design, often go hand in hand
It's an excellent place for people to find work that fits their lifestyle, and a perfect way for employers to find workers willing to adhere to the terms of small assignments. Many people don't know where to start the online job hunt.
How Do You Find Work Online?
Finding work online is easier than you think. Many platforms facilitate connecting freelancers and employers. From official job-hunting sites, like Upwork or Indeed, to less employment-oriented platforms, like Facebook and Reddit, there are a whole plethora of places to look.
Red Flags of Online Job Hunts
Sometimes, scams are unavoidable. However, several indicators suggest a post is sketchy.
New Accounts
While new accounts are not always a scam, it is a good indication something is wrong. Be wary of large projects that come from new accounts. They don't have any reviews to look at or gauge your experience by.
Costs You Money
You should not have to pay someone to make money online. Some sites may require membership payment, but make sure to do your research. If a company tells you that you need to spend money to make money with them, it may be a scam (beware of MLMs).
Poor Reviews
Many platforms offer a reviewing feature to view information about how other users rated interactions with potential employers. If someone has a horrible experience or got scammed by a user, you can read about it.
When someone offers you a project, make sure to read these reviews. A bad review or two in a sea of excellent ratings is one thing, but be cautious if someone has many bad reviews.
No Contracts
Contacts are a great way to have information to refer to at a later date. Even if they are not easy to enforce, it still makes an agreement more binding, especially with official companies.
You don't want to fall for classic scams where they promise you a set amount of money, then go back on their word when it's time to send that invoice.
Too Much Data
Online posts are the perfect place for phishing scams. It's easy to trick someone into handing in more information than they have to. You should never hand out sensitive information, like your social security number or a picture of your government-issued ID.
If you see any of these requests on a job-seeking platform, report them. Please do not listen to them when claiming they can't do anything with the information because they can (and probably will if they ask for it).
Free Labor
Trial articles are not abnormal, but don't let companies trick you into working for free. Sometimes, they ask for several trial pieces of a large number of assignments before payment. Then, when it comes time for you to receive money, they ghost you and carry on the practice with another person.
Unclear Expectations
Getting someone to do work for free is not always as straightforward as it seems. Sometimes, instead of merely asking you for a few trial pieces, they may never seem to find satisfaction with your work.
It's a clever scam where employers ask for a piece (paid or not) but then request tons of rewrites without offering additional payment. They argue they won't pay you because it is not what they asked for.
In reality, they offered incredibly vague directions, so they had room to complain. Sometimes, they take all your rewrites and then get several pieces of content for the price of one (if they even pay that).
Suspicious Payments
While free work is something you want to avoid, there is something to be said about suspiciously large payments. Money laundering is a real problem that is sometimes difficult to spot.
Before doing any work, employers may offer you large sums of money upfront for advancements or software purchases. Payment upfront itself is not abnormal or suspicious; however, pay close attention to where the money comes from and its amount.
Sometimes, companies pretend that they need to "buy training equipment" or "software" for jobs and forward money in advance. In actuality, they are having you take stolen money and "lawfully" purchase stuff with it. Ask that they just pay for the things for you instead of making you a monetary middle man.
A few years ago, one scam that ran its course involved a company looking for "customer service representatives" that sent out checks of a couple of hundred dollars for buying equipment. However, upon close inspection of the reviews, the money did not come from the agency themselves, but rather a dentist's office-based thousands of miles away.
Should I Risk Working Online?
Working online doesn't have to be risky. It's a fantastic way to set your career to your own schedule with the proper background knowledge and foresight to differentiate between legit posts and scams. Although the internet is full of potential threats and cons, it's a fantastic tool countless people use to find all sorts of positions, from full-time careers to side hustles.