Freelance Writing Scam: Watch Out for Remote Money Making Scams

Are you interested in working from the comfort of your home as an academic freelance writer?

Yes, that is the aim. Wear your pyjamas to work. Own your business. Create a schedule that best works for you.

Freelance writing is a fantastic career and a way of life, but it is also challenging labour. And scammers are aware of it.

If you are a freelance writer, people other than potential clients may be checking out your website or social media presence. The same data is being combed through by con artists in search of essay writers looking for work.

But,

Have you ever wondered if a freelance-writing opportunity you’re looking at is a scam?

Undoubtedly, it might be. There are several scams that prey on independent freelancers. Several of these scams are really old and never seem to stop. Also, new ones are constantly appearing.

And, as freelance writers, we frequently get too trusting. Sadly, there are a lot of people out there who are willing to profit off our tendency to trust.

Beware and avoid falling into scams!

Scammers will ask you to write for free

There are many opportunities to write for free online. You’ll get a lot of assurance and affirmation that your free piece will give you great exposure. Most of these offers are a complete waste of your time and energy.

The most common scam in free writing is the request to write a free trial article as an audition for a job. Unless you have no clips (from a publication), you shouldn’t have to do this – prospects can just look at your samples and decide whether to hire you.

All too often, companies fill all their content needs by simply asking many freelance writers to participate in these auditions. These free samples are their whole source of content. They don’t really plan to hire anyone.

In the event that they do, most of the time, you will get asked to complete a number of tasks, and payment for the completed tasks will be made at a later date. However, this is where it gets interesting, once the tasks completed have been paid for, freelance writers are unlikely to receive compensation for their hard work.

They are likely to end up receiving nothing for the written work, which can be demoralizing.

So, next time, think about the following:

If you get asked to write a free sample, ask yourself if it’s worth your time.

And if you’re struggling to land client work, getting an out-of-the-blue offer may sound pretty good. And it may pan out. But do your homework, first. Pay attention to the warning signs of scams like this to avoid becoming a victim. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Heard about other freelance writing scams? Share your experience to let us know.