Starting a freelance business is exciting, but can also be a little frightening. There are a lot of risks associated with starting any business from scratch. 

Starting a business remotely can come with its own set of risks. How can you proactively avoid these threats and possible scammers? 

How To Identify A Scam 

It is not always easy to identify a scammer on the internet. 

Scams can come in the form of: 

  • Fake job postings 
  • Phishing emails 
  • Tech support emails 
  • Plagiarism

Fake Job Postings 

You can largely avoid fake job postings by joining a freelance marketplace like FreeUp. FreeUp takes the time to vet both the clients and the freelancers before they join the platform. 

However, if you have a strange interaction with a client or see a weird job posting, please reach out to the Support Team. We will investigate for you! 

Working with clients found through word of mouth or friends and family recommendations will also generally keep scams away. 

If you are working with a brand new client, you should try to do as much research as possible on the client and their business before signing any agreements or contracts. 

Beware of clients asking for bank account information or other personal information. 

Phishing Emails

A phishing email scam is when a scammer attempts to steal personal information such as your social security number, bank account information, passwords, etc through email or text messages.

Often, they create a story attempting to replicate a well-known brand. They typically look something like: 

  • Claims there was suspicious activity on one of your accounts or a login attempt from another device 
  • A fake invoice asking for payment 
  • Allege there is something wrong with one of your accounts or payment 
  • Include a link to for you to make a payment 

How do you know if it is real or a scam? A scam will include one or more of the following: 

  • A generic greeting such as “Hello Sir/Madam” 
  • Encouragement to update your account password or payment details through a link 
  • A message saying your account is on hold because of a billing issue 

If you receive an email like this, do not click any links or respond with any personal information. Use the spam filter through your email account to help filter out such messages. 

Keeping Your Information Safe 

With all of the internet scams out there, it can seem impossible to keep your information safe. 

Fortunately, there are ways to keep your important information and passwords safe.

  • Use complex passwords 
  • Be wary of using public WiFi 
  • Use two-factor authentication software
  • Use a VPN

Be Safe

Always follow your gut! If an interaction feels weird, don’t pursue it. If something strange happens on FreeUp, please reach out to the FreeUp Support Team.