How to Protect Yourself Against Scams as a Freelancer

When working as a telecommuting freelancer, it is crucial that one works to ensure that his own personal identity safety is taken into account whenever accepting new job offers. Unfortunately for the self-employed freelancer, many "job" listings on various internet sites are actually scams, aimed at taking advantage of good-willed freelancers. Frustrations with scams can put many freelancers at a major disadvantage, as the old saying that "time is money" really rings true for workers in this newly arising industry. For anyone working in this freelancing world, be sure to follow these tips when applying to new jobs as a way to save yourself from scammers.

1. Never give out any information regarding your bank account, even if the "employer" claims to need it in order to pay you. Always do monetary exchanges through safe internet sites such as PayPal where you can receive money simply by revealing your email address, a detail about yourself that you most likely will already have revealed during the application process.

2. Never do any "sample" work unless you have a guarantee of payment for your work. Many scammers will require you to do some sample work before allowing you to begin regular work but often will simply take and use your work without paying for it. Save yourself the time and frustration of this problem by only working on "sample" projects that offer payment when completed.

3. Inquire about any relevant work contracts before beginning work. A serious opportunity will already have a freelancers' contract in place which will detail your rights to any work that you do for the company. Carefully read through all such contracts, just in case they mention details to which you do not wish to agree.

4. A job that requires a "test of skill" is usually a legitimate work opportunity. For freelance writers, this may entail finding "corrections" needed for a few grammatically incorrect sentences given by the employer; for graphic design work, it may involve giving a brief analysis of the design work by another artist.

5. Be more willing to trust companies that mention how they could require you to submit certain tax/accounting documents if you earn a certain amount of money from them in a year. For example, if a job's listing details that you will have to submit a Form W-9 to the organization if you make $600 or more from the project during a year, it is most likely a legitimate organization.