Here are three things you can do to avoid online writing scams so that you can spend your time investing in legitimate home writing opportunities.
Never “write for free”: One of the most common online freelance writing job scams is the “writing sample” scam. The way this works is that a company will ask you to write original content to “judge your writing ability.”
Do not be fooled. Legitimate businesses would never expect you to write for free or write to spec, as it’s called in the industry. If they want me to write an original sample, they expect to pay for it.
So if a business expects free content, even if it’s “just a sample to judge your writing ability,” say “No thanks” and move on.
Never pay for job opportunities: Another common online freelance writing job scam is the pay-for-job opportunity scam. Typically, you are required to pay a membership or subscription fee to join a site for job opportunities. This is a red flag, a red flag, a red flag!
I have been a freelance writer since 1993 and have paid exactly zero (0) job opportunities, zero. I don’t care how good the deal sounds or how low the rate is, don’t be fooled. Typically, you will be asked to sign up for a 3, 5, or 7 day trial period for “just $ 1.95 or $ 2.95”.
To your surprise, a week or a month later, your card / checking account is charged $ 47 or $ 97 – the “full membership” fee. And the catch: this will be a recurring monthly fee. And it can be absolutely impossible to get your money back because phone calls and email will go unanswered and / or will be recovered.
If this happens to you, the best thing to do is cancel your account (yes, cancel it) and file a report with the Attorney General, as well as the Better Business Bureau.
If you don’t cancel your account, you risk having your card charged month after month before you can stop it. And, the reason is, when you sign up for what you think is the low cost of a 3, 5 or 7 day trial, there is “misleading” language in the fine print that gives thieves the right to bill you. on a recurring basis. .
Simply never pay for freelance writing job opportunities online, ever, and you will avoid this problem entirely.
Do your research: The internet is your best friend when looking for freelance writing opportunities online. Before investing in any opportunity, free or low-cost, do your homework. Freelance writers are known for their scams and con artists.
Even a nominal amount of investigation will reveal online freelance writing job scams from opportunities in freelance writing – if you take the time to look.