I just read an article discussing how scammers – you know, those incredibly persistent and enthusiastic people who could probably be millionaires if they put their time and energy into something … I don’t know … legal – well they’ve now turned their attention to freelancers.
The article details a growing trend of scammers stealing a real freelancer’s information using sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, websites, associations, etc. and then creating a bogus account on freelance sites like Upwork and Freelancer using that information (including a real picture of the freelancer they stole the information about).
I don’t really understand how the scam works though. I know with Upwork a business can dispute if the actual work is not being done and not pay the scammer. The article doesn’t detail how the scam works, if the phony is just trying to get access to the business information and does their damage there or if they’re actually getting paid for work not done.
Regardless, as a freelancer keep a close eye on your name/image and brand to make sure it has not been stolen. And for business owners looking to hire a freelancer, make sure you do your homework before hiring someone. The article lists a few tips which you should find helpful so I’ll include the link here.
Scammers now posing as freelancers – published at: https://www.thegardnernews.com/item/20200630/scammers-now-posing-as-freelance-workers