How I avoided scams while freelancing online

Learn the strategies I used to avoid bad clients

Image by Robert Owen-Wahl from Pixabay

Have you ever considered freelancing as a Software Engineer on LinkedIn? If not, I encourage you to do so. Before I received my full time gig as a Software Engineer, I was able to find freelance opportunities on LinkedIn through various methods such as content creation. But before you jump into the freelancing world, be aware that bad clients and scams are likely to exist on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. In this article, I will give you strategies I used that helped me avoid scams and bad clients.

The following material isn’t meant to be legal advice or an exhaustive list that will guarantee you never get scammed or encounter a negative situation on LinkedIn or any other social media platform.

Check if the client is visible on social sites

If a client reached out to me, I would analyze their visibility on LinkedIn and online presence. The more visible, the better. But what do I mean by visibility? 

LinkedIn profile picture

As simple as it may sound, a profile picture can go along way in building trust. When someone doesn’t have a profile picture, it gives the impression that they’re trying to hide something. I emphasize impression because I understand that some people are introverted and aren’t comfortable having their face online. However, when it comes to business, I want to know I’m dealing with a person whose open to being seen in public and in private via meetings. More on meetings later

Post on LinkedIn

Being on LinkedIn isn’t enough. You should also check if the client interacts with other people and actually uses the platform. The reason I encourage this practice is so you can discover “social proof”. In other words, I want to see how a client interacts with other people. Whether positive or negative, the interactions you witness between a potential client and others can be a clear indicator of how they will interact with you.

Website

I would also look for a company website to see how professional the client is. Not owning a website was a red flag to me when I freelanced. Many businesses can’t compete without some type of SEO strategy to attract and keep customers. Therefore, when a company lacked a website, it gave me the impression that they weren’t a legitimate business.

Check if the client is able and open to communicate

Having a meeting through a video conference platform such as Zoom was a mandatory step before I decided to take on a client. At the end of the day, freelancing is a business and not having a business meeting is unprofessional in my opinion. Meetings also give you the opportunity to ask questions concerning the project and grant you the opportunity to vet a clients personality.

Check if the client is local to you

Because I live in the states and I’m aware of customs and laws related to my country, I made a conscience effort to only work with clients in the states. Sure, scams can happen any where in the world. But I believe it’s much easier to deal with the effects of a scam when they occur on your home turf. If something happens outside your jurisdiction, there may be little you can do about it.

Check if the client will sign a contractors agreement 

Before you start a project for a client, I encourage you to have them sign a contractors agreement. I’m not a lawyer and this isn’t legal advice. However, these are steps I took in order to provide some level of protection while working as a freelancer. My contractors agreement stated my pay rate, how I wanted to get paid, and the freedom to abandon the project if I needed.

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