How to Avoid Scams That Target Writers

As you may already know, there are all kinds of scams all over the Internet. It's important for freelance writers to know that writers are frequently targeted in such scams. If you want to avoid scams that target writers, please read these tips.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. To avoid scams that target writers, before you apply to work for any freelance writing company, it is absolutely essential to read many, many reviews about what it is like to work for that particular company before you submit your application. This is simply doing your "due diligence." While it is true that no company has a perfect track record, and there are disgruntled ex-employees everywhere, if you discover during the course of your research that the vast majority of people who have worked for a particular freelance writing company in the past are reporting negative experiences, don't try to rationalize away all these negative reviews, no matter how intrigued you might be by a particular job posting or company. Listen to the advice of those who have been burned by that company in the past and proceed no further with your own application process.

2. Make note of the fact that there are a lot of freelance writing companies that hire freelancers to write academic papers for college students and graduate students. This is a fundamentally unethical practice. All students are supposed to write their own academic papers, after all. When students hire freelance writers to do their work for them, they are cheating, plain and simple. These companies are real, and typically they do pay their freelance writers, but do you really want to get paid to help college students cheat?

3. Another way to avoid scams that target writers is to be aware of your own state of mind when you look at any freelance writing job postings. Scam artists realize that aspiring writers dream of receiving payment for their words. And alas, there are some very unscrupulous individuals who are all too willing to take advantage of a writer's powerful desire to get hired to write. But you can protect yourself against being exploited in this way by reminding yourself to remain skeptical whenever you look at any online or offline job postings for freelance writers. This way, the unethical con artists who target writers in their scams won't get the chance to take advantage of you. It's unfortunate that you always have to keep your guard up in this way, but at the same time, you really do need to protect yourself professionally and personally.

4. Exercise great caution if someone contacts you via email inviting to become a freelance writer for their company. It's not that there are zero legitimate writing companies that do this, but it is also a very common way for scam artists to reach potential victims. So please remain extremely skeptical of all unsolicited offers for freelance writing jobs that arrive in your email inbox.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to write content for legitimate websites, consider writing for eHow. Know that you will not be paid upfront for writing eHow articles. But if you join the eHow Writers Compensation Program and start writing search engine optimized, high quality articles, you will start earning money for your writing, and your income will keep increasing steadily over time.

[vallain]

on 4/7/2009 One scam that targets writers is to tell them their poem was chosen to be included in a book. For an exorbitant price you can buy the book and your poem is the first one in it. They are using print on demand to make you think it's a legitimate book.