Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls: Avoid LinkedIn Freelancer Scams

When entertaining potential clients found through LinkedIn, freelance writers must ensure they don’t become the victim of scams.

Photo by Joshua Sortino on Unsplash

Last week a potential client messaged me on LinkedIn. I set LinkedIn to advertise my writing services, so message requests and recommendations for opportunities occasionally flow into my box. The message the other week was a suggestion to apply for a freelance writing gig advertised on LinkedIn. Never one to turn down an opportunity, I emailed back and forth with the person a bit.

As a freelancer, I look for potential clients everywhere — a random LinkedIn connection is not out of the realm for landing work. I’ve connected with a few clients and know other freelance writers who find all their clients on LinkedIn.

I gave the person the same responses and questions I’d send to any prospective client. I asked for details about the project, the timeline, and audience, and their budget. The person had detailed answers for everything — a few thousand words for a conference happening in November, aiming for $1/word. While the $1/word is nice, it was also a red flag. The person did not ask for any clips or references and offered a fantastic rate. Is that possible? Yes. Is that my…