Scammers are everywhere, whether the mode is online or offline. They have found numerous ways to continue their scam jobs, starting from the earlier days when there were no smartphones or internet connections. They have evolved with the evolution of technology, modifying their styles in scamming.
As per the previous year’s report published by the cybersecurity firm Lookout, around 62% of Facebook users encountered scams every week. However, there are some scammers in Facebook groups on Content Writing, where they are much more active in scamming innocent freelancers in the guise of potential clients.
Through this article, I am going to share some tips with you so that it will be easier for you to identify scammers in Facebook groups and differentiate real clients from fake ones and protect your valuable time and money. If you are a freelancer or a would-be freelancer, you must not miss this post.
Let’s go ahead.
Table of Contents
Who Are These Scammers?
In simple language, the scammers are those who scam. However, scammers in Facebook groups are pretty handsome middle-aged persons with some elegant profile pictures surrounded by a couple of costly laptops, and sometimes lousy supercars that immediately give you an impression of their elite-class upbringing.
When someone from this scam gang appears with a lucrative offer posted on the Facebook wall, you simply become spellbound. You start thinking that you have got your dream client.
Now, you are going to be rich soon after you start working for him as he doesn’t mind paying you a huge amount of money just for doing some simple tasks.
What Type Of Projects Do Scammers In Facebook Groups Offer?
Well, they have done PhD in picking up the best offers for you. They know human psychology very well and are masters in manipulating it.
These scammers in Facebook groups have narrowed down their targeted area focusing on those freelancers of the Facebook group, who are in dire need of money to pay the bills in the next few days, as they are easy to be converted.
They come with some irresistible offers that you can’t ignore easily. I am giving you a list of some of the common projects that they are offering nowadays. They are-
Type 1: Re-typing Jobs
You will be given some Excel sheets or PDFs, and you have to just re-type those texts and present them in new Word files. In this particular case, you don’t have to use your brain in the actual sense.
Type 2: Converting Images Into PDFs
They will ask you to convert a bunch of JPEG or PNG images into PDFs in exchange for handsome amounts of money. You will be given around 100 images or more for this purpose.
Type 3: Removing Backgrounds Of Images
They will ask your favor to remove the backgrounds of some images, generally of the same sizes, and will tell you to hand over those images within a certain period of time.
Type 4: Converting Images Into Texts Or Documents
Here, in this case, you will be given some images where there will be some texts and will be told to pull out the texts from the images and present them in words.
Type 5: To Produce Web Content In Bulk: Content Writing
You will be hired for a project as a content writer where you will be asked to write articles or web content in bulk for their blogs or websites as soon as you can. And yes, the payment is impressive.
Type 6: Data Entry Jobs: Simple Typing Jobs
You will be hired for data entry jobs. You will be given soft copies and will be told to use the contents of the copies to fill into their company’s computer system for processing and management by typing.
What Is The Procedure?
Okay, these scammers in Facebook groups follow a smooth chain of actions in doing this. Let’s see step by step how your dream clients are going to approach you. But wait? Dream clients! Seriously? No way.
Step 1: Posting In A Facebook Group
Someone from the gang will post one or more of the above-mentioned projects as offers inside the Facebook group, and his offer will come attached with some powerful commanding words such as ‘Urgent Need,’ ‘Urgently Required’, ‘contact Now’ etc. to make their offers look more realistic and more magnetic.
Step 2: Conversation In Messenger
He will tell you to contact him in messenger if you are really interested, as business conversation should not be made public, and he will also tell you to provide him with a couple of samples of your previous work to win your trust.
Step 3: Moving To Telegram
Now in Messenger, he will give you a telegram link and instruct you to connect with the person (a different person with the same style of appearance) through the given link.
You are told that this newly introduced character is their content manager who passes you the projects by telling you their requirements in some detail.
Step 4: Asking For The Basic Details
This newly introduced second character (Character No.2) will now ask you to fill up a form with your basic details i.e. Name, Country, Mobile Number, E-mail ID, Address, and so on, to make you think that everything is going all right. He may also tell you to provide a sample if the first person has not already asked for that.
Step 5: Offering You The Project
Here, you will be provided with some project works with a deadline to submit. He may send the projects in your mailbox or in telegram.
And most of the time, he will be successful in convincing you that they are very busy with their startup and can easily pay you a lump sum for completing those simple but boring tasks; as they don’t want to waste their valuable time on this.
So, Congratulations! Man. You did it. You have finally snatched your dream clients from the crowd. But, did you?
Is It A Scam?
Scam? Phooo! You have finished your project with proper care with a great deal of attention and have sent them with the shared email ID belonging to a newer character on the scene. Are you serious? A newer character!
Yes, my friend. He is character number three (Character No. 3) who has been appointed to handle the emails. However, it is okay. No need to worry about this. The best thing is that you have finished your project, and now money will come pouring in. Right?
But wait. What does the email guy say? He has brought forward the fourth character (Character No. 4), who is managing the account section on their behalf and he will release the payment directly into your bank account.
Great! Finally, you are going to get the payment for your hard work. But did you hear something? What was it? Your inner voice? What did it say?
“Something is fishy. Things are getting complicated. You were appointed by a single character. But they are now four in number. There are so many turns and twists till now.”
Now you will reply to your inner voice saying,
“Okay. Yes, it is Okay. It might be a big start-up. Besides, 3-5 people in a start-up is not a big deal.”
It Is Definitely A Scam
No. No. No. What is the newest guy (Character No. 4) saying? The guy from the account section wants you to deposit some money into their account (the account from where your payment will be released) as he can’t really transfer your payment even after taking so many attempts. He is saying,
“It’s a kind of peculiar technical issue that I am facing right now in releasing your payment. But if you can deposit some amount of money in our account, the payment receiving channel will be smoother, and we will be happy in releasing your payment.”
Oh my goodness! It is a scam!
Yes. you are right. You have encountered scammers in Facebook groups. Yes, your journey of searching for a dream client has now ended up becoming prey to scammers in Facebook groups. Your hard work remains unpaid, and your valuable hours spent on the project are just wasted.
How Not To Become A Victim Of Scammers In Facebook Groups
I am giving you some useful tips that will help you in identifying these scammers in Facebook Groups in most cases, and in protecting your valuable time and money.
Tip 1: Ask The Details
Ask for the details of the project. Ask your client questions regarding the project to get a clear picture. Ask him how he would like to get it done.
Tip 2: Go For Advance Payment
Ask him for advance payment. Tell him you need at least 20 % of the budget as advance payment before you start working on the project.
Tip 3: Work On Part Payment
If he refuses to give you advance payment, pull him in another condition. Tell him that after completing 20% of the project, you need 20% of the budget as payment. Mark his reply and think before you proceed further.
Tip 4: Scan The Profile
Put the profile of your client under the scanner. Check his posts, comments and connections to get a clear picture of him. If his profile is private, send him a friend request and ask him to accept. If you find anything suspicious, simply block him.
Tip 5: Check Social Presence
Check his other posts. Observer, if he is posting the same content again and again regularly. If so, you should re-think before working with him.
Tip 6: Just Publish It
If you tried everything but nothing worked for you. Just publish those contents all over the internet from your social handles immediately before your client publishes those articles on their websites and blogs. In this way, it will not be plagiarism free. It’s a kind of sweet revenge.
Tip7: Report & Block
Report the profile and block him as soon as you identify the person as a scammer. In doing this, you will be free from being disturbed by him and will save your co-group members.
Wrap Up On Identify Scammers In Facebook Groups: Protect Your Freelancing Journey
Above all, earning money is possible online as a freelancer. But earning an absurd amount of money by doing simple tasks is likely to be a scam.
If a person or a group of persons are offering you an absurd amount of money for some simple projects, they are not your clients. In fact, they are hunting for innocent persons like you to convert you into dollar-printing machines for themselves.
And one thing I would like to tell you is that I got my first freelancing job as a content writer from a Facebook group which means all are not bad, and all are not scammers. But you have to always keep your eyes open to find a real person who might be your dream client.
FAQ: Identify Scammers In Facebook Groups: Protect Your Freelancing Journey
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions related to the current topic. Please go through these for your own interest.
Q1. What Are The Other Types Of Scams On Facebook?
Ans: Some other types of scams that are being exercised and adopted by scammers in Facebook groups in recent times are- 1. Fake Giveaways 2. Phishing Attacks or Facebook Email Scams 3. Romance Scams 4. Survey Scams 5. Fake Charity Scams 6. Job Scams 7. Investment Scams etc.
Q2. What Is The Best Way To Identify A Scam?
Ans: If someone is willing to pay you an absurd amount of money compared to the nature of the project, where you have to do some simple and silly tasks, it is likely to be a scam. So, please reconsider before you fall for any of this kind.
Q3. How To Earn A Handsome Amount Of Money Through Freelancing?
Ans: Learn some real skills. Yes, you have to learn some real skills for which your real clients will pay you. You can earn by content writing, doing blog set-up and SEO for your clients, video editing, Ad Optimising etc. But, for that, you have to learn Blogging, YouTube or Affiliate Marketing from a real person who is an expert in this field.
