Okay so maybe your career as a freelancer is getting off to great start and it sure looks like the sky is the limit. You work very hard, you are always on the lookout for job adverts and whenever you land yourself a gig you attack it with the required passion. All of these are well and good, except that the freelance world, just like every section of society has its own share of bad eggs; unscrupulous persons who seek to take advantage of honest, but naive freelancers.

Gimylancer.com has come up with a few helpful tips on how to identify genuine or fake freelance adverts and save yourself from needless regrets or a painful wild goose chase.

Zero contract terms: A serious freelance engagement starts out with both parties agreeing to certain terms or conditions. Even the simplest of contract agreements would suffice here. Freelancers must avoid working for clients who do not offer any contract terms and shy away from discussing the terms of the project. Such clients are usually shylock minded business people who maybe out to exploit freelancers, or in rare cases they maybe just wary of entering into contracts with people they don’t trust. In which case both the freelancer and the client have to meet themselves half way on trust related issues.
Requesting for several free samples: Samples of previously executed jobs can be proof of the proficiency of a freelancer and any freelancer worth his salt is expected to have a number of custom samples to win over clients. But then again if a certain client requests to see fresh free “samples” tailored to meet certain specifications, you know it is time to evaluate the clients profile and sniff around for signs of genuineness or otherwise.


Demands for ridiculously low bids: Clients who demand and explicitly require freelancers to tender ridiculously low bids are also a reason to be suspicious. A good freelance job, say offering legal consultation or preparing architectural drafts and designs takes considerable hours, effort and skill and any of these should attract commensurate financial While these may not exactly be a fake advert it warns you that you are definitely dealing with a client who is ready to cut corners and you may be in for one hell of an awful experience if you go ahead and work for them.
No agreed targets or deadlines: This is one sure way to get your suspicion alerts buzzing bright red. A contract between a freelancer and a client must contain specified milestones for execution and of course a deadline for completion. A client who doesn’t bother to include milestones in the contract agreement is either extremely clueless (which is rather unlikely) or they are seeking to muddle the contract the contract conditions and leave the freelancer with the shorter end of the stick.
Poor grammar: A general sense of unprofessionalism and sloppiness is a sure sign that a freelance contract could be a fake. Clients who any self respect present and package themselves in way that speaks very well of them. When an advert for a freelancer appears to have been put together by an elementary school kid with several lapses here and there it is another sure sign for freelancers to look before they leap.
Zero upfront payment: If a freelancer reaches an agreed milestone in the contract terms and the client is unreasonably delaying or refusing to make agreed payments. A freelancer should reasonably be concerned about such a client’s genuineness and take necessary steps to carry out certain background checks on such clients. In some instances it could be simply because the client is having some momentary challenges with financing, in which case payments are rescheduled for later, but sometimes the client may have more than one freelancer and just hasn’t decided which one of you is worth his money. Whatever the case it is advisable for the freelancer to look properly before they commit to a long-term engagement with such a client.
In summary

Searching for work is one of the trickiest parts of freelancing, so make the most of your job hunting efforts. Try to apply for jobs where your skills, experience, and values are a fit, you can further hone your existing skills, and you can get a portfolio-worthy piece. GIMYlancer.com is one place where you can be sure of meeting genuine and verified clients, and payment (thanks to the escrow account payment algorithm) always arrive as scheduled.
http://blog.gimylancer.com/2015/12/07/6-ways-to-identify-fake-freelance-jobscontracts/