As a professional work seeker, you have a world of options on freelancer websites. They offer a huge selection of categories of aspirants such as Freelancing Graphic Designers, content writers, web designers, etc. looking to work for you in an affordable price range. Some websites have gone the extra mile in offering a system of bidding to give you the best rates possible. But are these sites that safe?
Well even if you believe that they are safe, you should never let your guard down. Mitigating the freelancer websites should be a smooth yet cautious process. Here are some tips to help you stay safe on a freelancer website:
· Never lose your ID details- the day you join a freelancer website, you should take note of the password, email id use and the user id you have created to make the account. Many people make the account in a hurry and then forget the password or ID which creates a problem, especially when you need to log in from another computer system.
· Ready the terms and agreements- usually, the websites do not misuse your details and bank account information. Still, you should take some time to read the pages of the website such as terms, agreements, privacy policy, conditions, etc. This helps in knowing the website more.
· Do not trust frauds- this is one of the most important steps that needs consideration, especially if you are new to the websites. You should check the profile of the person you are hiring, examining his previous works, information details, his reviews and other things. Certain key points will help you identify fake accounts. The indications for this include-
- Incomplete information on the profile
- Missing details such as phone number or a valid email id
- Email ids like spam
- No reviews or ratings at all
- Words like ABC, XYZ, QWE on the profile used in place of information
- Missing portfolio
- Missing links of references or works
- Missing profile photos
· Use communications skills- most freelancers who are genuine will be willing to tell you all about them and their work. This way you can put up questions and check if the person is genuine or not. You can converse with them before work to ask their addresses, their family background and even their IDs. This creates a sense of trust for you and will make you know if the person is good or bad.
· Keep your transactions safe- always look for a secured website logo on the freelancer website. You should never use a freelancer portal that is not secure. You can also check or monitor the website using a good antivirus. Besides, always keep track of your transactions by creating a list of transaction IDs of your payments.
· Take action- in case of fraud, don’t just sit back. Take action by contacting the portals’ customer service or by emailing them. Even if nothing is being done from their side, it is important to report the fraud so that necessary action should be taken in the future.
· Don’t share sensitive details- never share any type of password or OTP with a freelancer or a professional offering Web Design in Hamilton. No matter how much you trust a person, you should never disclose sensitive information over the internet.
