Signs Of a Scammer

[meldawn9]

My first couple of days here, I’ve had two requests of this nature. It looks like one of them got reported before I even responded. I told the other person I could not provide the service they requested… and then later it looks like they were banned. I’m not sure what to do in these cases. Should I continue to respond politely, ignore messages (and risk being penalized), or is there some way to flag them?

I always respond. As a test I ignored the spam and now I’m down to 90% response rate. So yes, respond first, then report and ban.

[expressdigital2]

Some is taken my mobile number that was not on fiverr and i have provided him four digit code.
Now what can i do to recover my mobile.
Is there any issue?
Please help me

[michal247]

I decided to share some scammer messages here to increase awareness of new sellers. Maybe in future they will have no success in scams and will stop spamming our inboxes 😉

Most important scammer warning flags ⚠️

• Offering “long-term business”
• Link to external source with they offer details
• Want to contact outside Fiverr
• Weird nicknames
• No reviews
• Offer too much money for job
• They are trusting you too much as a new seller (weird right?)
• They contact you out from nothing (no gig related messages, no buyer request)

**********.

Mod Note: Screenshot removed. Please remove the username before reposting.

Typical scammer messages (real example)

[misscrystal]

You have the scammer’s website URL there in that message so please cover that up or your message will probably be removed, thanks.

[colorcat3]

I have gotten 4-5 messages all from different people saying things like:
Hello
Hi
I considered them scam and used the scam option. I have responded to all messages that looked real. Now my response rating is at 50% and the only ones I haven’t responded to are scammers. That doesn’t seem right to lower our rates because we don’t answer scam messages.

[michal247]

I have gotten 4-5 messages all from different people saying things like:

Hello

Hi

I considered them scam and used the scam option. I have responded to all messages that looked real. Now my response rating is at 50% and the only ones I haven’t responded to are scammers. That doesn’t seem right to lower our rates because we don’t answer scam messages.

Hi it’s not lowering our rates if scammer got banned, I think best way is to wait till he sends link to external source with contact.

[colorcat3]

So your suggestion is that I engage until the scammer sends a link?

[misscrystal]

I have gotten 4-5 messages all from different people saying things like:

Hello

Hi

I considered them scam and used the scam option. I have responded to all messages that looked real. Now my response rating is at 50% and the only ones I haven’t responded to are scammers. That doesn’t seem right to lower our rates because we don’t answer scam messages.

Hello

Hi

What makes you think it’s a scam for someone to say hello?

[colorcat3]

Hello

Hi

What makes you think it’s a scam for someone to say hello?

It’s from foreign countries. They aren’t acting any further with job questions or job offers. What is the point of just a hello on a job network?

[misscrystal]

It’s from foreign countries. They aren’t acting any further with job questions or job offers. What is the point of just a hello on a job network?

We all get people who only say hi or hello. Sometimes if you ask what they need you might find they want to order or have some questions you can answer.

And it’s normal to get questions or messages from countries besides the one you live in.

[colorcat3]

We all get people who only say hi or hello. Sometimes if you ask what they need you might find they want to order or have some questions you can answer.

And it’s normal to get questions or messages from countries besides the one you live in.

You’re entitled to your opinion. I see it as junk mail and am very aware that many from 3rd world countries will use any email method as a platform to ask for handouts—I’ve lived in 3rd world countries most of my life. I don’t think we should be dinged for not answering when our time is better used for jobs.

[misscrystal]

You’re entitled to your opinion. I see it as junk mail and am very aware that many from 3rd world countries will use any email method as a platform to ask for handouts—I’ve lived in 3rd world countries most of my life. I don’t think we should be dinged for not answering when our time is better used for jobs.

You are entitled to your opinion also but in my case I actually have many clients from third world countries, and sometimes those who start out saying hi have ordered from me. So it’s not really an opinion in my case, just what I’ve experienced over the years.

I found this map of least developed countries to be of interest. I have clients from a lot of these countries – I counted 11 countries on this map which orders have come from:

1920×851 138 KB

By Gabbe, by trivially changing a map originally by Canuckguy - Based on Image:BlankMap-World6, compact.svg with colour applied., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3359697

[colorcat3]

You are entitled to your opinion also but in my case I actually have many clients from third world countries, and sometimes those who start out saying hi have ordered from me. So it’s not really an opinion in my case, just what I’ve experienced over the years.

I found this map of least developed countries to be of interest. I have clients from a lot of these countries – I counted 11 countries on this map which orders have come from:

1920×851 138 KB

By Gabbe, by trivially changing a map originally by Canuckguy - Based on Image:BlankMap-World6, compact.svg with colour applied., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3359697

I have no problem with least developed countries and expect many jobs to come from there. But I’ve also experienced that the phishing rate is also very high from there and caution and prudence are wise.

[michal247]

So your suggestion is that I engage until the scammer sends a link?

Exactly I would recommend to engage with everyone that contacts you even if seems spammy, this will not only prevent you from lowering response rate but also you will not lose clients that you misperceived as spammy ones.

[zenadvertising]

Lately i receive a lot of messages with just “Hi” then they reply with the same “Hi”. I mark them as Spam.

[misscrystal]

Lately i receive a lot of messages with just “Hi” then they reply with the same “Hi”. I mark them as Spam.

I get those too. After the second hi they usually stop.

[alokmondal126]

Thanks for your information.

Quote

If the buyer has no reviews, this is also something to look out for. Obviously, they are more likely to just be a new buyer, but when coupled with other red flags, this could be telling

Recently I am getting messages from new account. Have no reviews in their account. But I am working with them still. I have a bad experience 5 months ago. I have completed 2 project (big ) a buyer he satisfied with my job and given me 5 🌟 revie w also some tips. those account was new and with no reviews the account. After 2 months I got 2 message that ( your order with "buyer name " was canceled due to a dispute initiated by the buyer and/or their issuing bank. The funds from this order were automatically returned to the buyer. ) So, what do you think that buyer was scammer? Note: I contacted the support but they didn’t get back big ammount. it’s really frustrated for me. Thanks 

 

[lloydsolutions]

On 4/17/2020 at 5:48 AM, alokmondal126 said:

Thanks for your information.

Quote

If the buyer has no reviews, this is also something to look out for. Obviously, they are more likely to just be a new buyer, but when coupled with other red flags, this could be telling

Recently I am getting messages from new account. Have no reviews in their account. But I am working with them still. I have a bad experience 5 months ago. I have completed 2 project (big ) a buyer he satisfied with my job and given me 5 🌟 revie w also some tips. those account was new and with no reviews the account. After 2 months I got 2 message that ( your order with "buyer name " was canceled due to a dispute initiated by the buyer and/or their issuing bank. The funds from this order were automatically returned to the buyer. ) So, what do you think that buyer was scammer? Note: I contacted the support but they didn’t get back big ammount. it’s really frustrated for me. Thanks

 

You need to remove the name of the buyer from your screenshot as that is not allowed on the forum.

[gump3d]

A boy of 12 years scram me !! he put 1 star for a good work !!

[jake_hopkins]

A boy of 12 years scram me !! he put 1 star for a good work !!

A boy of 12 years scram me !! he put 1 star for a good work !!

I don’t know what you mean by “scram me”, but a user of the age of 12 should not be on the platform. Report him.

[imagination7413]

Quote

So many newbies are being taken advantage of here on Fiverr by a small minority of predatory “buyers”. This is my take on how to protect yourself, thereby reducing the chances of a cancellation or negative review.

https://community.fiverr.com/forums/topic/220973-top-5-tips-to-protect-yourself-from-badly-behaved-buyers/ 

[jeisondiosa27]

(Anecdote) Safety of your work and that of the client.

Today I woke up and as a good freelancer I entered to check orders and see how my promoted gigs were progressing. I found that in one of the messages a ''Woman'' from the United States wrote me, very kindly greeting me and leaving me her contact number via whatsapp, I replied via fiverr's message box and whatsapp to facilitate the potential client a comfortable communication. When we started talking he sent me a PDF document which was an instruction to translate, but the curious thing is that he wanted me to translate something from English to my native language, he did not care what my native language was, at that point I started to smell bad, under the instructions there were three projects, which varied in delivery date, words and money (which here is the curious thing to highlight in this case) in the money appears a really high amount for a translation of a few words but next to it, appears a ''cash on delivery insurance''. When I asked about this insurance, he told me that for their security (he was talking about several people) the freelancer should send him that money so that they could be sure that the work would be done and that the stipulated time would be met. I refused and told her that to avoid these inconveniences fiverr always serves as an intermediary guaranteeing the service, money and time, she told me that she did not want fiverr as an intermediary making the excuse that they are very ''expensive'' the commissions of the platform, I again invited her to do the work through fiverr, that although there were commissions protected us both, she as a buyer and me as a seller, she incistia that no, that to work with her I should choose a PDF project and pay her ''cash on delivery insurance'' and she should send me the work, in the end I told her that I did not want to work with her, because fiverr partners does NOT make any sense that you pay a buyer to start working, this is very illogical and although I have no proof, most likely these are possible scams, I ask you to avoid unpleasantness, do not work outside fiverr because you can have your work safe and the buyer's product. I hope it serves as a reference and do not be scammed. Thanks for reading.

[listing_guys]

It happened to me such your situation,  She told me that before get her project I need to give her money for security,  I had Avoid her quickly. Be careful like this client 🙂

[melanielm]

I wasn't aware Fiverr allowed conversations via WhatsApp. (I really don't think they do.) Asking you to break a rule should have been the only red flag you needed that this wasn't a quality buyer. Forgive me if I'm wrong about WhatsApp, though.

[genuineguidance]

On 7/15/2021 at 3:16 PM, jeisondiosa27 said:

leaving me her contact number via whatsapp,

AND:

On 7/15/2021 at 3:16 PM, jeisondiosa27 said:

I replied via fiverr's message box and whatsapp to facilitate the potential client a comfortable communication

So, you are saying you contacted this person OFF site? You are lucky you didn't get a warning. Do not do this.

Also, yes, of course this person is a scammer. Who the heck sends someone else money to "insure" they will do the work or whatever her scam was?

I would have suggested you report this buyer and block, but, I wouldn't recommend drawing attention to your account if it is seen you did contact her via the outside app/contact they gave.

GG