How to Avoid Getting Scammed on Fiverr | A Comprehensive Guide for Sellers

[creativecolumn]

First of all, let me welcome you to Fiverr Forums!

You're about to embark on an exciting journey filled with opportunities to showcase your talents and connect with buyers from around the world. We're thrilled to have you join the Fiverr community. As you get started, it's important to stay aware of potential scams to ensure a safe and positive experience. Here are some tips to help you identify and avoid potential scams.

 

1. FIVERR NEVER CONTACTS YOU THROUGH MESSAGES

One of the first things to keep in mind is that Fiverr will never contact you through direct messages. Scammers may impersonate Fiverr staff, claiming they need to verify your account or address some issue related to your Fiverr account. Don't fall for this trap.

 

2. DO NOT SHARE YOUR EMAIL

Scammers may ask for your email address, as needing it for project communication or sharing project requirements. Sharing your email can lead to phishing attempts and other malicious activities. Keep in your mind not to share your email address, unless it is explicitly required as part of the service you are offering. Otherwise, you cannot share your email address, under any circumstances.

 

3. SELLERS DO NOT HAVE TO VERIFY THEIR CREDIT CARD

Another common scam involves to verify your account with your credit or debit card. As a seller on Fiverr, you will never be required to provide such verification. Scammers use this tactic to steal your card information.

 

4. DO NOT FALL FOR QR CODES

Scammers may attempt to bypass Fiverr's security measures by sending QR codes containing phishing website URLs to your inbox. Since sending the phishing link directly may get blocked by Fiverr filters, scammers use QR codes as an alternative method to trick users into visiting malicious websites. Avoid scanning QR codes sent through Fiverr messages.

 

5. AVOID CLICKING EXTERNAL LINKS

Scammers often send links that lead to phishing sites or malicious downloads, aiming to steal your information or compromise your device. If you are not requested something from an external website, or not expecting an external link related to your service, simply report the buyer.

 

6. DOUBLE CHECK THE URL BEFORE NAVIGATING

It’s important to ensure you’re on the legitimate Fiverr website. Scammers sometimes create fake websites that look identical to Fiverr to steal your login information. 

Here are all the legitimate Fiverr domains.

Quote

fiverr.com
www.fiverr.com
de.fiverr.com
it.fiverr.com
fr.fiverr.com
es.fiverr.com
nl.fiverr.com
br.fiverr.com
dev.fiverr.com
e.fiverr.com
pro.fiverr.com
business.fiverr.com
research.fiverr.com
help.fiverr.com
community.fiverr.com
affiliates.fiverr.com
learn.fiverr.com

Do not engage with other imposter websites or email addresses. 

 

IF YOU SUCCESSFULLY IDENTIFIED A SCAM?

1. Report their profile to Fiverr’s support team immediately. You can do this by using the "Report" option available in the message portal.
2. Stop all communication with the scammer and refrain from engaging further. 
3. If you submitted your login information thorough a scam channel, immediately change your password and enable two-step verification to protect your Fiverr account.
4. If you submitted your credit card information thorough a scam channel, immediately contact your bank and ask to block your credit card.

 

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE?

1. If you encounter a situation that seems suspicious but you're unsure whether it's a scam, don't hesitate to reach out to Fiverr's Customer Support team for assistance (support@fiverr.com).
2. Additionally, you can seek input and advice from the Fiverr Community Forum. Fellow sellers may have encountered similar situations and can offer valuable insights and support (https://community.fiverr.com/forums).

 

By following these tips, you can minimize your risk and focus on building a successful career on Fiverr. 

Good luck on your freelancing journey!

 

- CreativeColumn -

Top Rated Seller @ Fiverr

Edited June 12, 2024 by creativecolumn

[uk1000]

On 6/12/2024 at 9:56 AM, creativecolumn said:

One of the first things to keep in mind is that Fiverr will never contact you through direct messages

Fiverr customer support won't contact you through the Fiverr inbox. Very occasionally Fiverr staff might contact a user through it (since a staff member contacted me through it once).

Also Fiverr occasionally buys gigs on Fiverr, so they might also contact the seller in the inbox if they're going to do that or after it. 

Edited June 12, 2024 by uk1000

[Kesha]

Great information, @creativecolumn! Thanks for sharing your insight with the community. 

[ducktheunicorn]

I would add that you shouldn't share any contact information that is outside of Fiverr. I have had buyers try to get me to talk to them via phone calls, Google chats, and s***e. 

[raiz_ali_yoga]

Everything’s explained so well here – super easy to take in every word of this insightful post!
Just wish there’d been a bit more detail on all the ways someone could scam you by getting hold of your email, like how it could really be misused. But seriously, thanks for shedding some light!

[shamsul_mishu]

Thank you @creativecolumn for sharing all these important information. WIthout any doubt, these are all the critical information for a new seller as they were very easily misguided considering the challenges of initial days. 
I would like to add one point for all, BUYERs will never ask to contact by any other external communication tools. If someone do that, its better to report/avoid.  

 

Edited October 26, 2024 by shamsul_mishu

[leon_wsl]

There are really too many scammers. They are not user-friendly at all, and the official customer service cannot be contacted.

[csholmberg]

Hello all! 

I'm sure most of you are very experienced when it comes to detecting illegitimate customers, but I just recently got a message that I thought was worth talking about. I have gotten similar messages on Fiverr several times, and sometimes they can be pretty misleading, so I just thought I'd share my experiences. Hope it's helpful for someone out there!

Most of these messages are quite vague. A person will ask if I can help with their project without giving any details about the work itelf. Usually they will mention something about a compensation arrangement that isn't in line with the way that the platform works, and ask if we can take the conversation elsewhere, providing their social media credentials in a discreet alternative to typing it right out, such as a screenshot, or with spaces or commas in between characters, for example.

If anyone else has experiences along these lines, it'd be great to hear from you. Keep freelancing, and stay alert!

 

[jesydualcontent]

Hi there!

Thank you for sharing your experience, csholmberg. I’ve encountered similar situations since I started on Fiverr, and something I noticed as a curious pattern is that many of these users had profiles created the same month as mine (in my case, November 2024). The messages they send are usually very vague, lacking clear details about the project, and they often mention payment arrangements that don’t align with the platform’s policies.

Additionally, they almost always try to take the conversation off Fiverr by providing their contact information. At first, it caught me off guard, but now it’s much easier to identify these red flags. Whenever something feels suspicious, I report and block them without hesitation. Now that it’s January 2025, I’m no longer receiving these kinds of messages.

It’s really helpful to share these experiences so we can all stay more alert, especially those of us who are just starting out. Thanks again for opening this discussion!