scammer alert (my experience)

[3e26d7c4]

Newbe employer here. Have just been tricked. Hope my story will help other not to be trustful simpleton that I was.

I have bought a fixed price project. After some time, freelancer have changed his name, and silently dropped me a strange link to some password protected file. 

I have concluded that I have to close project and pay to get access to see the work result. Kinda protection for freelancer, I thought. I had no clear understanding of the whole procedure at that time.

But instead of work done, the access-protected file was just strange image with invitation to contact him on whatsapp.

Now I'm totally sure that I was scammed, and that this scheme is very popular.

Freelancer still says that he will do the work, and I just have to wait. But I believe I have no chances to get my money back.

Conclusion:

Never trust people (especially some account without works done), pressure them hard instead for each your dollar. Pay only after work is clearly done. That is my sad and rational experience.

Signs of scam:

• sudden change of name
• no work experience
• access-restricted links with no comments
• communication in non-contract outside chat.

UPD PLOT TWIST.

Work is done, it was me who panicked after closing the deal before time.

Faith to humanity is restored. Feeling well and stupid.

Conclusions:

• be specific in all your actions,
• better ask twice than assume something implicitly, especially if you are new.

[petra_r · Accepted solution]

---

Mike T wrote:

Work is done, it was me who panicked after closing the deal before time.

Faith to humanity is restored. Feeling well and stupid.

---

I'm glad it worked out in the end but it may well not have done. If you had been scammed it would have been because you didn't let the platform protect you... There were certainly plenty of very bright red flags.

Escrow is there to protect both parties, and if used correctly, it protects clients more than freelancers. 

In future, fund the milestone, wait for the work to be submitted, review it thoroughly and release the funds only if all is well.

[prestonhunter]

Mike: Thank you for returning to this thread in order to provide the rest of the story.