Could the Person Commissioning That Article Be a Swindler, Attempting to Get Your Bank Info.? – by Andrea Reynolds

If you receive an offer of a writing assignment from an unknown person, you must first become a detective.

Weeks ago, a long-term “friend” – I’ll call him Jake – swindled me out of more than $500. (My bank did reverse the charges.) Only after I blocked him on social media did I find his photo on a police page, stating he had been in jail due to defrauding the elderly…like me. Yes, I should have searched his name first.

Recently I received an email request from a stranger – I’ll call him Harvey – asking me to write a 2500 word article on the pros and cons of social media. On the surface it looked like a legitimate assignment. My gut reaction? Could this be Jake?”

I’ll share what I uncovered using my fact-finding skills. Here are questions so you, too, can avoid falling victim to a swindler, male or female.

1. How did he introduce himself? Most people will say where they saw your work, or who recommended you. Instead, Harvey told me his age, that he’s divorced, and that he has a physical affliction. Not relevant.

2. Did he use your business email? Jake knew only one of my email addresses and Harvey contacted me via that same email, not my writer email. Coincidence?

3. Did you search his email address? Harvey’s email showed up as a man with a similar background, but a different name.

4. Did you search his phone number to see who owns it? Harvey gave me three phone numbers, insisting I contact him only by his private email. All his phone numbers showed up as someone else’s on Google. (Note that some use VOIP numbers and those aren’t usually searchable online.)

5. Did he provide his company name or website? If he’s a professional, he would volunteer them. Harvey didn’t. That’s because he doesn’t have one.

6. How much did he reveal about his background? Most writers will brag about their success. Harvey said he’s contributed to numerous publications, but didn’t name any.

7. Who will be the article’s intended audience? Harvey’s reply: 18-28 year olds. I think young people already know tons about social media; it’s the older adults and seniors who need that advice.

8. What does he know about the subject? As the article would be about social media, I asked what social media he uses. No response. He wanted to use my article as a handbook to teach about social media, but he doesn’t use social media?

9. What payment is offered?Is it normal? Harvey twice offered that payment would be $1.5 per word. That’s confusing. Is that $1.50 or $.15 per word? Is the payment realistic, too high, or too low?

10. How will you receive payment? Harvey said payment is by certified check, bank draft, or cashier’s check. Who uses those? I use Zelle, Venmo, or PayPal.

11. What rights will you be selling, keeping? The assignment was work-for-hire, but, heck, I could write this myself as a short book for seniors, publish it, actually get paid, and retain all rights.

12. When is the deadline? Harvey gave me a month. Rather than reveal what I discovered, I declined the assignment saying I had a manuscript to complete for a publisher and couldn’t do both. That was partly true because I self-publish.

13. Did you see anything else that seems suspect? Harvey ended his message with “Stay safe.” From what…swindlers?

So, Harvey thought I’d research and write a 2500 word piece for $3,750, or $375, and that I’d get paid with a check that likely would bounce, but then he could access my bank account because my bank account number would be on the back of the bad check that would be returned to him. In addition, if one of these criminals sends you an email attachment, or a link to click on, they may have put a virus in your computer, giving them access to all of your login info. and passwords…including for your bank.

I rescued myself without revealing my findings. If you discover a swindler, I hope you will extricate yourself carefully. To quote Harvey: stay safe, my friends.

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Andrea Reynolds is a septuagenarian with about thirty how-to books under her belt. Her new project is APlacetoWrite.org, which she hopes to leave as a safe place to write for writers like her who experienced threats of harm for writing.

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