Writer Beware! Or How to Avoid Being “Catfished”

You may have heard the term “catfish” or watched the TV show of the same name. But “catfishing”—luring someone into a relationship through a fake persona, whether through a web site, Facebook or other social media—goes on in the freelance world as well and may include seemingly reliable sites, organizations, individuals and job boards. And even experienced writers can fall prey. Some common examples:

The “Write for Us and Get Rich” Scam

“I kept seeing ads on my Facebook feed from a content mill,” states one ASJA member who requested that all names be withheld. “They claimed to offer competitive pay to experienced writers so I finally signed up for their email list. I was promptly bombarded with one to three daily emails about how I needed to register with their platform to get these great-paying gigs (spam is never a great sign of legitimacy). Upon further research, I found out that their maximum pay was somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 cents a word.” And jobs were only accessible if subscribers ponied up the platform’s fee. Even worse were the “many reviews from writer subscribers who praised their rates.” Of course those might have been bogus as well. This writer’s key takeaway: “Do due diligence before agreeing to anything.” 

The “I’m Famous/Have Deep Pockets so It’s a Privilege to Work for Free” Con

Writers can be especially susceptible to this when times are lean. During a particularly slow period, one ASJA member accepted an assignment from a medical device company several states away only to have them renege after he completed all the work. “I should have insisted that all levels of management approve a small sample before taking on and finishing the entire project,” the writer recalls. Eventually he recouped a small portion of the original fee thanks to a letter written by a lawyer friend. Another member was impressed by the reputation of a former major boxer, who was referred to her by a friend. “His ‘people’ brought me on to do some work for him, giving me the impression they would be paying,” she recalls. “They never intended to do so and used up a lot of my time stringing me along.” In spite of the embarrassment and a KO’d bottom line, she learned that “it doesn’t matter who it is, get a retainer before doing billable work, make sure the first and every check clears, that you’re paid on-time and stop working if not.” That last rule is important, she adds, “to prevent clients from owing you thousands.”

The “We’re a Big Name Magazine” Fakeout

A new and very scary level of sophisticated catfishing recently occurred with the Atlantic magazine/media group. According to a statement from their general counsel, 50-some freelancers and job-seekers were targeted by “individuals posing as editors and senior leadership” using the names of “at least six of our top editorial leaders.” Along with misleading email accounts  “including gmail addresses in the names of editors, gmail addresses that include the Atlantic’s name (e.g., recruitment.atlanticmagazine@gmail.com), and addresses employing fake domains (e.g., @atlanticmediagroup.net)…the perpetrators have gone so far as to conduct job interviews by phone and gchat; to require signature on employment agreements, direct deposit, and tax forms; and to mail fake checks to individuals (in the hope that these ‘advances’ would be cashed…).”  Thus catfishers were also provided with the individual Social Security Numbers, bank account and credit card information, setting the stage for identity theft or worse.

Of course, swindles—writing and otherwise—are nothing new. In 1998, a service called Writer Beware was founded, “shining a bright light into the dark corners of the shadow-world of literary scams, schemes, and pitfalls,” according to their web site. Sponsored by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, it also receives additional support from ASJA and other national writers’ organizations. Along with the Writer Beware website, there is a Writer Beware blog and Facebook page. They guarantee confidence although anonymous complaints are not accepted.

Further circumventing scams and catfishers is one of the biggest perks of ASJA membership: the “Paycheck” listing. Along with a searchable database, members can report  payment experiences.  Both services are available to ASJA members only.  

The writer stiffed by the pugilist put on her boxing gloves. “Freelancers/independent consultants need to remember they’re offering clients credit for post-paid work so they should vet new clients carefully,” she cautions.  Once she made clear payment stipulations on her website and in her contracts “These kinds of situations stopped happening.” So, be careful out there!

As part of ASJA’s Fall Membership Drive, now through Friday, Dec. 1 the initiation fee will be waived for both prospective professional or associate membership candidates if you join by Dec. 31! Click here to apply for member or associate member.

Register for ASJA’s upcoming regional conferences! There’s still time to register for one or both days of the Chicago conference “Spotlight on Ghostwriting” on Friday, Nov. 17 and/or “Boosting Your Content IQ” on Saturday, Nov. 18. Or sign up for Write in the Heart of Texas, in Austin on Saturday, Feb. 3 which features keynote speaker, acclaimed essayist and novelist Sarah Bird; New York publishing expert Amy Hertz; Client Connections and more!