Virtual Assisting Scams

I start by saying that not all people are bad and I am not under the impression that scammers are just after me. Yet, in the last few months that I have been promoting my VA business I have had two people reach out to me and it turn out to be a scam.

In business there will always be ups and down but these scammers are impressive they make you believe in what they are saying and sound legit. Thankfully I started surrounding myself around amazing virtual assistants and I can honestly say it has been my saving grace.

So I am going to share the two scams that I have been introduced to so that if you are a new virtual assistant you can be aware that it could possibly be a scam. Then I am going to provide you with some tips on how to be proactive and hopefully you do not have my same experience.

Scam 1: Came from Linkedin and it was a man looking to hire a computer programmer on Upwork. Red Flag 1: It was commissioned based and it was only if he hired the person. Red Flag 2: He wanted me to create and use my own account and then add him on so that he could see the job post. He should of had his own account so that it would show his company and then hire the contractor. Red Flag 3: He wanted me to hire the client pay him and he would reimburse me through Zelle. When talking with this "client" he was very persistent on he needed it done today and he wanted me to hire the contractor right now. So I am usually an open minded person and when these flags came up I called a friend who is a full time virtual assistant. In her opinion too many red flags, she told me to cut ties and move on. Then I went to The Virtual Savvy Facebook Community group and someone had posted the exact same things I was questioning but unfortunately for her she went through with the hire and was scammed out of the money. I am not sure of all the logistics behind how they profit from this scam but once I had confirmation. I quickly let the "client" know I would no longer be able to provide services for him. He sent me the same message three times almost like it was computer generated to respond if I texted.

It was a let down because I was so excited at the time and I thought wow this is simple and I know how to post job post. Yet if it feels too good to be true 9/10 times it usually is. So if you come across this type of job posting or request be aware.

Scam 2: Came from Instagram. Now this man was truly calculating because he took the time to go through my website, request a 30 minute discovery call and booked a time slot. So this "client" is a real estate developer and a real estate agent in St. Cloud Florida was the information he gave me and was looking for a virtual assistant to post his listing on a renter site and craigslist. Red Flag 1: He asked me to call him before our discovery time. Red Flag 2: I call and it goes straight to voice mail (google phone number) which I am not opposed to because no one wants there personal phone number out there. Red Flag 3: I call he text back. Stating his service was not good. Red Flag 4: I try and find him on any social media platform and absolutely nothing came up. Red Flag 5: He stated I prefer not to video chat and would prefer to talk over the phone in which I did. Well the number he provided was not working so he called me from a different number.

So we began the conversation and he didn't ask much about me or my services. He stated what he wanted me to do and to start tomorrow. In my gut I was like ok so he doesn't really care who or what I provide he wants to hire me on the spot with out seeing if I am even a good fit. Then he goes on saying I will pay you in two weeks once you post the listing on craigslist only. You need to get on craigslist and make your own account and then provide the customer with my phone number so that I can provide them with the renter information. This is what I gathered because the connection in the phone was so bad. Red Flag 6: He stated he would not pay in advance which is a requirement in my business. He stated that the first two weeks would be training and then he would pay me. Then in the future he would pay me in advance but because he has been scammed by virtual assistants so much he just wont do it at this time.

So after all these red flags I went to Instagram and I tried to search for him because that is where he stated he found me. I could not find anything on a realtor in St. Cloud Florida with that name. This time I went to some newly acquired friends on Instagram who are virtual assisting coaches and they both stated that yes this is a scam. One of them had even went through with the scam not knowing and she was ripped off and so was the person looking to rent from her listing.

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3 Tips To Help You Avoid Scammers:

1. Go with your gut I know it may sound silly but honestly if the "client" is not aligning with your business plan and how you operate then say no.

2. Surround yourself with virtual assistants who have been virtual assistants for a long time. Have conversations and make connections. Not everyone on the internet is bad.

3. Check into the new "client" social media and look up their "business". I do research so that I can show value first and know more about their business.

These were my experiences and I am grateful that I got to experience them. I got over the let down of not getting a new client. I used my resources and realized that their are actually people out here that have gotten scammed fully and have just not talked about it. I want to share with you my journey so I am going to be forthcoming with this information so that you know there is a good and a bad side to running a virtual assistant business but you are not alone in this journey. Reach out and create a network. Being in business can feel like you are alone but you are not alone. If I should come across another scam I will share in my blog and hopefully you will be able to catch it asap and not even waste your time.

Best wishes always and thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. As always God Bless you and stay safe.

Victoria Johnson