The Department for Combating Cybercrime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia has released information about common methods of fraud on freelance exchanges. One of the most frequent scenarios involves allegedly paying for an order by a client through the platform and sending a fake link to confirm the payment.
The most frequent scenario is when a scammer introduces himself as a client and asks to go to a messenger for convenience. There, he reports that he has paid for the order through the platform and sends a link to confirm the payment.
At the same time, as clarified by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the website may turn out to be fake, with a domain similar to the original, for example, profi-ru.de instead of profi.ru, or imitate a bank page. Scammers may also insist on prepayment or assure that the money has already been transferred — this is a signal to be alert.
Law enforcement officers note that attackers can impersonate both clients and performers.
Much less often, but reverse schemes also occur: scammers impersonate freelancers or platform representatives. They offer to "pay for access" to projects, "activate a profile," or "license to work." After transferring money, the user loses both funds and access to the account.
To avoid fraud, the Ministry of Internal Affairs recommends not clicking on links received outside the platform, and always checking the website address, because even one extra word in the domain name may mean a fake. Security officials urge not to disclose card details, CVV, or passwords. According to them, calculations should be carried out through the exchange itself, and in no other way.
