False Jobs!!

[haymelter]

I have been looking for freelance work and came across this site offering jobs. ""To show us what you can do, please, download a test image (see link below), restore and colorize it.
There are no special colorization instructions, you are free to choose (we want see how you solve the color combination puzzle yourself).
Make sure you show us your highest quality. Please, DO NOT send us your other job samples unsolicited.
Please, send us your completed job along with your contacts to
Please note: this is a free test job, no payment will be sent. ""
The image I downloaded was quite a challenge and I was proud of the result. I sent the image back and have sent many emails since waiting for a reply and have not received any feedback.
Is this natural? Are there actual companies out there duping restorers into doing their work for them and not paying?

[mistermonday]

There are a rather large number of scammers out there. The internet allows them a certain degree of anonymity. They use a host of creative stories and enticements. Techically what they are doing is not illegal, although it's definitely amoral.
With these kinds of scams where you are actually going to return a retouched file to them, you might consider embedding a digital embedded watermark or other encryption to prove that you did the work if the file ever turns up in public. You still won't have any legal recourse but you could use it to discredit the thief.
In future you would be better to do some research on the person / company making these offers. Try sending back a low res file or a high res file with lots of visible watermarks. If all they want is a clean high res file, I would be very suspicious.
Regards, Murray

[haymelter]

Thanks for the feedback. I did put my watermark and name on the images that I sent back as I do have a problem trusting people. The website was quite professional, emails are so quick and easy it just seems a pain not to hear from them. Thanks again Kim

[Quantum3]

The potential buyer is testing other freelancers. It's pretty common, specially when they don't want to pay for the testing time. It's the typical message found in craiglists. I would send them an e-mail the second day after you sent the test sample, then the third day from there, then the fourth day from there and, if you don't get any coherent reply, you were scammed or not selected. They're looking for cheap prices, surely.

Use the wise words of mistermonday in your last e-mail to them "Techically what they are doing is not illegal, although it's definitely amoral". Also the watermark thing is a must do.

[forevermax]

Send me your sample Image on
photoshopmagic9@gmail.com
with your instruction

Max

[mepaulus]

Hi Haymelter , looks like we both fell prey to the same site lol , like you i never received a reply from them.Look at my post here
http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/pho...storation.html
i think its probably the same image which by the way is still being offered.I considered it part of lifes steep learning curve lol.

[mepaulus]

nice work in your restoration haymelter , it seems another forum member was duped lol , look here
http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/pho...-feedback.html

[haymelter]

Thanks, looks like the same image has been sitting there for quite a while. It was great to practice on, a challenge I enjoyed.

[iDad]

Wow.........It is crazy out there,so many look to have jobs done for peanuts.Almost makes you want to give up on the freelance end
Lucky if I make enough for coffee lately....More time spent trying to figure out if the buyer is a scam or not..very frustrating!

[RooB]

..... in the words of a wise wolf, "Never trust a bunny." ..... or a gmail, hotmail, yahoo, or otherwise generic address.

If someone is paying for an actual domain name and host, there's a much higher chance they're legit .....