This is the story: I was approached via the Contact Form on my website and asked to provide my hourly rate, there was a detailed description of the work given so I provided my rate and a bit of other information and asked a few questions. Nothing unusual there.

I then noticed a joblead go out on one of the networks I belong to which seemed to be for the same job. Again, no alarm bells went off because people generally look for more than one quote.

The work being quoted on was quite a large task and would be followed with more of the same. The prospective client asked if I could do a quote for the entire job based on a sample of data she would provide. No problem there, I’ve done that before. The sample was a bit more detailed than what I would usually do to provide a quote but if I landed the client then it would be worth my time to do so, so I did it. Now here is where I made a mistake. I provided the completed sample of work back to the client in final format. I would usually save it as a secure PDF with Draft or similar stamped on it so it couldn’t be used but the work could be viewed.

A few days later I did a follow-up and was sent a polite email telling me that unfortunately my quote was too high for the small budget available.  Okay, still no alarm bells went off because, well sometimes people just don’t want to pay for a quality job from an experienced operator. No big deal.

So what’s the problem I hear you ask? Thanks to a colleague posting a question to a VA Network about doing quotes and being paid to provide samples of work in a usable format, I was alerted to the fact that this prospective client has approached not two or three or four VAs but MANY VAs and had us all provide her with a ‘sample’ of work using different sections of data in the original document and then told each of us that our rate is too high – which of course means that she has received the entire job for F R E E!

This is not just getting a ‘quote’, it is in fact getting ‘work’ done. There is a very big difference.

Did I make a mistake in providing the data in a usable format?  Yes, I believe I did (and won’t ever do it again!).

Did this woman operate in an unethical and unprofessional manner? Yes, I believe she did.

It can sometimes be assumed that just because a lot of VAs work from home it must mean that we are isolated. That is not the case at all. We are a tight knit community where referrals, jobleads, advice and information is shared. The internet gives us the ability to connect easily and frequently.

Word of mouth is so important in small business, it really pays to maintain your professionalism and a high ethical standard at all times as you just never know who might be listening.

Email title was Thank you for buying iTunes Gift Certificate!

Hello!

You have received an iTunes Gift Certificate in the amount of $50.00
You can find your certificate code in attachment below.

Then you need to open iTunes. Once you verify your account, $50.00 will be credited to your account, so you can start buying music, games, video right away.

iTunes Store.

Now that email included a zipped folder attached to it which I didn’t open. It could have contained a virus that would spread through my system and/or email itself to everyone in my address book.  It could have been a phishing scam which means it provides a link to click on which takes me to a somewhat genuine looking webpage and asks me to enter personal details then uses those details either for identity theft or to drain my credit card or bank account – depending what information was requested. Now we don’t want any of those things to happen, right?  Right!

So what made me think this was not a genuine email?

• Well first of all and most obvious, I didn’t buy a gift certificate.
• Secondly, the email says I’m receiving a gift certificate but the title said I bought one – which is it?
• Thirdly, the reply-to email address was “prankof6@c****-w***********.com” (no they aren’t rude words, I’ve just edited them out). Now really, as if any reputable business would have that as their reply email address. You just have to laugh at the stupidity don’t you?
• Fourth – the email wasn’t personalised in any way and the ‘To’ email address was not mine so it was probably sent to a whole bunch of people and the rest of the addresses were hidden.
• Lastly, as I mentioned above there was a zipped folder attached to the email. Why would you need to zip a gift certificate?!  Simple, you don’t. The code they mention could have easily been incorporated into the email as is the case with every gift certificate/voucher I’ve ever received.

All of these things led me to the conclusion that this was a scam email and I should not open the attachment.  It has now been deleted.  Keep an eye out for the signs and you’ll see it can be quite simple to spot a fake from the real deal.

Your package arrived, ta. Your work is always a delight!… I do love your work!

It’s amazing how much a few simple words of praise can lift your day. Thanks Claude, you are a treasure.

Sue Gross