I didn’t even bother responding to his last request. There was no need. It was obvious what his game was here. By giving over my account information, I’d be giving him access to:

• My current earnings waiting for transfer into my personal account
• My bank information
• Other personally-identifying information
• My entire Upwork account

Even if his request was legitimate (it obviously wasn’t) account sharing is against Upwork’s terms of service and is also against the policy for most freelance platforms. Doing so would have not only put me at a scam risk but at a huge risk for losing a key part of my freelancing business.

How to avoid account sharing scams

Attempts to get you to share your freelance platform accounts are more common once you become successful and have a good record of solid work. Once that happens, you’ll need to be diligent not to let the appeal of extra earnings sway you away from common sense.

Anyone asking to share your account is likely looking to steal your account, or worse. That aside, sharing freelance platform or PayPal account information is also a huge privacy risk, as your account likely contains a fair amount of personally identifying information and financial information.

Of all the scam attempts on this list, a tax document scam was the only one that nearly took me in before I got wise to it. Thankfully, my suspicious nature took hold and I saw all of the warning signs before giving up my information.

Given the nature of the work we do, it’s easy to assume submitting tax forms is just part of doing business. Not so fast. In most cases, you will never need to give a client a W2 or any other form of tax document.

In the US, clients should only require you to submit a W2 if they’re paying you by check, or through direct deposit to your bank account, and they expect to pay you more than the federally mandated minimum for independent contractors that can go unreported on taxes (currently $600).

If you’re getting paid through digital payment processing services, clients don’t need to issue a 1099-MISC to you, and therefore don’t need a W2 or your Social Security Number.Continue reading→

From tornadoes to fire,disasters can happen when you least expect them and have devastating impacts on your business

• Partition your hard drive:Partitioning a hard drive means creating and data zones. This means that if the program portion of a hard drive crashes, you may be able to recover the data because it is stored in a separate location.
• Perform disk defragmentation: The process of saving and deleting files naturally creates gaps on the hard drive that other files are then filled into. When data is split into segments for storage it takes longer for the computer to access the data and also makes file corruption more likely if the hard drive crashes. Defragmentation arranges files more contiguously to lower the risk of data loss and speed up computer processing time.
• Use anti-virus software: Anti-virus software is essential to prevent viruses and malware from infecting your computer. Be sure to keep anti-virus software updated so it runs properly and effectively.
• Keep your computer clean and dry: Dust or moisture collecting in a computer can cause the hard drive to crash or computer to overheat. Store all computers and laptops in dry, ventilated areas.
• Keep computers in a safe location: Computers should be kept stationary and in a location where they are not likely to be jostled or damaged. Keeping your computers out of the way will also reduce the risk of theft.
• Control employee access: All employees working with company data should be properly trained about confidentiality or how data can be shared. It is in the https://yourloansllc.com/personal-loans-ar/ best interest of your company to control who can access different levels of data to protect from accidental or intentional data loss.

Contact CTI to Learn More

Consolidated Technologies, Inc. can help with experienced technicians who can design and implement the solutions you need. Our innovative services have helped more than two thousand companies improve their systems and we can do the same for your business.Continue reading→

You may be thinking about refinancing your scholar loans—great move! But before you undertake your mortgage, you’ll need to make a decision: Should you do the fixed-rate or the variable-rate mortgage?

There isn’t any correct reply to this question—it hinges on your personal budget, your phase, along with your tolerance for threat whenever costs change.

The essential simplified way to consider it so is this: variable loans can be cheaper—but your lowest cost can change over time—while solved financial loans normally cost a bit more as well as your minimum repayment wouldn’t change.

What is a fixed-rate financing?

A fixed-rate financing ensures that their minimum payment wouldn’t change over the life span of this loan—you freeze your own terms and conditions when your indication the arrangement, and also if interest rates rise, your APR will not.

One factor borrowers, especially those with long-lasting financial loans, like solved rate debts is they provide some sort of “interest rate insurance policies”—they cost more, but that premium safeguards you against rates modifications later on.

Understanding a variable-rate mortgage?

an adjustable speed may turn completely less than a hard and fast rates, nevertheless will vary across lifetime of the borrowed funds as the underlying guide price changes. This simply means your minimal payment will alter as rate alter.

The reference rates Earnest utilizes is actually 1-month LIBOR. 1 At Earnest, we revise the speed month-to-month, per numbers posted inside the wall surface road Journal.Continue reading→

With its legalization and utilizes to write a number of medicinal services and products, the potential for the companies like CBD dispensary are pretty much open to adopting.

But there is however one BIG PROBLEM!Continue reading→