It’s happened to me like 5 times now. I’ll get a custom request for a long, expensive video, and after I make it, the buyer says something like: “My prepaid gift card isn’t working, but you can just have it and use it on Amazon instead!” Or they offer an Amazon gift card worth 3x the original price. They usually send over the card details (most of the time it’s a Visa), and every single time, unless it’s an actual Amazon gift card, it doesn’t work.
Sometimes it even messes with my own card after trying it a few times. I can’t tell if I’m doing something wrong, or if they’re just trying to scam a free video out of me.
Has anyone else run into this? Is it a known scam? Any advice or insight would really help!
Never work for free – seriously. Always get full payment before doing anything. Way too many guys just get off on the idea that they convinced you to do something without actually paying. Don’t let them take advantage of you like that.
That’s a scam, and unfortunately, it’s a pretty common one, not just in this industry. As a rule, never accept gift cards as payment for anything. I know it should be common sense, but they do catch a lot of people with it. Better to be safe than sorry!
I never start creating a custom video without payment first – this is exactly why.
If someone pushes back on paying a deposit, there’s a high chance they were never planning to pay at all. Always request payment upfront. It’s standard practice in this industry and protects your time and effort.
Never start on a custom video without at least a 50% deposit – no matter how convincing they seem.
Scammers love to take advantage of creators by making big promises and then ghosting or offering fake payment methods like prepaid cards or gift cards. A legit buyer will always understand that your time and work have value, and they should have no issue putting down a deposit.