In helping to maintain a safe and trustworthy community, a little knowledge can go a long way. This article outlines potential cyberthreats and how to avoid them, empowering you to keep yourself and your account safe.
Spam: Unwanted messages, phishing attempts, and malware
A general definition of “spam” is any type of unsolicited messaging activity, often sent to multiple recipients.
On Fiverr, spam is broken down into three distinct categories:
Promotional messages
Unwanted offers or commercially-motivated solicitations.
Example: Messages that aim to drive traffic or attention to a specific page on Fiverr or a website outside of Fiverr.
Phishing attempts
Deceptive requests for personal data, such as credit card information, passwords, etc. Usually, the sender pretends to be a legitimate business or reputable individual.
Examples: Messages claiming to be from Fiverr, but the company name is spelled incorrectly (for example, Fivver, Feverr, etc.) or has a different domain suffix that you typically use (for example, .ru, .so, etc.). Sometimes, these are links or QR codes. These could be casual messages or warnings that your information has been compromised and you need to click a link and log in again to protect your data.
Malware
Short for “malicious software”, malware is designed to gain unauthorized access to your computer.
Examples: Messages with unfamiliar links or attachments, These could look like casual messages or be related to discounts, prizes, or special offers.
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Example of a spam message |
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Hello 👋 I’m a recruiter from _____, I’m sorry I had to text you this way, I checked your profile and got to notice you will be perfect for our pending freelance job. Briefly, the Projects are different pages with same price of $25 per page, we hope to hire you! If you are interested kindly reach our manager on Telegram (@name). He will direct you on the Project. We hope to hear from you soon. Thank you 😊 |
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Please be sure to check for misleading account images and titles and avoid suspicious links and messages. See the following examples.
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| Note: If you receive a message like the example above or come across any accounts that appear to be from Fiverr that look suspicious, please mark it as “spam” and report it. |
Learn more with Fiverr's Community Standards.
| Note: Spam messages won’t affect your response rate, as long as you report them as spam within 24 hours from when they were sent. |
| Learn more with Response rate and response time FAQs. |
How to report messages or mark them as spam
The safety of your Fiverr account and the privacy of your data is of utmost importance to us. Fiverr uses antivirus software that scans all files; however, if you identify something suspicious or feel that you’ve fallen victim to a spam message, click the three dots inside the individual message and click Mark as spam or Report. Reports will be reviewed by our Trust & Safety team.
Learn more with How to report content or behavior on Fiverr.
To mark a message as spam
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Open the conversation and click on the three dots on the message and click Mark as spam.
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You’ll see this confirmation modal. To mark and spam, click Submit.
To report a message
- Open the conversation and click on the three dots on the message and click Report.
- You can then select why you are reporting the message.
- After selecting a reason and clicking Next, you’ll have the option to just continue with the report or block the user from interacting with you in the future. Make a selection and click Submit.
To mark a message as “spam” on the mobile app (iOS):
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Press and hold the message within the conversation and tap Report Spam.
To block a user from interacting with you on the mobile app (iOS):
There are two ways to do this:
- From the inbox, press and hold the message and tap Block.
- Click on the three dots in the upper right corner within the conversation and tap Block from the options in the drawer.
Responding to a spam message after blocking
If you’d like to respond to the message after you’ve selected to block future interactions:
- Go to your inbox > All messages > Spam
- Open the message and click unblock to to send the user a message.
Tips
Be cautious and aware of any messages that include:
- Unsolicited or deceptive messages
- Potentially harmful content (malware, phishing, etc.)
- Direct messages (not ads) from a freelancer, promoting their services
- Requests for donations or free work
- Use of artificial tools and/or automated processes to send mass messages
- Messages that are irrelevant to your work on Fiverr, whether you’re a freelancer or client
- Requests for guidance on how to become a freelancer on the Fiverr
Keep an eye out for phishing attempts to protect your personal information:
- Be cautious when clicking a link or scanning a QR code, which redirects you to a different login page
- Always check links before clicking by hovering your mouse over the link and looking at the URL which it redirects to (seen at the bottom of the browser)
- Only use your account details (password and security questions) on the Fiverr.com sign in modal or settings page
- The Fiverr site will always have an “https” prefix (or a lock icon) at the beginning of its website address (URL)
- If you’re not sure about a Fiverr link, you can always open a new window and manually access the Fiverr site (instead of clicking on the link you received)
Example of a phishing site that are not Fiverr:
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No ‘https’ or lock icon
- Fiverr will never contact you via inbox, suggest to scan a QR code, or ask you to verify your account using a credit card. In order to help our community recognize Fiverr employee accounts, they will appear with our Fiverr logo and say “official Fiverr employee”
Prevent malware from infecting your computer:
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Always keep your antivirus software up to date
- Adjust your settings and firewall so that programs cannot be installed without your permission and outside connections cannot be made
- Back up your files
- Use strong, varying passwords for any websites you access
- Never click on suspicious links
- Don’t open unsolicited files
If you receive any kind of unsolicited message (promotional, phishing attempt, malware, etc.) click report an issue and submit a report right away.
This article was written to provide our community with further knowledge and is aimed at increasing awareness. Please refer to our Community Standards and Communication: The Dos and Don'ts for additional information on keeping safe on Fiverr.
While Fiverr takes the security of its community very seriously, neither Fiverr nor any person associated with Fiverr makes any warranty or representation with respect to third parties’ acts or omissions. Fiverr will not be responsible or liable for any unauthorized access, breach of firewalls or other hacking by third parties.
If you have any questions, please reach out to our Customer Support specialists.