"Our Mission is a Secret": A Freelancer's Guide to Dodging Dubious Offers

Hello, mga kapwa freelancers!

Paminsan-minsan, may dumarating na message sa DM natin na parang nanalo ka sa lottery. Nakakatuwa, exciting, and speaks directly to our passion. A few days ago, may natanggap akong ganito. It was an offer wrapped in a noble cause, promising a "bigger mission for the philippines and people."

Sounds great, 'di ba? Pero may kasamang catch: the mission was a secret.

Ito 'yung kwento kung paano ko hinarap 'yung offer na 'yon, and applying a simple professional filter saved me from what was almost certainly a massive waste of time—or worse. Ito ang anatomy ng isang dubious offer, at isang case study kung bakit ang pinakamahalaga nating skill ay hindi lang coding, kundi critical thinking.

Nagsimula 'yung inquiry with all the right ingredients to get a developer interested:

"I saw your post about developing and creating amazing web app. I tried and check it and it looks good! I am looking for someone like you who are passionate... I'm wondering if your up for a bigger mission for the philippines and people. I can't share it here but if your interested, let's have a call."

I-break down natin 'yung mga red flag umpisa pa lang:

• Vague Flattery: Masarap mapansin, pero 'yung mga generic na papuri ay isang common tactic to lower your guard.


• Emotional Hook: Ang mga salitang "passionate," "bigger mission," at "for the people" are designed to bypass logic. Pinaparamdam sa'yo na special ka at may noble cause, pero walang substance.


• Forced Secrecy: Ito ang pinakamalaking red flag. Ang isang lehitimong negosyo ay walang dahilan para maging completely secretive sa unang contact. Isa itong pressure tactic para mapa-oo ka sa isang call kung saan sila ang may kontrol sa usapan.

My response was simple. Imbes na mag-schedule agad ng call, humingi muna ako ng detalye in writing. Isang company website, project brief, o LinkedIn profile— anything concrete.

Lesson #1: Ang Written Word ang Unang Filter Mo.

Never agree to a call without basic information in writing. A legitimate client will respect this; a questionable one will resist it.

Nag-reply 'yung potential client. Pero imbes na company website o professional brief, ang sinend niya ay link sa isang temporary development server mula sa Google Cloud Workstations.

"Hello bro, here's the mission we are gonna take. [cloudworkstations.dev link] That's the end goal. If we do everything correctly, 5 yrs from that idea from the link will be happen. The team are already complete. The only person left is development role."

My suspicion grew stronger. A temporary development URL is not a business plan. Parang nagpakita ka lang ng litrato ng martilyo tapos sinabi mong bahay na 'yon. He also added a pressure tactic: "You're the only one missing."

Kaya, I held my ground. Nag-reply ako nang professional at hiningi ko 'yung mga non-negotiable: ang registered business name, LinkedIn profiles ng team, at isang business plan.

Lesson #2: Humingi ng Professional Credentials.

A real business has a name. Ang totoong team ay may professional identities (tulad ng LinkedIn). Ang totoong project ay may plano. Hindi ito mga "secret details"; ito ay mga basic credentials.

Ang huling reply niya ang kumumpirma sa lahat ng hinala ko.

"Hello bro, I can't share very important details like that online. I guess we will need to move forward. Thank you bro. 😊"

At gano'n na lang, biglang naglaho ang "bigger mission for the Philippines."

Noong hiningan ko na siya ng isang standard at professional na request for due diligence, bigla niyang binawi 'yung "opportunity." Hindi siya nag-offer ng NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement). Hindi niya sinubukang patunayan ang legitimacy niya. Sumuko siya agad.

Ito 'yung classic na ugali ng isang scammer, MLM recruiter, o 'yung taong may "pangarap" lang pero walang plano at naghahanap ng libreng labor. They hunt for targets who are driven by emotion and excitement, not by professional process. Kapag may na-encounter silang filter na hindi nila malusutan, lilipat na sila sa susunod na bibiktimahin.

Hindi ako nanghinayang. In fact, gumaan pa ang pakiramdam ko. Hindi ako nawalan ng project; I saved my most valuable asset: my time. Dahil sa pagiging professional at pagtatanong ng tama, na-filter at na-disqualify ko ang isang bad-fit client sa iilang messages lang.

Kaya, mga kapwa freelancers, ito ang takeaway: Valuable ang skills niyo. Mahalaga ang oras niyo. May karapatan kayong i-vet ang isang potential client, tulad ng pag-vet nila sa inyo. Ang isang "no" na ikaw mismo ang nagsabi para protektahan ang sarili mo ay mas malaking panalo kaysa sa isang "yes" that leads you into a nightmare.

Legitimate opportunities welcome scrutiny. Dubious ones run from it.

Keep grinding, but always grind smart.