NEVER trust (and hire) an anonymous freelance writer from Africa. They will try to rip you off.

I own a small research, writing, and editing service company (focused on academic research). Over the last five years, I've been working with 80+ of freelance essay writers. Below are my thoughts about some writers and some countries:

1. NEVER trust a freelance writer from AFRICA (Kenya especially). Ever. Sooner than later they will try to RIP YOU OFF. It's in their blood, it's in their nature. Even if they are cheap and will work for $0.01 per word - it is not worth risking your business. There is nothing that can change that. If they have an opportunity to scam you or your clients - they will not hesitate to. And they are more advanced than some employers may think. Many of them work in cohorts with each other. For example, there may be one scammer who is based in the US or UK and with initial communication he poses as someone to be hired. Later, once they established an account, the fraud gives username/password to his criminal friends from Africa who then take over. Another example - the same writer who was fired for plagiarism or other criminal activities would contact you again as someone else to try to sign up for a new account. I apologize if I'm wrong and I include the 10% of legitimate writers from Africa.

2. I noticed on this forum and on EssayChat - there are many ads from writers who claim to be native English speakers and claim to have advanced degrees. Notice that they all use multiple @gmail / @yahoo /@hotmail email accounts. I am almost certain that most of the posters here and there who pose as writers have multiple accounts and work under different (fake) names. If you are a student and receive an email from an anonymous account like @gmail, @hotmail, @yahoo - RUN AWAY. Never contact a "writer" who has such an anonymous email because - with 98% certainty - you are talking to a criminal from Africa (or his US/UK partner). EVEN IF they give you a phone number to call and you talk to "them" - you in fact talk to their jail partner and your real "writer" is ready to copy-paste material and deliver it to you as something original (or not deliver it at all). You will be in danger even if you reply to their emails because they may be able to locate you by your email IP.

Thank you for your attention and stay scam free!

This is racism and nonsense. It is necessary for everyone to be careful dealing with anyone over the Internet, but saying that cheating is "in their blood" and that anyone with a gmail/yahoo/etc email account is bound to be a scammer is just ridiculous.

There are ways that established companies with paid-for email addresses can rip you off, and there are ways that writers from English-speaking countries can rip you off. The way to not get ripped off is to be careful with how you send money, how much you send, and in the discussions that take place before you send money. Where a writer is from or what their email address is doesn't matter at all if customers follow these simple steps.

Sorry, but nobody buys the story about "racism" any more after the US has their "greatest ever" in power.

It is in their blood, nature, and dreams -- period. I know a delivery guy from Nigeria who told me last week not to trust people like him because they are good at screwing up other people. I replied to him: "Tell me something I don't know." He only laughed.


Now when I notice there is even the smallest chance a writer has ANYTHING to do with AFRICA - I delete it. It is the fastest and the safest way of getting rid of future problems.

Students - mark my words. You should do the same.

That's pretty poor logic.


That's the racist part of your argument. Being especially wary of writers from Kenya because you've been scammed by Kenyans before is one thing; saying that cheating is "in their blood" is ignorant and racist. It might be more allowable in their culture, and again this might be cause for extra wariness, but there are ways to protect yourself without resorting to angry and imbecilic racism.

Students--be smart, and make your own decisions with great care. Sending money to someone in another country is always riskier, especially if there's a complicated story as to why your native UK writer has a Kenyan-verified PayPal account, but if you don't mind hiring a Kenyan writer then do so with certain precautions. Anyone you do business with should have a verified and substantiated account with whatever services they use to accept payments, and you should read the terms and conditions of those payment services and their fraud response before you proceed. This, not racism that makes you blindly trust as well as blindly hate, is the way to stay safe.

I know 30+ of African writers. 25 turned out to be cheaters and scammers using fake names, locations, and multiple emails. Most of them deliver plagiarized and/or poorly written content (but since some students are clearly ESL we still keep a couple of them for sporadic and easy projects that can be quickly checked for plagiarism before sending to the client).

Most of these writers initially claimed to have been educated in the US/Australia or UK (it later turned out they were using their friends from US or UK cities who at first posed to be them). We hired them ONLY because we were duped; they lied on their resumes and about their credentials. When I investigated their resumes - 90% were fake! (meaning, they were copied and complied from various university websites).


You don't mind "hiring one of them" because you ARE one of them. "John" - it's one of their favorite fake names. Sending money to Africa is like sending a $100 banknote to Kenya in an unsealed envelope - there are virtually no chances for the recipient to receive the money (or a quality research work).

Kenya and serious (original) academic research work? Not in this world. Whatever a Kenyan/African knows is either copied, stolen, re-written, or re-packaged. There is absolutely nothing original a Kenyan (African) writer can deliver.

By your own admission, you base your opinion on "knowing 30+ of African writers." That is a really poor sample and your conclusions are racist. Your racist paranoia now has you convinced that I am African because I have an association with the name John (a pretty common name throughout the English speaking world). It's sad, really.

30+ is a considerable sample (you may refer to your stats class). 83.3% of all African writers turned to be fraudsters and plagiarizers. If a customer can do the math, it is not worth it.


These days it's a perfect excuse to be called a racist if you state the truth. I am almost sure you are yet another African writer waiting to scam more students and employers.

From a population of over a billion (or even just the forty-one million living in Kenya)? No, it isn't.

What are you so convinced I'm from Africa? Because I called you racist for saying "cheating was in their blood"? Or because my username has "John" in it?

to be fair it's not exactly like you're paying them an honest wage for all these orders

The term 'African scammer' is used every day around the globe by different nations. Guess why.


Because I know how African writers posing as native English speakers write. You are a perfect example.


Please read my initial comments. At first I DID NOT know I was dealing with the fraudulent Kenyan freelance writers (at least in 70% cases). Because they were using their buddies based in the US, Australia, or Canada (they used their phone numbers, addresses, and even Social Security numbers). You know, the same ones that get free cell phones and free Internet access in the US. When we called them, they lied they were them.

In result, they got paid the highest rates (reserved for native English speakers). Until we discovered that they just copy-pasted big chunks of text from other sources. It was not easy to find these sources because these "Kenyan writers" used password-protected databases that were not always indexed in Google.

Again, we were dealing with a cartel of professional African scumbags. I am positive most of them post or watch this forum every day to find their new victims. They are more organized and sophisticated than some people (students and legitimate employers) may think.

that's some wacky stuff.

they produce tons of work for the turn-paper mills though. they're like the backbone of those operations

First, can you show me some of today's "around the globe" usages of this term? Second, can you detail the chain of reasoning that connects the use of such a term (if indeed the use is as frequent as you claim) to the idea that Africans have scamming "in their blood?"


What is it about the way I write that makes me sound African? As someone who is US-born and UK-educated that has never been to Africa, I'm very curious.

Now, michael strikes me as a foreign scammer of some sort, given his odd word usage and his assertion that Kenyan writers from the "backbone" of the industry (that fierce and often unwarranted Kenyan pride is something seen fairly often here, from what I've read), but I stil wouldn't go so far as to insist I know his country of origin.

woah there big dog. it's not my fault you got exposed as a self-righteous african scammer.

I didn't get "exposed," I got "accused," and I don't think it's especially self-righteous to not denigrate an entire continent full of people based on an experience with 25 individuals.

nobody cares about your preaching on this forum unless it has legitimate substance related to the industry.

In the last 30 days alone, people uniquely used the term "African scam" over 1,200 times. That only includes the ENGLISH terms (if you add the same term used in other languages around the world, the number would double or triple).

Look what happens in Africa. How many billions of dollars have been wasted so far. The result - fraudulent governments, great corruption, hunger, AIDS, crimes, fraud, and waste are the main ingredients of a typical African society. Look what happens in some of the US cities where the post-African communities rule: Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Oakland, to name a few. Coincidence?


Were you born in Detroit area? Yet another coincidence.

My saying that Africans do not have "cheating in their blood" while acknowledging that there might be cultural reasons why certain countries are home to more scammers has as much relevance to the industry as do patrick's paranoid claims. They also have far more relevance to the industry than weird stories about bestiality, such as the one you have posted in another thread.


Many of those instances are repetitions of the exat same phrase, and none of them are "African scammer." Did you change the search term when you realized the evidence wasn't there? You also realize that none of the entries on the first several pages have anything to do with essay writing, right?

I'm not saying there aren't a lot of scammers from Africa--there are--nor am I saying that everyone in Africa that speaks English has the acumen necessary to write for students in this industry. My single point has been that it is racist to say cheating is in someone's blood just because you got cheated by 25 people from the same continent. You even said you think that these 25 people were working together somehow, making it even less likely that their character is reflective of the population as a whole.

Clearly this debate isn't going anywhere. You think that the color of someone's skin is evidence of moral failing; this is not an opinion based on any logic or empiricism and thus logic and empiricism will not make a dent in it.

You are right - there is a big difference between the term: "scam" and "scammer." NOT. Add to the queries words like "African fraud" and you'll get even more results.


That only proves the fraud in these countries is even greater than estimated. Scammers from Africa work in many industries - from online dating, pet sales, lottery winnings, banking fraud, to online writing.


I put it this way - I was cheated by 83% of writers from Africa.

I wasn't talking about color of the skin, but the nature of the fraud. You're talking about the skin color? Then familiarize with this: thetruthaboutsouthafrica.com/p/white-genocide-in-south-africa.html for a change.

These are almost all about phone/email scams that did originate in Nigeria and are still fairly heavily practiced there (from what little I've read on the subject), and have no bearing on the claims you're making. Many of these scams are now perpetrated by people all over the world, yet they are still known as "African" scams. Read some of your search's own top hits.


You were cheated by 83% of the writers from Africa that you chose to do business with, and by your own estimation they were working in concert with each other. I repeat, your statistical and logical reasoning are both way off.


You implied that anywhere there are people of African descent there is crime, fraud, etc. Though you did not explicitly mention skin color, the implication is the same--you are claiming that genetics makes Africans/their descendants morally bankrupt. That's racism.

I chose to do business with US/UK/Australian based writers (that's how they presented themselves on their resumes). But they turned out to be African scam writers. See the difference?


I said that black countries and communities are not doing as well as white countries and communities. That's the FACT. You mention "genetics" now - I do not know what it is, but I'm presenting the facts. Perhaps you can explain why the facts are what they are? Is stating the FACTS "racism"?

Yes, I do see the difference. You made much poorer choices by agreeing to do business with individuals you thought were from these countries without taking steps to verify their actual identities. It isn't that hard to make sure the money you're sending is going to the country you think you're sending it to, and that you have proper recourse to retrieve it if the services aren't rendered properly. Basically, you are providing evidence that you don't know how to conduct business and are in no position to be giving anyone else advice on how to remain safe.


Actually, what you said was:


...clearly suggesting that when Africans/their descendants have control of a society, that society becomes fraudulent, corrupt, etc. Once again, it is racist to assert that the reason these communities have problems is because black people are simply morally corrupt and/or inept.

I agree. So if a company is tricked by fraudsters - how can one expect an individual client/student who has less know-how will not be cheated? It's almost impossible.


It IS HARD because the money is sent to US/UK/Australian address where the African fraudster's partner resides. We are talking here about a gang of criminals who cooperate with one another.

That is my point - students who choose to do business with "writers" who use anonymous emails, including: @gmail, @yahoo, @hotmail, @live.com, or @outlook will be - with 80% probability - scammed.a


I am not suggesting - I am stating the FACT.


I don't know the reason - but I know the FACTS.

This, is priceless. Patrick FTW!


Why thank you for that wake up call Patrick! I think I'll go ahead and try my hand at organized crime now - clearly, as a Kenyan, chances are 83% that I'll succeed.... as a matter of fact, if you give me your name and account number, I'll make sure to deposit my very first profits in your name, to aid in clearing the debt of those 25 poor souls who've made both our lives this miserable

My fifth-rate sarcasm aside, I truly feel sorry for you for what happened. I hope at the end of the day however, that you still have enough sense to realize how using the prevalence of con-artists from any particular country in this industry as a yardstick to condemn the entire populace of that society is quite frankly as ignorant as a person can get. This business seems chock-full of con-jobs and websites, from the Philippines all the way around and back. If your intent was solely to warn other forum users to stay away from Kenyan essay writers & such, then you should have left it at that. These ludicrous flame wars that seem to have popped up everywhere so far on this forum really are not doing anything to help what I still believe should be the cause of what seems to be the top-ranked writers' forum online - to aid writers, and clients looking for legitimate writing services!

Then again, I'm a fierce democratic, and believe in every person's right to their own selective opinion, and their subsequent right to dismiss the rest as utter nonsense :)

One can try to educate clients/students about the very simple ways to protect themselves, such as ensuring that whoever they're sending their money to has a verifiable identity and payment account ideally in the same country as the client/student themselves, and that is thus within the easy reach of the law.

If your money actually went to one of these countries it should have been easy for you to get it back if you used a legitimate and reputable service to send any funds, unless it took you weeks to realize you'd been hoodwinked. I really don't know what to tell you other than you need to read up on safe ways to do business before you lose more money.


We are arguing because you claimed to know the reason--you said it was "in their blood," i.e. a part of their genetically-bound proclivities.


While everyone might have a right to their own opinion, they do not have a right to their own set of facts--not if they want to be taken seriously, and not if thy want a hand in setting the agenda.

Here is a perfect proof of African online writer fraud. Someone (who - I am sure - is reading/posting on this forum too) has just posted an ad on Essaychat. Compare what he posted on Essaychat with another ad posted on a completely different site a YEAR AGO. It's the same individual using different emails and names. Who is still surprised?

That there are frauds from Africa is unquestionable. That all Africans are frauds does not logically follow.

I think you should ask for proper samples of their work and ensure that you send them payments only through banking channels

Is it really true? spam from India had also been approached by writers from Africa. Fortunately they did not succeed in passing through our stringent qualification criteria.

Another issue was that in countries like Kenya, there is no Paypal

I find this post somehow odd. Clearly, Patrick has an axe to grind with African freelance writers. Nonetheless, it beats logic to argue that "ripping off is in their blood". Think over this statement, and figure out what it actually means.


In my view, $ 0.01 per word is slavery. Even if you work with ESL writers, try to pay them some decent money per page and you will attract the right calibre of writers.


Is there anything "African" with this? What evidence can you present to the forum members to support your allegations? If the issue is about anonymous email accounts, then, say it!

After going through this post, my verdict is that your company attracts amateur, and dishonest freelance writers who try everything in their capacity to increase their meagre earnings. If you pay your writers $ 3 per page, then you got what you deserved. You must have though that smart business owners hire cheap writers to get super profits. Who's all the place crying now?

I bet the topic starter is simply racist or tracked down the IP address of one "allegedly scam-type writer." ^_^ How ****ing stupid.

Contact these writers from Essaychat and you'll find out (after investigation), that 80% of them are from Africa.

I send them a request and ask them for how much they would be willing to do the job. If some of them are willing to work for 1 cent per word, it is their decision. Where have you taken a definition of 'slavery' from?

Still, 1 cent per word was 100% overpaid because the works were copy-pasted.


Right, so - according to you - it is OK to scam and rob a business ("try to do everything in their capacity") if the worker - who has willingly agreed to work for $X - suddently decided it was not what he wanted. Are you writing from a jail, too?

All I can say that my friend has been recently scammed by Nigerians and even though I was somewhat sympathetic towards them, but now I just feel that they are ba****d.

[quote=patrick]Man you're definitely a racist. At first it's only the African's then you go for an outburst on the Black Americans just because of where they came from.

This is not my job, and I won't it! Who are the 80 % that you contacted? You either give names or you shut up! You owe millions of honest Africans an apology.


You should know better... The lower you pay, the greater the amount of trash you'll keep on getting. So, you believe that professional writers would bend to pick you $ 3 per page? Surely, as they say, common sense is not common to all.


You are just a moron... too bad you do not realize it!

We are trying to curb some global issues such as racism. Let's not try to put down Africa, especially by posting such harsh comments about them. As a company representative I am witness to scam efforts by our fellow Americans, just for greed. Everybody is entitled to a position unless otherwise.

Let's begin with the title of the discussion: "NEVER trust an anonymous freelance writer from Africa. They will try to rip you off." I think it stands to reason that you shouldn't trust an anonymous anything from anywhere. Doing business with a nameless stranger is asking to be ripped off.

Now, I don't know how you operate your business, but if your methods make it easy for people to falsify their identities and rip you off, then you need to look into conducting business a different way. Ask for proof of identity, ask for references, ask for a portfolio. Interview them. Put every essay through a plagiarism checker, and only pay the writer if it turns out to be original. You can't just hire people and trust in the heavens that they will do the right thing. You have to put checks and balances into place to make sure that they do what they are supposed to do. If you don't have the time to do this, then hire somebody and pay them decently to do it for you. I can sum this up in one sentence: You need to improve your management skills.

It also seems to me that if you're hiring people who accept low payments, you should either expect poor quality work or funny business. People who are skilled at what they do tend to ask for reasonable amounts in payment. That's because their talent is readily recognizable and they are bound to find somebody who's willing to pay them the amount they deserve. In other words, you get what you pay for.

FWIW, I am a Kenyan writer and editor, one of many who pride themselves in doing honest, original work. You have never hired me, nor have you hired the hundreds of talented Kenyan writers I personally know. So you clearly don't know what you're talking about. Just in case you're wondering- yes, I joined this forum for the express purpose of responding to this irritating post.

It seems to me that you have an excellent opportunity to learn something valuable from your negative experiences, but instead you're taking the lazy way out and blaming all of Africa for your woes. What are we? All-powerful magicians? If you want to do business in the real world, at some point, you have to snap out of the blissful, naive dream, and realize that some people will exploit you at every possible opportunity. It's not a Kenyan or African thing, it's a human thing. That is exactly why you have identity verification procedures in place at banks and places of employment. That is also why such a thing as internet security exists in the first place. People lie, cheat, and scam. If your solution to being ripped off is to avoid Africans, then I am sorry, but you will continue to be ripped off. Only, this time, the folks ripping you off will be people who look like you, using the same methods that you seem to think are linked to "African blood."

Exactly right. You're an excellent writer, by the way.

very good argumentation

Rk_kenya, your righteous indignation is commendable, but completely invalid. I have come across hundreds of Kenyan writers in the essay industry. I can count on one hand the number of them who write as well as you do. Your argument would carry more weight in, for example, the mainstream media.

For the record, you are either not Kenyan or you were educated in the US.

I personally respect your opinion. However, one day someone will tell you that companies such as college-paper.org[DND*], rush essay, essay-on-time, and best essay (actually one company with many websites) have writers with Africans constituting about 85%. Of this 85%, more than 70 percent are Kenyan writers.

Okay. Saying that "cheating is in their blood" may be an exaggeration. However, I believe that due to the poverty that exists in that nation, cheating others has become the nature of the beast. That is the only way they know how to survive in a country where the educational system is a joke, slave labor exists, and the only way to get ahead is to fool people from other countries. It is the only thing they know to do in order to survive.. So I really pity these people, they do not know of any other way and are too scared to try and make an honest living when and where they can.