Two Guest Post Scams That Cost Me Real Money (And How to Protect Yourself as a Link Builder)

Guest Post Scams

Introduction

I’ve been working in the guest posting and SEO industry since 2022. Hundreds of deals. A clean record. I’ve always prioritized honest, professional work—and I expect the same from those I pay.

But in the last few months, I—and members of my team—were scammed. Not once. Twice. I’m writing this blog post not out of frustration alone, but because silence protects scammers. The SEO and digital marketing community deserves to know the truth.

Below, I’m sharing the full stories of both incidents, with screenshots as proof, so you can recognize these tactics if you ever encounter them.

Scam #1 — businessnewstips.co.uk

Step 1: Admin Sends Article Link

I reached out to the admin of businessnewstips.co.uk directly and negotiated a guest post placement. The admin sent the article link and requested payment of PKR 10,000.

Screenshot 1: Admin sends article link and requests PKR 10,000 payment

Step 2: Payment Made

I made the payment of PKR 10,000 via JazzCash immediately. The transaction was successful and confirmed.

Screenshot 2: PKR 10,000 successfully transferred to Mudassar via JazzCash — May 3, 2026

Step 3: Article Not Indexed — Calls Ignored

The article was published but never indexed on Google. I followed up multiple times. I called — no answer. Messages were ignored for days at a stretch.

Screenshot 3: Calls going unanswered — admin completely unresponsive

Step 4: Test with a Different Number

That’s when I decided to test something. I messaged from a completely different number—and got an instant reply. It was clear the admin was deliberately ignoring me.

Screenshot 4: Admin replies instantly from a different number—deliberately ghosting the original

Step 5: Refund Refused

When I finally confronted the admin directly and demanded either indexing or a full refund, the response was four words:

“Jo krna hai kar lo.” — businessnewstips.co.uk admin

No refund. No indexing. No accountability.

Screenshot 5: Final response—”Ab nai karna, jo krna hai kar lo.”

Scammer Details — Case 1

Website: businessnewstips.co.uk

Admin WhatsApp: +92 307 2606294 (Mudassar)

Amount Lost: PKR 10,000 via JazzCash — Never Refunded

Article Status: Published but never indexed

Scam #2 — florafountain.com

Step 1: Official Outreach Email

This scam began through official channels. I received an email from outreach@florafountain.com directing me to their WhatsApp number to finalize the guest post deal.

Screenshot 6: Official outreach email from florafountain.com

A deal was agreed via WhatsApp. Payment was made. The article went live. Everything seemed professional — until it wasn’t.

Step 2: Article Goes 404

Within a few days, the published article URL returned a 404 error. I immediately reached out, asking for the article to be restored or for a refund.

Screenshot 7: Article goes 404 — requesting restore or refund

Step 3: “I Left That Company”

The response I received was one of the most frustrating I’ve encountered in years of this work:

“I left that company. It’s been a month.” — florafountain.com contact

No handover. No refund. No alternative contact. Just gone.

Screenshot 8: “I left that company” — no refund, no accountability

Scammer Details — Case 2

Website: florafountain.com

Outreach Email: outreach@florafountain.com

WhatsApp: +91 99749 51702

Article Status: Still 404—payment never refunded

How to Protect Yourself: My Updated Checklist

After losing money in both cases, I completely overhauled my vetting process. Here is what I now do before every guest post deal:

  • Never pay 100% upfront. Pay 50% before publishing, 50% only after confirmed Google indexing.
  • Verify indexing yourself using site:articleURL in Google before releasing the final payment.
  • Test response time before paying—slow replies before payment means ghosting after.
  • Run a site:websitedomain.com search in Google to check if the site’s own pages are indexed.
  • Screenshot every conversation and payment before and after the transaction.
  • If they say “I left the company” or “no one is in SEO right now,” walk away immediately.
  • Ask for a sample link from a previous client and verify it is still live and indexed.
  • Use payment methods with dispute options wherever possible.

Final Words

I have screenshots of the full payment, complete WhatsApp chat records, and all documentation for both incidents. I tried to resolve both privately, multiple times. This blog post is the last resort.

If you’ve had similar experiences with businessnewstips.co.uk or florafountain.com, please share your story in the comments. You are not alone.

Guest posting is a legitimate and valuable SEO strategy. Let’s keep our community honest and protect each other from those who exploit it.

Our Services at BacklinksHatch.com

Unlike the experiences described above, BacklinksHatch.com operates on a foundation of transparency, accountability, and results. We know what it feels like to be let down—which is why we built our entire process around trust.

ServiceDescription
Guest Post PlacementHigh-DA guest posts on real, indexed websites with proven traffic
Niche Edits / Link InsertionsContextual links placed inside existing ranked articles
Content WritingSEO-optimized articles written by professional writers
Indexing ServiceGuaranteed indexing follow-up—we never disappear after payment
Outreach ManagementFull white-label outreach campaigns for agencies

Every placement includes:

  • Post-publication indexing follow-up — we stay until your link is indexed
  • Full transparency on DA, traffic, and niche relevance before you pay
  • Direct communication — no middlemen, no ghosting
  • Split payment option — no 100% upfront required
  • Refund policy for any link that goes down within 30 days

Ready to work with someone you can trust?

Visit backlinkshatch.com and get in touch today.

About The Author

backlinkshatch

Backlinkshatch is a professional SEO agency specializing in high-quality backlinks and guest posting services. We help businesses improve their search rankings, increase organic traffic, and build lasting online authority through smart, white-hat off-page SEO strategies. Our team has helped dozens of websites grow from zero to competitive rankings in their niche. Want the same results? Visit backlinkshatch.com and let us build your website's authority today.

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