In today’s global startup economy, building across borders is normal. Remote teams. International hires. Freelancers from five continents. It’s efficient, scalable—and increasingly dangerous.

Because with this borderless opportunity comes a rising threat: cross-border scams.

From fake developer teams to agencies that vanish after payment, thousands of startup founders are being scammed by individuals or groups hiding behind international walls, false identities, and legal loopholes.

This isn’t just a technical problem. It’s a systemic one.And in this blog, we’re going to break it down:

• Why cross-border scams are so effective
• The legal structures that allow them
• The most common tactics used
• Real patterns we’ve seen inside FDF
• And how to protect yourself

The Perfect Crime? Why Cross-Border Scams Work

Let’s start with the hard truth:

The international freelance economy is built on trust—but there are no shared rules.

Scammers know this. And they exploit it in three key ways:

1. Legal Grey Zones

A founder in the U.S. hires a developer in Armenia. Or a team in India. Or a "studio" in the UAE.

What happens when that team disappears with your money?

You can’t sue locally. You probably don’t have an enforceable contract. Even if you do, chasing legal action across borders is expensive, slow, and often impossible without representation.

Scammers bet on your inability to act.

They know that most founders won’t:

• Hire an international lawyer
• Pursue arbitration across borders
• Publicly call out a fraud without risking reputation

So they hide in plain sight. Confident that the law won’t cross oceans.

2. False Identities and “Borrowed Brands”

Many scam teams hide behind:

• Fake LinkedIn profiles with stolen photos
• Ghost websites cloned from real studios
• False portfolios made with other teams’ work

They present as professional, global, reliable. But once you pay—everything changes.

They’ll slow down communication. Deliver half-broken work. Or vanish entirely, leaving you with:

• No code repository
• No ownership documentation
• And no clear recourse

3. Platform Complacency

Freelance platforms often don’t verify much.

• Teams switch names or locations frequently
• Reviews are gamed or faked
• Dispute systems favor the seller (not the buyer)

Even worse?Some platforms won’t act until lawsuits happen. By then, it’s too late.

Scammers take full advantage.

Real-World Patterns from FDF Cases

At Founders Don’t Forget, we’ve reviewed over 100 early submissions. These cases aren’t random. They follow patterns.

Pattern 1: The “Shifted Stack” Lie

A dev team promises a React + Node backend. A few months later, you discover it’s MySQL + no architecture. Why? Because they were never skilled in the agreed stack to begin with.

Pattern 2: Fake Project Progress

Agencies share “progress updates” that are just Figma screens and empty GitHub repos. They use emotion and urgency to keep payments coming.

Pattern 3: Multiple Names, Same Team

We’ve traced agencies using 3+ different business names. When their reputation starts collapsing, they rebrand and relaunch under a new identity.

Pattern 4: Threats and Silence

When challenged, scammers often:

• Threaten to delete files or repos
• Claim you’re harassing them
• Go silent and rely on geography to avoid consequences

These patterns aren’t theoretical. They’re real. And they’re recurring.

Why Laws Aren’t Protecting Founders

Let’s say you have the proof.Let’s say you have the contract.

Even then, cross-border enforcement is hard. Why?

1. Jurisdiction Conflicts

If your dev is in Armenia, you’ll likely need:

• A lawyer who understands Armenian business law
• A case filed in that jurisdiction
• Time, money, and translation to pursue it

Most founders don’t have any of that.

2. No Unified Freelance Law

There’s no global “Freelance Protection Act.” Each country has different rules, and most aren’t equipped to protect foreign founders.

3. No International Record of Repeat Offenders

Even if someone scams 10 clients in 5 countries, there’s no unified system that connects these dots.That’s what FDF is trying to change.

How to Protect Yourself Right Now

If you’re hiring cross-border, here’s how to reduce risk:

Step 1: Vet Their Identity Deeply

• Ask for a video call before any contract
• Google image search their LinkedIn profile photo
• Ask for original repos or verified past work

Step 2: Use Contracts With Teeth

• Include deliverables, deadlines, and refund terms
• Specify governing law (choose your country if possible)
• Require milestone-based payments — not full upfront

Step 3: Document Everything

• Store messages, emails, invoices, and code logs
• Use version control platforms like GitHub with visibility
• Keep a timeline from day one (FDF is building a tool for this)

Step 4: Speak Up Early

If something feels wrong—say it early and document it.Scammers rely on your silence and your delay.

Step 5: Report It (Even If You Don’t Sue)

Your voice helps others. FDF accepts private case submissions with full confidentiality.

The Future: What FDF Is Building to Stop This

Founders Don’t Forget exists because founders were being harmed without protection.

So here’s what we’re building:

• A secure evidence vault for founder submissions
• A global fraud heatmap showing cross-border patterns
• A repeat offender tagging system for dev teams and agencies
• A verified lawyer network to support founders internationally

And soon:

• Public case studies with redacted but verified receipts
• Tools for founders to compare agencies before hiring
• A global database of scam patterns and names (legally compliant)

We’re not just calling them out. We’re building a memory.

Final Words: You’re Not Alone

If you’ve been scammed across borders, you’re not stupid. You’re not weak.You were building something. They were lying.

This is a system problem.
And we’re building the system to fight back.

Let them run. Let them rename.
We’re documenting everything.

Founders Don’t Forget.