Beware of Scam Projects at Freelancer.com

Freelancer.com is a legit site that works by bringing employers and employees together. The site mostly attracts employers who need cheap labour and most of the projects there are legit. However, there are a large number of scammers on the loose at freelancer.com. These scammers demand that you provide them with samples of work on their topic of choice or their specific instructions. Alternatively, they claim to give you a test assignment which is not paid for. They then claim to review the responses to decide who to give the assignment to.

The following is a screenshot of a project at freelancer.com (click on it to enlarge it):

Please notice the budget is set at a high range, $1500-$12500 to attract bidders.
Also note the fact that one is supposed to complete 100 pages of unpaid work as part of the test assignment. I just wonder, what if the owner of the project gave different 'test assignments'  to 10 bidders. That would be 1, 000 pages for free. Its very possible for the owner of the project to disappear  after getting the 1000 free pages.

Wait a minute, the owner of the project has changed the profile details a few minutes after posting the project. There is a very attractive profile pic. What's more, he has changed his country to United Kingdom from Bangladesh! I started tracking the project immediately it was posted and minutes later, the project has already attracted 6 bids. I bet by the end of the project there will be 100+ bids.
Below is the changed profile:

I cannot imagine myself providing 100 pages of free work before I can get paid.1 or 2 pages would be a more reasonable request. And considering the number of complaints from freelancers who have provided samples only for the project owners to disappear after receiving the samples, I would trend cautiously when it comes to projects that require special samples.

When it comes to writing, a serious employer can evaluate your skills based on your previously completed papers, i.e. you do not have to write 5 samples based on specific keywords and instructions for the employer to assess your writing skills.

As for the above scenario, I would not be surprised if the 100 pages 'test assignment' that one is required to complete before being given work is part of the project. Do note that the employer has stated that the 100 pages will not be paid.

Also note that the profile is new-no reviews.

Just wanted to bring to your attention this detail to avoid wasting your time and money bidding for projects that are fake and which will drain you in terms of energy-100 pages of free work can really drain you.