Fake Jobs. Fake clients, Low Budget jobs, No interviews

[rolludesig]

This sums up my experience here at upwork since last 20-25 days...nothing seems to be working even tried boost my profile feature which seems to be waste of connects..is everyone else also having same experience?

[crart]

This is the situation for last year, even longer. Welcome to a world renown casino where bots fight over bot posted "jobs" and everyone pays for it. Remember, casino always wins.

[nyonomega0]

It has been this way since the start of 2023 - when everyone started integrating AI into everything. That likely affected the volume of bots and newer freelancers who thought they could win projects via AI proposals, AI bios, and AI portfolios.

Upwork has increased the price of connects as they wish to kill the low-end market. (freelancers who only work on short-term, low-paying gigs) 

[msimon_pm]

I agree with the first paragraph, but IF the second paragraph is true, why does Upwork give 10 free connects for each new account, and 50 free connects for each newly verified account? 

• 1 bid = $3
• creating a new email ID, a new Upwork account, bidding on a job, deleting the Upwork account later = 0.3 hours (20 minutes)
• this selling (bidding) strategy appears to be safe and free on Upwork up to any hourly rate distribution among 3 job posts totaling $10

Definitely not killing the low-end market. At least, when I am on my client account, I can see a lively market with the majority of bids below $10/hr.

[nyonomega0]

That's what I've heard some people say.

I'm specifically talking about the $5-$20 fixed-price market here. Because when you look at it, combined with the contract initiation fee, taxes, and connects (imagine spending $2 for applying to a $5 job - I know that some desperate people will do that), you'll see it's not a sustainable deal for either the client or the freelancer.

Hourly contracts at $10/hour can go a long way if it's a long-term contract. In many countries, that is 2-3 times the average hourly wage. So, it's not a terrible ROI at the end of the day, unlike a low-cost fixed-price contract.

[msimon_pm]

I agree with you on the ROI of spending $2-$3 on $5-$20 fixed-price "jobs", from which Upwork's fee is to be deducted yet. However, that's the "Fiverr" segment, which Upwork never really wanted to fill, I believe. It exists as an option that Upwork can say it's a full spectrum remote platform.

Drafting-posting-selection-onboarding/training-quality control-payment also costs money, which must be deducted from the value of the freelancer's work. This doesn't fit with reasonable businesses, they avoid the $5/project segment. That's for hobbyist individuals, wannabe entrepreneurs, spammers and data collectors in stealth-mode.

The majority of the viable projects are $6-25/hour. If fixed price, just take milestone = unit price linked to each deliverable.

[crart]

To be honest, at this point I would gladly take any job even paying $20 so I can maybe finally buy food. Don't get me wrong, I get that is terrible but in a situation when I am replaced by machines, I don't eat regularly, don't pay my bills and stopped my medication. Would be awesome to have this last meal before I vanish, but I see it's not the case as literally no one wants me, here or anywhere. Even as a street cleaner.

[fred-derf]

'...as literally no one wants me, here...'

Hmmm...Sure Upwork wants you here. As long as you are taking food and medication money to buy cargo ships of "connects" you will be wanted.

Of course to have Internet is essential to keep pumping the job proposals that just go onboard the Upwork Titanic.

[fred-derf]

Since AI is the obsession now many do not realize the problems it creates, or I should say, those who use AI create. Yes, this can be a tool for good but it looks like it is being used for bad; deception; scams.

Personally, I would never use AI to write a proposal. It is I who is applying, not some robot. Sure, spellcheck can be a help though I came from an age when we had to have to learn spelling, grammar and how to do simple writing. 

I see job postings that are obviously templates, or AI. No problem with a guide, or template to base a posting but one must craft the proposal to fit the job at hand. So many times I see postings that are vague and incomplete.

If a customer is seriously needing some work done, he should take that seriously...if not, how can we? 

Remember: AI is ARTIFICIAL. The jury is out on the 'intelligence' part right now.

In conclusion. I have seen many AI "art" pieces. They are lifeless, without any creativity, slapped together and so often plagiarazed - definitely without heart.

[crart]

People are retarded, in a majority. Current corpo mentality requires "work" to be produced fast and cheap no matter the means. Personally, I have been replaced by machines and my paintings were used to train machines, of course without my consent or payment, and I simply disregard anyone using AI, not even treat them as humans, rather lifeless, mindless robots. And yes, artificial for sure, intelligence - definitely not. Which suits current humans mentality and lack of any brain whatsoever.

[the-right-writer]

I still believe the much bigger problem is the unskilled and under-skilled, rather than "AI" or the chatbots. The programs all plagiarize, and even with good prompts, it still reads like the chatbots.

[nyonomega0]

That is true. I agree.

[thomasbrowninc]

Upwork died for my business 6mo-12mo ago. Job posting quality and quantity went down and even 'enterprise' jobs are a joke too. A lot of people have cordinated the downfall linked to 'connects' and that whole system, but I think the writing has been on the wall for a while now. 

[nav_designer]

I would to share my worst experiences 😂

1. I have been unable to find any jobs for the past 6 months despite trying everything.
2. I have encountered fake and substandard clients, as well as YouTubers and TikTokers.
3. Some clients are uneducated and request work related to Artificial Intelligence even though they do not have basic knowledge about it.
4. 90 % of clients have even asked for a demo before hiring me.
5. several freelancers open jobs from client profiles just for fun.
6. I have applied to hourly jobs but clients have asked me to work at ridiculously low fixed prices.
7. I have also received fake job offers and invites around 325-plus 
8. check my stats you will get to know there are zero benefits such co-called boosting system it only harms us, 

[fred-derf]

Yep, Upwork has no problem letting the lowball "offers" dominate. Here's one that appeared 27 times in one month:

Each video will be remunerated* at $25, with an expected output of 18 videos monthly.
Total Payout: 18 x $25 = $450/Month

Upwork insults the true professionals in allowing such nonsense. 

I flag these as "Client is asking for free work." Oh yeah, technically it is not "free work" since there is a pitiful renumeration mentioned, so Upwork screeners will just wink at it and allow these waste-of-connects posts to flourish!

For even the hobbyists here, who are the real target, to do what is requested:

Given an average video duration of 8-12 minutes,

an eight-minute video in the style referenced in the proposals links would take a minimum of 18 hours. That would mean no color corrction, graphics, audio mixing...just composing the video animation. 

Was it mentioned, the post is looking for 'Expert"? 

*all of the posts have the same misspelling!  🤡  😆

[fernandocar]

I saw this post! lol

When I see posts like this one I just think "Man, are you F* crazy?". They want you create a script, voiceover, find images, create animations, manage youtube channel, create shorts and make a coffee for them 3 times a week! All of that for majestic US$ 3.00

The worst is these jobs have 15-20 proposals 

[8d16a1fd]

However we have ability or not that's not counting back but all i check posted jobs which we bids and suddenly pops up one message which landed another social media page like telegram, WhatsApp or discord .

One of most hurting me when we completed our project without any further issues why fake clients messed up hugest while we both knew all.

Please Upwork kindly notice that and take some strict action only reporting their accounts its not enough. 

[the-right-writer]

You should not be completing any project for a scammer. You will never, ever, be paid. Scamming is what scammers do. If you cooperate with a scammer, you will always lose. You need to learn how to safely use the platform before you lose everything. You need to start at the beginning, by reading this post and following every link. Currently, all you will find is scams, because of your inexperience and the way you wrote your profile. It needs to be professional, and it is too long. To begin, you are wasting the top line - the only thing the clients see in a search. No names, greetings, or skills. Use that sentence to tell the client why you are the best choice for the project.

Typing is an extremely flooded category, and you should try to come up with a specialty, or something to make you stand out in a field of many thousands.

You have to assume every single client is a scammer, until you prove they are not. No one will protect you, including Upwork. It's no different from a random chat room, where you don't know real names, words, or intent. Be safe.

Also, if the freelancer doesn't participate in the scam, and turns them into Upwork, the connects are returned.

[mawieshams]

Just pick the verified payment who had hired freelancer.

[8d16a1fd]

Its not easy for finding verified payments clients whose actions much appreciated 

[the-right-writer]

Verified payment means nothing. It doesn't mean the job is real, it is not a scam, or that you won't lose all of your money. Do not depend on verified payment when you are looking at jobs. The important thing is to learn about vetting the job and the client, and make sure the job is funded before you sign the contract or do any work.

[8d16a1fd]

To be honest with you i agree with you. 

As an freelancers i can handle plenty of projects but its not like before. I stopped working with some personal reasons but recently created new accounts in here and overall experience nothing more than wasted or discouraged by Upwork. 

[bobafett999]

Fake Jobs. Fake clients, Low Budget jobs, boosting = more money to Upwork.

[8d16a1fd]

It's now regular pattern of us