Blackmail

[418eef85]

I ended a contract with a freelancer because he clearly didn't follow my requirements and didn't finish all the project objectives. 

He is now blackmailing me on my student and private email

What can I do? 

[g_vasilevski]

Hi Anton,

I'm sorry to hear about the bad experience you've had. Our team will reach out to you via ticket and email where you can share more evidence with us. Our team will also investigate this further and will take proper actions. Thank you.

[allpurposewriter]

Anton,

Clearly, Anton, you're not going to get any sympathy here from the Upworkers. They jump on academic fraud here like a zombie on a virgin dermatologist. 

You can hold 15 jobs and learn a new language while supporting 100 relatives in another country and earning a medical degree in brain surgery and that isn't going to save your skin here. They are certainly not zombies, but they'll eat you alive. 

Ironically, you should have gone to the university for help. They frequently have writing coaches or writing programs that support students directly with assignments. I assume they have other forms of help, too. 

[25005175]

Ah, Anthony, did you notice that this event-based thread is 2 years old?

[prestonhunter]

re: "He is now blackmailing me on my student and private email"

Anton:
Are you certain that "blackmailing" is the correct word to use in this situation?

If the freelancer is "blackmailing" you then it means he is threatening to reveal information about you - information about something you did wrong. So wrong that it would be damaging to you if that information was known by others.

If this is not your situation, then the freelancer is not "blackmailing" you, but may be doing something else inappropriate, such as "threatening" you. Or maybe the freelancer is "using naughty words." Or maybe the freelancer is "saying he won't work for you any more if you don't pay him."

Please feel free to provide additional details so that we can advise you further.

[418eef85]

A bit of background, I hired a guy for a job I could have done myself (at least I learned something new). He did not meet the requirements and was past the deadline, so I ended the contract because he wasn't willing to cooperate further and just wanted the payment. This morning I received an email for a dispute from his side - that is okay, everyone is entitled to disagree. 

However, this case became a problem when he sent me an email to my student and private account threatening me that if I don't finish the contract and provide 5 stars review he would leak private information to all my LinkedIn connections and my friends. 

In the email, he included all my LinkedIn connections in addition to my university friends profiles and the administration office contact details. 

Currently, the case is under investigation. I have also contacted the appropriate authorities that deal with cybercrimes and online harasment. 

If that is not blackmailing I don't know what it is 

Regards

[prestonhunter]

Anton:
Thank you for providing us with additional information.

I can assure you that this freelancer's actions are completely inappropriate.

Aside from behaving in a generally atrocious manner, this freelancer violated some clear Upwork rules:

- By demanding a 5-star review and threatening you if you don't give him such a review, the freelancer was engaged in "feedback manipulation" (to use a general term) and also what we have sometimes referred to as "feedback blackmail".

- By looking up information about you and contacting you OUTSIDE of the established communication methods that you intentionally provided to him, the freelancer was violating ANOTHER serious Upwork ToS.

Both of these rule violations are in and of themselves grounds for suspension or termination from the platform.

[418eef85]

Hi Preston, 

Thanks for your response 

Unfortunately, the Upwork Content and Engagement Team doesn't consider the email as strong evidence of the freelancer's misconduct. 

If he leaks the information I might lose 4 years of hard work at uni. But that is not the problem. You see, there will be "more Anton's" and more blackmails if the UpWork team cannot take appropriate actions. 

[g_vasilevski]

Hi Anton,

I would like to follow up and confirm that I've escalated your concern again and our team will follow up on your ticket as soon as possible with additional information and will assist you furtrher. Thank you.

[petra_r]

---

Anton N wrote:

If he leaks the information I might lose 4 years of hard work at uni. 

---

So basically you hired someone to do university work for you that you should have done yourself? 

Right?

That is also a violation of Upwork's terms of service. 

Preston H wrote:

Both of these rule violations are in and of themselves grounds for suspension or termination from the platform.

---

As is academic fraud. 

[418eef85]

By looking for help outside of uni for a single assignment I do not defame or hurt anyone's reputation apart of mine. Therefore, I do not affect other people's lives apart from mine. 

Now, by blackmailing, I do not only impose stress and pressure against other individuals, but I also hurt their reputation and this could have lifetime consequences. Moreover, plagiarism is not considered a criminal offence. It is a violation of academic integrity and a breach of ethics. 

I must say that I studied one of the hardest degrees during the last 4 years in a foreign country while coping with 2 jobs aside so I can be able to support myself and my family. I have always had straight A's and have never ever looked for "outside" help. However, there are circumstances that are out of our control and we are obligated to deal with one way or the other. 

I am responsible in front of my university and if I have to, I will take full responsibility for my actions. I am not ashamed or guilty because the only person that I can possibly hurt is myself.  Why I did it, well I am not sure you are the person I have to answer to. 

If hiring someone to do university work is a violation of Upwork's terms of service then 40% of the freelancers here are violating the terms of services. A great number of people actually reached out to provide help with "university assignments", so, please ... 

[petra_r]

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Anton N wrote:

By looking for help outside of uni for a single assignment I do not affect other people's lives apart from mine. 

---

Will your university and your professors see it like that when they find out, too?

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Anton N wrote:

It is a violation of academic integrity and a breach of ethics.  

---

And a violation of Upwork's terms of service, look it up under "prohibited site use".

---

Anton N wrote:

However, there are circumstances that are out of our control and we are obligated to deal with one way or the other... 

---

Not by academic fraud.

---

Anton N wrote:

I am responsible in front of my university and if I have to, I will take full responsibility for my actions.... 

---

Good

---

Anton N wrote:

I am not ashamed or guilty because the only person that I can possibly hurt is myself. 

---

Cheap cop-out. By cheating you harm your fellow students who are not cheating.

---

Anton N wrote:

If hiring someone to do university work is a violation of Upwork's terms of service then 40% of the freelancers here are violating the terms of services. 

---

40% of freelancers here? I very much doubt it. I would hazard a guess that the majority of freelancers and their clients are honest and ethical. But if you were inundated with offers it seems that Upwork needs to up their efforts to get rid of those clients and their freelancers.

They keep assuring us (the honest users) that they take academic fraud very seriously and make every effort to rid the platform of that sort of behaviour from both clients and freelancers alike.

[prestonhunter]

re: "If hiring someone to do university work is a violation of Upwork's terms of service then 40% of the freelancers here are violating the terms of services."

Most of the freelancers on Upwork are doing things related to setting up websites for people to sell stuff online, or setting up websites for other reasons, or doing other things that have nothing to do with school/university work.

The only way that most Upwork freelancers encounter "university work" is when they read about it in the Forums.

[colettelewis]

The OP is a cheat, but it is also against the Tos for freelancers to offer their services to write essays for students. Both accounts should be terminated. 

ETA: In most cases, people generally put themselves in a position to be blackmailed. The best thing for the OP to do is to talk it through with the prof concerned. 

[4c5b9f71]

Yeah I saw the response and figured the same thing out 

[4c5b9f71]

Private information? 

[a653ce88]

Hey! I know it's been for a while, but I would love to know how the story ends.

[4c5b9f71]

Yeah o was reading the jnotal trad and wanted to know more about the case. 

You just wrote a rough brief version and want us to give you advice ? 

Please go to upwork support since this happend on upwork the conversation is documented, prese the this to support team with exactly with what happend. 

Thank you 

[anmol0721]

Simply report and block him.

No worries