Client scamming Upwork

[jr-translation]

The is a client creating fake jobs to give free connects to freelancers for fake in interviews.

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

The correct action should be to remove the client and all the freelancer that applied.

[jr-translation]

While Upwork removes the like in the job posting the job postings remain.

[AndreaG]

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for bringing this to our attention! We've flagged this to the team for review.

[jr-translation]

It would be great to get an update. Will the clients and freelancers be suspended? We are talking about several hundred accounts.

And why were the links in some of the description removed but not the job postings.

[kochubei_valeria]

Hi Jennifer,

For privacy and security reasons we will not be able to share the results of the team's investigations  or any information about the status of other users' account. Rest assured that the team will take action as provided for in our Terms of Service.

Thanks!

[jr-translation]

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Valeria K wrote:

Hi Jennifer,

For privacy and security reasons we will not be able to share the results of the team's investigations  or any information about the status of other users' account. Rest assured that the team will take action as provided for in our Terms of Service.

Thanks!

---

If the team would search for "free connects", it might catch the remaining 5 jobs as well.

I try to stay optimistic that at least one of the profiles will be removed and the postman delivers a small thanks.

[gilbert-phyllis]

---

Valeria K wrote:

Hi Jennifer,

For privacy and security reasons we will not be able to share the results of the team's investigations  or any information about the status of other users' account. Rest assured that the team will take action as provided for in our Terms of Service.

Thanks!

---

I understand it's generally appropriate to protect the privacy of UW users involved in disciplinary actions. At the same time, I wish we could see some head on pikes every now and then, as a deterrent!

[roberty1y]

Phyllis G said:

At the same time, I wish we could see some head on pikes every now and then, as a deterrent!

Not literally, I hope! Putting them in stocks to let people throw rotten vegetables at them should be sufficient.

[gilbert-phyllis]

---

Robert Y wrote:

Phyllis G said:

At the same time, I wish we could see some head on pikes every now and then, as a deterrent!

Not literally, I hope! Putting them in stocks to let people throw rotten vegetables at them should be sufficient.

---

Heck yes, literally, within the bounds of the metaphor. Putting someone in the stocks amounts to temporary suspension. I dont' care about that. I want to know those whose transgressions (such as described above) warrant permanent bans actually suffer those consequences. Lop the heads off their accounts and, occasionally, stick 'em up on pikes for all to see, so everybody knows UW is serious about enforcing the rules.

[intancheria]

Hi Jennifer, I still have a chance to read the job posting before the link removed. This scammer also created a job to make fake testimonial videos, it’s so unethical. I think Upwork should take the action first before removing the evidence link in this discussion.

[jr-translation]

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Intan Cheria S wrote:

Hi Jennifer, I still have a chance to read the job posting before the link removed. This scammer also created a job to make fake testimonial videos, it’s so unethical. I think Upwork should take the action first before removing the evidence link in this discussion.

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I found 8 job postings and some of them were edited to remove the link but the postings stayed up for hours. Just search for jobs with "free connects". 

I think clients as well as the applying freelancers knowingly violated the ToS and should be removed.

[tta192]

This was to be expected, but the goal of the connects system was to create some sort of speed bumps and limit the amount of low quality proposals clients were receiving. Buying connects or spending a few minutes to get them through this 'elaborate scheme', the result is more or less the same: they won't send the same number of proposals as before, so clients get less spam.

[jr-translation]

Next client with a **Edited for Community Guidelines**

[jr-translation]

And another **Edited for Community Guidelines**

[AleksandarD]

Hi Jennifer,

Thanks for taking the time to report the job posts. I shared them with the team so they can be reviewed.

Thank you.

[jr-translation]

And this **Edited for Community Guidelines**

Which is actually a client who posted 5 jobs in the past 24 hours and "gave away" 1000 connects during this time.

[AleksandarD]

Hi Jennifer,

I'll update the report with the job post you shared.

Thank you.

[m_terrazas]

A few more:
**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[81cb6276]

Hey, Jennifer, we are thankful for the alerts, am not sure if have been a victim, maybe l was, with the free connects l was quick to click.

[jr-translation]

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Micha O wrote:

Hey, Jennifer, we are thankful for the alerts, am not sure if have been a victim, maybe l was, with the free connects l was quick to click.

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Did the client promis 10 free connects in return for some subscriptions?

[jr-translation]

Is there a way to block clients from my job feed? There is this one scam client that posted 7 jobs today and is spamming my job feed. I keep flagging the posts, but he is still there.

[81cb6276]

Hey Jennifer, excuse the delay in response, he didn't but l felt something
was wrong, all the connects were non responsive, this usual suspect wasted
lots of my time on feeds links.

[grimesr]

Is this an acceptable project?

[jr-translation]

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Robert G wrote:

Is this an acceptable project?

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No, it is the scam.

1. The client is not in a position to give away free connects, they could only pay each freelancer $1.50 + VAT (where it applies) as compentation for going through the trouble of applying.

2. The client never hires anyone who applies for a job.

3. Promising free connects in return for x subscriptions is asking for free work.

...

[kochubei_valeria]

Hi All,

Thanks for bringing this issue to our attention. Trust & Safety team has been made aware of it and are working to not only action individual jobs that have already been posted but to also make sure these type of jobs are detected earlier.

We appreciate if you used the available "Flag as inappropriate" option on the job posting to report them directly to the appropriate team.

[jr-translation]

You might want to search for "k0nnects" as well.

[m_terrazas]

And if they are not monitored and banned, they will continue to do so. As Jennifer has shown, once they see that with the text "free connects" Upwork deletes their job postings, they change the text.