Ex-Navy Engineer in Florida turns out to be someone in Cambodia

[83bb8cb6]

The William **Edited for Community Guidelines**, ex-Navy engineer, whom we hired turned out to be a Cambodian online from Cambodia who kept saying "the project is going very well" and "make the milestone payment". After the project delay which the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**explained to be due to being in Cambodia, we found the true William **Edited for Community Guidelines**in Florida with some detective work using Google. The true William **Edited for Community Guidelines**said he has 7% heart functioning left due to a heart attack and he is working with a partner. The William **Edited for Community Guidelines**of Cambodia also said he had a heart attack and that was the reason for his poor job rating of 71% at UPWORK when we hired him at first. After 2 weeks of delay, during which we offered our carrier account and was told four times "the working sample will be shipped tomorrow", the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**finally shipped a box today via EMS from Cambodia which will take another 30 - 45 days to arrive here in US according to UPWORK. We do not know what is in the box. UPWORK clarified to us that it is not responsible for the $3005 milestone payments which we made to the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**. We need to spend another cost of Arbitration which will result in no refund if the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**does not cooperate to return the money. UPWORK promises that it will hold the UPWORK account of the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**in suspension until the refund is made, if the arbitration is in our favor. We do not think that the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**will be convinced of refunding due to the account being suspended. The damage to us could have been less at $2005 if our last payment $1000, which was on a 5 days hold at the time of our reporting the sham to UPWORK, was blocked by UPWORK. But UPWORK would do no such thing, even at our repeated request. This has been our first and very disappointing experience. It wasted our money and our time.

[martina_plaschka]

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@Aaron H wrote:

The William **Edited for Community Guidelines**, ex-Navy engineer, whom we hired turned out to be a Cambodian online from Cambodia who kept saying "the project is going very well" and "make the milestone payment". After the project delay which the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**explained to be due to being in Cambodia, we found the true William **Edited for Community Guidelines**in Florida with some detective work using Google. The true William **Edited for Community Guidelines**said he has 7% heart functioning left due to a heart attack and he is working with a partner. The William **Edited for Community Guidelines**of Cambodia also said he had a heart attack and that was the reason for his poor job rating of 71% at UPWORK when we hired him at first. After 2 weeks of delay, during which we offered our carrier account and was told four times "the working sample will be shipped tomorrow", the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**finally shipped a box today via EMS from Cambodia which will take another 30 - 45 days to arrive here in US according to UPWORK. We do not know what is in the box. UPWORK clarified to us that it is not responsible for the $3005 milestone payments which we made to the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**. We need to spend another cost of Arbitration which will result in no refund if the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**does not cooperate to return the money. UPWORK promises that it will hold the UPWORK account of the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**in suspension until the refund is made, if the arbitration is in our favor. We do not think that the William **Edited for Community Guidelines**will be convinced of refunding due to the account being suspended. The damage to us could have been less at $2005 if our last payment $1000, which was on a 5 days hold at the time of our reporting the sham to UPWORK, was blocked by UPWORK. But UPWORK would do no such thing, even at our repeated request. This has been our first and very disappointing experience. It wasted our money and our time.

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 oh darn, what a shame. Whatever you do, don't open that box! 

[g_vasilevski]

Hi Aaron,

I`m sorry to hear about the bad experience you had with this freelancer. I have already escalated your concern and one of our team members will reach out to you directly to assist you further. Thank you.

[83bb8cb6]

Below is a response I just received from UPWORK regarding my post of Aug 28.  I posted it to warn clients or potential clients on hiring an engineer. In my case, the ex-navy Florida engineer that I hired turned out to be someone in Cambodia.

UPWORK may say that a true person registered to UPWORK, but it should check on who is (or was) actually answering the contact or carrying on the work on behalf of the person registered.

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[kochubei_valeria]

Aaron,

Sorry to hear you were disappointed with the reply you received from our customer support. Unfortunately, we won't be able to further discuss the status of another user's account.

Thank you.

[83bb8cb6]

Here is a follow up on the my previous postings on hiring a freelancer who claimed to be an ex-Navy veteran in Florida but is actually a Cambodian in Cambodia.

Now he is contacting me through Skype asking me to delete my evaluation of his work. Here are his skype messages:

"Could you delete your review in Upwork?"

"Please help me"

"I will do my best for you"

"I am waiting for you"

This is after sending me a box of non-functioning boards as a result of his $3005 paid work.

My big question now is why UPWORK still keeps this freelancer in the loop. I just saw that he is working on other 2 - 4 jobs. UPWORK says that it takes the false identity and protection of clients seriously.  I guess that "seriously" can mean different things for different points of view.

Watch out for troubles! 

[versailles]

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@Aaron H wrote:

Here is a follow up on the my previous postings on hiring a freelancer who claimed to be an ex-Navy veteran in Florida but is actually a Cambodian in Cambodia.

(...)

My big question now is why UPWORK still keeps this freelancer in the loop.

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I would love to know as well...