Scammed by a poster and my Google Play Console account is suspended, who is responsible?

[dev_arshay]

I am Android App Developer, I had my Google Play Console, some scammers from subcontinent posted a Job saying "I want someone to Upload my Apps on Google Play" just like that, I unwillingly granted the access to my account, I made every possible discussion with them for fair use of my account and they assured me. But the client turned out to be a destructive to my account he published some prohibited material through my a console account and it ruined all my App develing career.

I have tried alot to reinstate my account, but in vain.

I have to ask:

Who is responsible for this lose which I experienced through this plateform?

The Upwork or the client or myself?

Who will help me to reinstate my account if suspension was caused by an scammer from this plateform?

Upwork should ban these kind of scammers from this plateform so that someone who joins this plateform for betterment in his/her career, but at the end of the day he/she becomes victim of scammers.

As we all know Upwork is a #1 plateform with great user base, it must help the Freelancers in these king of situations where I'm standing today!!

[varadmondkar]

Yesterday, I came across a job post where the client sought a developer to deploy their app on the developer's Play Store account. Intrigued, I applied for the job and engaged in a conversation with the client.

During our conversation, I proposed that the client purchase their own console, and I would assist them in setting up their Play Store console and uploading their app. In response, the client cited Google's 20-tester policy, claiming they required an old account (purchased before 2023) or a new account with 20 testers.

When I mentioned having an old account, the client rushed the process, but I insisted on gathering more information about their company and app. However, the client evaded my questions and instead shared an APK named "EWA PRODUCT.apk" for me to review. Upon searching "EWA PRODUCT" on Google, I found a Russian app with the same name and icon, rated Mature 17+ (The scammer may have reverse-engineered that APK). I refrained from installing the APK.

Shortly after, the job post was deleted, and Upwork restricted the scammer/client from further communication. Eventually, their Upwork account was terminated.

I wanted to understand their motives, but unfortunately, their account was terminated before I could do so (which is proper action taken by Upwork). 

I advise freelancers to verify clients before accepting work and to avoid falling into traps motivated by greed.

[0c9260f7]

I'm sorry to hear about the difficult situation you've found yourself in. It sounds like you've been the victim of a scam, which is very unfortunate. Let me try to provide some guidance on this:

Responsibility:

The primary responsibility lies with the scammer who misused your Google Play Console account. They are the ones who took advantage of you and used your account for malicious purposes.

While Upwork should aim to better protect freelancers from such scams, the immediate responsibility for the damage caused is on the scammer, not Upwork itself.

As an Android app developer, you should have been more cautious about granting account access to unknown parties, even if they claimed to be clients. This was a lapse in judgment on your part.

Reinstating your account:

The best course of action is to work directly with Google to try to reinstate your suspended Google Play Console account. Provide them with all the details of how your account was compromised, and emphasize that you were the victim of a scam, not the perpetrator.
Google may be willing to review your case and potentially reinstate your account if they are convinced that you were not responsible for the prohibited content being published.

You could also consider reaching out to Upwork support and explaining the situation, as they may be able to provide some guidance or assistance in working with Google to resolve this.

Preventing future issues:

Be extremely cautious about granting access to your accounts, even if a "client" claims to need it. Verify the legitimacy of any requests before taking action.
Consider implementing additional security measures, such as two-factor authentication, on your Google Play Console and other important accounts to prevent unauthorized access.
When working with clients on Upwork, try to keep tasks and responsibilities limited to the platform itself, rather than granting access to your personal accounts.

I understand this is a very frustrating and challenging situation, but I hope these suggestions provide a starting point for you to try to resolve the issue and get your account reinstated. Please let me know if you have any other questions or if there is anything else I can assist with.