Client is running a scam

[colinstone]

I've presented, shot and edited 8 videos for a client regarding investing in crypto currency. You can maybe tell where this is going.

The first two I was happy with, as it seemed very similar to the kind of projects I've done before, and agreed to shoot more. Now having shot the final 6, it's very clear to me that the client is running scam websites.

He's asking people to invest hundreds of dollars into these sites, with the hopes of 'getting rich quick'. A quick YouTube search has uncovered a bunch of 'exposed' videos where these websites are decried as scams. The money's being taken without any chance of getting it back.

Yes, I should've done some due diligence beforehand. What do I do now though? The work's submitted and the milestones are complete. Help!

[prestonhunter]

Upwork is not the cryptocurrency police.

If you believe that the client has violated Upwork policies, then you may report him for that.

If you believe that the client has done something that needs to be reported elsewhere, then you would need to decide if you need to report such things elsewhere.

For example: if you worked for a client who owns a restaurant, and your job was to make promotional videos for the restaurant... if the client tried to pay you directly from PayPal, and not pay you through Upwork, then it would be appropriate to report him to Upwork. If, while working for the client, you saw that there was a problem with cleanliness in the kitchen, or of the client hired illegal aliens, or if the client did not have sufficient fire extinguishers as mandated by state law... then these may be things that make you decide to not work for the the client. That would be your right.

You could indeed report the client to the applicable health, immigration, fire safety agencies.

Would you report these things to Upwork?

Doing so would accomplish nothing. Upwork is not going to take action on these matters. They fall outside of Upwork's purview.

[colinstone]

Thanks for your sarcastic reply, Preston. I'd appreciate some actionable suggestions.

Do I end the contract without notice and hope he still gives me 5 stars for a job well done? I fulfilled my end of the contract. Do I ought to give him a glowing review, or warn others he's scamming vulnerable people? 

If you can help with real issues as opposed to mentioning immigration or illegal aliens, that would be great.

[michael_skaggs]

I don't think it was sarcasm at all, but merely providing a hypothetical situation and asking what you would do in that case. It was also pointing out that in both cases, Upwork would not be able or willing to intervene.

The bottom line is that you fulfilled the terms of your contract, and the client fulfilled theirs. As far as UW is concerned, it's a successful business transaction. You can leave whatever feedback you like, since it's a double-blind system. However, other potential clients could see it as unprofessional if you don't have any hard evidence to back up your claims. And the feedback seciton isn't really the place for something like that anyway.

You can report them to whatever agency you feel appropriate, but there's nothing UW can or will do.

[prestonhunter]

I'm not sure why you thought there was any sarcasm in my post. There was not.

You may want to reread the first two posts in this thread. My post is no more about illegal immigration than your post is about cryptocurrency.

[AveryO]

Hi Colin, 

I'm sorry for the delay. I was trying to look into the client you are referring to, but I was unable to identify it. Do you have the Contract ID for this client so that I can look into this further? 

As a gentle reminder, posting any incriminating information in the forums is not allowed as per our Community Guidelines. If you find any user or job post that you find suspicious, or raises a red flag, you have the option of flagging the job post/user as inappropriate so that it goes to the team's queue for their review. I'll wait for your message.