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pariszsun
Community Member

Scammers from the bottom of the barrel.

In my 26 years of design great times in design, here in up work, I am getting one-time waster or scammer after the next. Today was an exceptional one; he wanted to pay handsomely for a new website but only wanted to discuss by email. By the time I had spent 2 hours working up a detailed estimate, Up Work blocked the scammer — time loss on my part and the 17 others that bid on the lush project and Up Work Corporate. Meanwhile, the scammer asked for my bank account number in an email. 

 

Up work has recently launched a vast social media campaign, guess what so has Fiver. So basically the bottom of the barrel has noticed Up Work.  I never like to rant without trying to offer a fix: Up Work needs to conduct invitational lunches to prominent real companies and showcase the exceptional talent here before we have no choice but to go. Then the "unverified" client is just fine if they are proven businesses. Otherwise, vet the clients, just like the Freelancers are vetted (ID, Bank Account, Video) we are all tired of wasting time, and at some point, cannot lose more time.

5 REPLIES 5
feed_my_eyes
Community Member


Rose F wrote:

I never like to rant without trying to offer a fix: Up Work needs to conduct invitational lunches to prominent real companies and showcase the exceptional talent here before we have no choice but to go. Then the "unverified" client is just fine if they are proven businesses. Otherwise, vet the clients, just like the Freelancers are vetted (ID, Bank Account, Video) we are all tired of wasting time, and at some point, cannot lose more time.


There's a crucial difference. Freelancers submit to the vetting because they've already decided that they want to work through Upwork (and trust me, the "vetting" isn't that onerous, since plenty of scammy and unskilled freelancers are still accepted). But a lot of first-time clients aren't sure whether they want to hire someone or not - they very reasonably want to see what sort of responses they get to their projects first - so they can't be expected to jump through hoops before they're allowed to post a project. Upwork would see a huge reduction in the number of clients if they started making demands like that.

 

As for trying to attract high-level clients, what makes you think that Upwork isn't already doing so? I've worked for some of them myself.

What I think is based on experience and fact. Thank you for your response.

I think Up Work is great, what I want to see if it is possible, is verification of the clients. Up work was super fast in blocking a scanner. I made a mistake, often clients insist they want to email, even when I insist anything can be sent through the message system. Last night the mistake I made was to provide my email. There the client sent details to make a detailed bid for his work. An hour later when I was ready to upload the bid to Up work, the client. Was asking me in an email to take his credit card, but also needed my bank routing, cell and name the account. Up work caught this in less than an hour, they are not at fault but it would be nice to have spent my time on a real client. 


Rose F wrote:
What I think is based on experience and fact. Thank you for your response.

What I think is also based on experience and fact. I've been on Elance and Upwork for almost 19 years; long enough to be able to spot scammers and time wasters and not engage with them in the first place.

 

Fact: Upwork is not going to start making demands that will scare away clients.

Thank you, Christine, for sharing your experience, and clarifying the wishes of UpWork.