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703d9940
Community Member

A client acting suspect, seems like a scam or a creepy person

Hello! 

I am here to request help. I couldn't find a way to flag the client directly so i wanted to share my experience here.

I found a job proposal to which I answered. I got a message from the client. I was contacted and asked for a video interview through a skype link.


I went to discuss with the person. He asked for my date of birth and had a weird reaction to it.
The conversation was very sketchy. The person asked me to move away from my camera so that he'd have a better vision on me (what i am guessing : on my body, as my camera was fully showing my face and shoulders).


He asked me for joining fees.
When I turned off my camera, he asked me to turn it back on.
I asked for the legal name of his business but couldn't find it online.
This is likely to be a scam or worse. 

Sadly, i didn't screen everything (for example, the joining fees question. I left the Skype conversation and has no access to it anymore.)

 

**Edited for Community Guidelines** 

2 REPLIES 2
prestonhunter
Community Member

re: "I was contacted and asked for a video interview through a Skype link."

 

That is not allowed.

Does not matter if the prospective client is "creepy" or not.

 

A freelancer is not allowed to communicate with a prospective client via Skype or using any other method OUTSIDE of Upwork.

 

After an official Upwork contract is in place, THEN a client and freelancer may communicate using Skype of any method they want to use.

 

You were violating Upwork ToS.

Next time, if a prospective client asks you to talk to them via Skype, you can tell them the same thing that I tell them:

 

"Yes, we can talk via Skype. Upwork allows clients and freelancers to communicate via Skype or any other tool after an official Upwork contract is in place. But until there is a contract, Upwork requires that all communication be done on the Upwork platform.

 

"Would you like to click the Hire button now and then I can accept the contract, so that we can begin working together using Skype? Or would you like to continue our conversation and discuss the job further (for free) using the Upwork Messages tool? We can use this tool to talk via live chat, audio calls, videoconferencing, or built-in Zoom."

 

Clients don't always now the rules. But see... You are giving the prospective client an opportunity to do the right thing. If the client does NOT hire you officially on Upwork or continue the discussion on Upwork, THEN you can use the "Flag as inappropriate" link button on the job posting page to report them.

PradeepH
Moderator
Moderator

Hi Yasmine,

 

Thank you for contacting us. I am sorry to hear about your experience with a client. I see we have already reviewed the reported client and appropriate action has been taken on their account. Please note that sharing your contact information with the client before accepting an offer on Upwork is considered a TOS violation. Please read these tips for avoiding questionable jobs and working safely through Upwork. You can also read about Scam Preventions and how to report suspicious user activity. By doing so, it will send a notification to the relevant team to monitor the account and take the appropriate measures they deem necessary. Feel free to message us if you need further assistance.

 

Thank you.

Pradeep.

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