Assumption of Auto-click software

[4ff4d8c3]

Hello there, 

I don't use any auto-click software however, yesterday, I received am email from Upwork team that they seen activities about using auto-click software.

I replied to them and Clearfield that my work " lead generation " requires a lot of search through many taps and and paste many words in a fast way to gather leads to my client and I did gather many leads which made my client happy and promised me to reach me in other projects.

As planned I will receive an amount of money in wensday ( it's in pending now ) 

Now, I really confused after receiving this mail from Upwork. And I'm afraid that they may terminate my account over their wrong assumption.

So please tell me about this case and what should I do to help Upwork to prove that my hand is clean.

[4ff4d8c3]

Hello Sir, 

Related to this topic.

I received yesterday that I maybe using an auto-click software. This is not true, I didn't even know that there is such thing.

I replied that my work nature requires me to use keyboard and mouse frequently, so this maybe the reason they see such activities. I've an amount in pending and I need to know the action from Upwork team.

Are they gonna suspend me for just assumption ? Will I receive my money in wensday as planned ? 

I hope you clearfy this to me. 

Thanks in advance. 

[iwan-spillebeen]

Auto-clickers and frequent use of mouse and keyboard are absolutely not the same thing and the UpWork tracking tool can tell the difference between the two.  And yes continued use of any auto clicker will get you suspended.

I fail to see the reason why OP used it if there was an understanding with the client then they could just as easily made an agreement for entry of manual hours, for those 60% times that he wasn't behind his PC. The only reason to use an auto-clicker is to trigger the hourly payment protection, I.e. you're cheating UpWork when doing so and they will remove you permanently from the platform.

[4ff4d8c3]

Thank you for caring 🙏

If you could clearfy what they will do to my account after one mail from them putting in consider that I don't use auto-click software but I clicked many times on my keyboard ( didn't intend that ).

They will remove me now or do you mean I frequently used it. And I will not for sure.

My contact is by hour and it was traked and I installed the app tranker on my desktop.

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

 

[iwan-spillebeen]

Again, it isn't about clicking many times, plenty of people do that, the tracker checks for auto clicker behaviour which is a consistent frequency of clicks per time period which you will never achieve as a human.  The same with opening a document and just blocking a key on your keyboard so it continuously types (which is also in violation of the rules) or blocking one of your mouse keys to continuously click.

You need to respond to that mail and clarify what you were doing that may have caused the tracker to have picked up such behaviour, simply stating that you click a lot and copy paste a lot is not going to cut it I can guarantee you that.  They are talking about behaviour tracked on your PC that is inconsistent with human behaviour.

An yes, if you don't respond in time they will permanently suspend you.

[4ff4d8c3]

I responded and Clearfield the nature of my work that requires me cliking many times because of coping and pasting , and I hope they understand that because I really really lean on that work and I was never risking to violate the terms. 

Again thank you so much for clearification. 

[iwan-spillebeen]

It isn't about copy and paste work that requires you to click many times, there are plenty of jobs on UpWork that require people to do so, it is about CONSISTENT patterns that are not in line with human behaviour. I doubt they will accept the explanation.

[4ff4d8c3]

Here is the issue, I don't use any auto-click software and I can't prove that.

Why they even sent me the mail if they only suspect the inconsistent clicks.

Sometimes I use keyboard to scroll not the mouse . No way they consider this inconsistent.

They screen shot my work while working so then they see my screen.

If they didn't accept my explanation, they will not send the money in pending ? 

This will be a big issue for me.

It's alot of money and it took me long time to achieve. First activity will terminate me ! Is this could happen ? 

[iwan-spillebeen]

You are still missing my point, you were not flagged for clicking, copy / pasting or using the keyboard to scroll, we all do that.  The tracker picked up consistent behaviour which is something humans are simply incapable of doing.  We never click the same amount of times per minute, we never type the same amount of letters every minute, only automated software can do such a thing, or blocking keys on your keyboard or mouse.  If you have multiple time blocks with this type of behaviour it will flag you.  If you are not using an auto-clicker (which I doubt) then you have an issue on your PC that is displaying this behaviour that you need to resolve.  You may have a game open that uses an auto clicker, which should not be running while you are working, or something similar.

In terms of getting paid, yes you will likely get paid for what is in pending provided the clients approves it, but they may suspend you from any further work.

[4ff4d8c3]

Sir, to be more I didn't even know there was something called ( auto clicker software) and I didn't open any games.

I don't want to lose my account for thing I didn't do.

Maybe I over clicked on keyboard but I was working and stated that in the memeos and the work dairy. 

How can I cleafy to them that it wasn't intentionally ? 

[yofazza]

The client did look suspicious. 3 lead generation job history with $30-$45 per hour. Can you explain more about the job?

[yofazza]

All the jobs are on April. Maybe the client use a stolen card and there was a few cases where Upwork accuse the use of autoclicker to avoid paying the payment protection, where in at least 1 case I saw the freelancer finally managed to get the protection.

AFAIK Upwork doesn't 'complain' if there's no problem with the payment.

[feed_my_eyes]

Even if you didn't actually use auto clicker software, if you were clicking constantly but the screen captures show no progress in your work - like you're just clicking repeatedly, but the document isn't changing, or is showing you clicking while hardly any work is being done - then that's fraudulent as well. It would look like you're trying to get paid for more time than the project requires.

Freelancers on Upwork don't normally get paid $30-40/hour just for copy/pasting information onto a spreadsheet, so that looks pretty suspicious as well.

[4ff4d8c3]

Not just coping and pasting , it's more than that for sure.

Let's assume that I clicked instantly on keyboard for one minute but while working too , is this enough to cost me my account ? Or just warning maybe ?:warning:  

[yofazza]

If the client did use a stolen card, there's a very little chance that you'll get the protection.

But you should be able to save your account, just keep telling them that it was an honest mistake (about working on a scam job - you didn't know)

[4ff4d8c3]

It really was.

I gather leads for a specific business but a specific information which is not easy as it looks because that takes me time to gather a confirmed information about the needed business.

[iwan-spillebeen]

The type of work described: copy / pasting Company name Company Email Company phone no Company address Industry Food and beverages State California would not trigger an auto-clicker warning, since you'd have to:
- open webpage

- double click info to be copied

- open spreadsheet

- scroll to location

- click field

- paste info in field

That is very common work on UpWork.

[4ff4d8c3]

You want to say that if I got such warning then I use auto-click software ? 

Because I wasn't use this.

Maybe over use of the keyboard :up_arrow:and :down_arrow: bottoms while surfing the page in a fast way. This the only reason. And that wasn't do this intentionally to violate the terms. 

[iwan-spillebeen]

Unless you are smashing your keyboard for minutes on end, why would this trigger an auto-clicker warning? For the job you were hired for there is zero reason to smash your keyboard minutes on end, so why would you be doing so for a minute or longer ... if not to trigger the payment protection? 

Just scrolling a webpage or spreadsheet with your mouse or keyboard will not trigger auto-clicker, just clicking and copy/pasting will not trigger auto clicker, so it can only be triggered by two things really:

1. the use of an auto-clicker

2. you behaving like an auto clicker for an unreasonable amount of time

I'm not saying that you did or didn't use one, I'm saying that you're not making a point to convince that you didn't.

[4ff4d8c3]

Not amount of time really 

But when I read a page without any clicking this may be appear that I wasn't work so I clicked the up and down bottoms to show that I was working and that's it not more. Maybe that the issue and I wasn't know that may lead me to this. But it was normal clicks. I will be disappointed if something happened to my account I really lean on this work.

From your experience what will happen to the amount in the pending and what will be their reply and how to Clearfy my intention. 

Thanks. 

[feed_my_eyes]

---

Amr M wrote:

Not just coping and pasting , it's more than that for sure.

Let's assume that I clicked instantly on keyboard for one minute but while working too , is this enough to cost me my account ? Or just warning maybe ?:warning:  

---

So you admit that you were just randomly clicking for no reason? Why? Lots of people do data entry jobs on Upwork and use the time tracker without any issues. If you're just working honestly, i.e. only clicking when you're actually doing something, it wouldn't be a problem.

[4ff4d8c3]

No, I didn't.

I mean I used the keyboard instead of mouse sometimes.

And then I assume if I clicked keyboard constantly for minute ( just assumption to understand how they think) what will happen? 

[feed_my_eyes]

If you're constantly clicking for no reason instead of working properly, then yes, I assume Upwork will notice. It kind of feels like you're asking how to get away with this.

[4ff4d8c3]

No, don't get me wrong. 

I say that maybe I made that mistake so is this the end of it and they will terminate me. I will be careful about that in the future for sure. 

[yofazza]

You can explain about the job in detail, along with why do you think the client is 'willing' to pay that amount, and also other details that you think is important.

People will be able to provide a more accurate insights whether it's the end or not 😁

[4ff4d8c3]

Because the amount in pending so it pass from review. 

I don't think the client have any decisions in this stage. 

I detailed everything above. 

[d191f17b]

I had the exact same Issue , Upwork emailed me for supposedly using an Auto-Clicking software (which I never used), and the money I was going to earn for my job was refunded to the client. I made my claim to Upwork but they were not capable of solving anything. I am very confused as to why the hour registration software from upwork detected an Auto-Clicking software which I didn´t use no did I knew that it was a thing. 

Upwork told that they can´t reverse the refund and to contact my client so he can give me my payment as a bonus payment.  Obviously my client is ghosting me and desapeared completly after he got a job done for free, so he is not responding my messages. In conclusion Upwork's auto-click detection software is buggy and cost me a lot of money and no one is going to respond for that money. I got scammed.  

[812dd08c]

Hi Santiago,

I'm sorry to hear about the unexpected refund processed on your account. Please note that when the client fails to pay for hours logged by the freelancer, any hours Upwork Hourly Protection doesn't cover may be reversed.

I can see that you're already communicating with the appropriate team about the issue via email, and a support ticket has also been set up. We highly suggest you continue coordinating with the team through that ticket here, and they will surely assist you accordingly. We seek your patience and utmost understanding while sorting this out for you. Thank you!

[drob_dj]

I just received an email regarding the use of auto-clicker which completely shocked and concerned me. I think the contract investigation took place because the contract with my client was on hold for 2 consecutive weeks because of my client's payment issue. 

I'm afraid that they might issue the payment back to my client. I'm still waiting for their response.

[pradeephele]

Hi Dale,

I am sorry to hear about the review initiated on your account. We take any allegations of misconduct very seriously and investigate each case thoroughly. I understand that this can be a stressful situation and we are here to help. I appreciate your timely response to the notification. Please allow 24-48 hours for the team to review and respond to your notification. 

Thank you,

Pradeep