Solved: Beware of Spamming

mdbutnayem · ‎04-12-2023

A client hired me directly on Upwork and requested my email address to share job details. I shared my email address, but upon receiving an email with a link and file attachment, I suspected it to be a scam. As a precautionary measure, I ended the contract immediately and blocked the client.

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

759e32fa · ‎04-12-2023

Hi Kowshik and MD,

Many of you noted challenges that our teams are working to address, including higher than usual volumes of scam posts, constantly changing methods of scam accounts and gaps in user education around Upwork TOS and safety. I want to assure you we are working on opportunities to address these on all fronts. I encourage you to check out this post for more details. We’ll continue sharing updates and information around the team’s initiatives as they become available.

~ AJ

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kchanda · ‎04-12-2023

Exactly the same thing happened to me a few minutes ago. I was hired directly, and the client had a verified payment method, which gave me the assurance that they were a valid client. However, it's frustrating to see this happening continuously on UpWork. I wonder what actions are being taken by UpWork to address this issue.

25005175 · ‎04-12-2023

There are far more scammers than there are Upwork staff. Scammers can easily produce new accounts after being suspended by using different credentials/email. And scammers routinely modify their tactics to bypass Upwork's evolving algorithm for flagging scams.

759e32fa · ‎04-12-2023

Hi Kowshik and MD,

Many of you noted challenges that our teams are working to address, including higher than usual volumes of scam posts, constantly changing methods of scam accounts and gaps in user education around Upwork TOS and safety. I want to assure you we are working on opportunities to address these on all fronts. I encourage you to check out this post for more details. We’ll continue sharing updates and information around the team’s initiatives as they become available.

~ AJ

elisa_b · ‎04-15-2023

Annie Jane B wrote:
constantly changing methods of scam

I beg your pardon, "constantly changing"?

What about people posting their phone numbers, e-mail addresses or Telegram details?

What about people spamming the platform with endless, duplicated, shady job offers?

It's been years since this is happening. If I can successfully filter out content, why cannot Upwork identify and automatically take down those job postings?

How can Upwork promise to address constantly changing scam methods if you cannot even fight the simpler, trivial ones? How do you expect to sound credible?

Annie Jane B wrote:
gaps in user education around Upwork TOS and safety

Then why Upwork discarded the Readiness Test? Seriously, you have opened your doors to literally ANYONE on this planet and yet you also discontinued the only tiny tool you had in place to check if they were ready to work?

Upwork should have made the Readiness Test even harder to pass instead! Wouldn't it be more logical?

25005175 · ‎04-15-2023

Upwork should have made the Readiness Test even harder to pass instead! Wouldn't it be more logical?

Only if Connects revenue is not a factor. If Connects revenue is factored and weighted more than FL readiness, then flinging the doors open to every potential FL is a logical move, on just those two premises. Of course, there are more premises that need to be included, like Client experience, which would be improved with fewer low-skill FL.

elisa_b · ‎04-16-2023

Of course. We all know Connects are one of their sources of revenue now - that's why I said "logical", not "profitable".

I only wish they were more honest. A while ago, they said they discontinued the Readiness Test because it caused too much "friction" among new freelancers. Now they admit their lack of readiness. Coherence, anyone?

mdbutnayem · ‎04-14-2023

Very disappointed😢