Bogus Client?

[#1]

I got a message from these people. Can someone help me figure out if it's bogus?

**edited for Community Guidelines**

[#2]

I don't know if it's bogus, but if you accept this interview you could end up being banned or suspended from the site, because offsite contact before a contract is started is against Upwork ToS. The part about the job being deleted "after selecting all candidates fit for the interview" suggests that it's a scammer. Scammers know their job postings will be deleted, so it's likely they're preparing for that.

[#3]

WHO can I ask in Upwork please I've been looking and looking.

[#4]

WHO can I ask to confirm this please?

[#5 · Accepted solution]

It is a scam, one of the oldest on the Internet, and has been posted all over the net verbatim for many years.

Also, it would be a very serious violation of Upwork's Terms of Service if you went ahead with this and even if it wasn't a scam (it is), you could lose your Upwork account for violating the terms of service.

You are not, under any circumstances, allowed to communicate with any client outside of Upwork before you are hired.

[#6]

I flagged it. My 2 clients now , they interviewed me via Zoom then, we went through Upwork to authorize contract to be able to start.

How else will I communicate with Client if Upwork scheduling button doesn't work?  WHO and where is the link to write Upwork regarding this please?

[#7]

You can get interviewed via Upwork's messages, their call system and the built in zoom system. There is no reason to take it outside Upwork.

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Marisa Y wrote:

they interviewed me via Zoom then

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Upwork's integrated zoom I hope, not outside the platform...

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Marisa Y wrote:

I flagged it. My 2 clients now , they interviewed me via Zoom then, we went through Upwork to authorize contract to be able to start.

How else will I communicate with Client if Upwork scheduling button doesn't work? 

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You can communicate with clients using Upwork Messages, Upwork's own call system and Upwork's integrated Zoom.

You can easily just ask the client when they'd like to talk and then be online on Upwork then.

[#8]

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Marisa Y wrote:
WHO can I ask to confirm this please?

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There is NOBODY on upwork or the forum that can confirm that for you. It is only possible to point out the obvious red flags. YOU need to be the person who knows the ToS and adheres to them. That way it is impossible to get scammed. 

[#9]

It is certainly a scam, just looking at the language!

Also, in my past 20 years of career and attending several online/offline interviews I have never been given a verification code! 

Besides that, a client has to conduct an interview on Upwork platform! 

[#10]

What are these people scamming me for... I wonder...

[#11]

Thea re not targeting "you", they send those messages to tons of people, most of them will not fall for it, a few will and even a small minority will go ahead with the spam and fall prey!

If you look at the job stats now, you will see a high number of people being interviewed, that is because they most likely sent the same message to all those who sent in their proposal. 

Now the scam is simple: You will be "selected and offered" the job, but to move the process further, they will ask you to either send in payment to them or buy stuff that you will need for the job from "their" authorized dealer with a promise to reimburse the amount with your salary! 

[#12]

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Marisa Y wrote:

What are these people scamming me for... I wonder...

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Money or identity theft.

[#13]

Hi Marisa, 

Robert and Petra are correct. Freelancers are not allowed to communicate outside of Upwork before a contract starts. If the client needs to conduct an interview, you can do so through the Zoom integration in Upwork. It would be best if you read up on these articles below for more information about communicating outside of Upwork: 

• On-platform Interviews
• Contact Information Sharing
• I’m New Here, What Should I Know?

Please also know that I had to edit your post because we do not allow chat and email transcripts to be posted in the Community as it is a violation of the Upwork Community Guidelines. 

Let me know if you have other questions.

[#14]

Thank you to All ❤️

Avery, I flagged the client. Can you please tell me what this sort is 'scamming' people for? Thank you.

[#15]

They are scamming you for money, obviously. What else would they try to scam you for? Put your thinking cap on. 

[#16]

I got an invite from someone for Video Data collection from India, I wanted to know if it seems legit or is a scam.

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

 

[#17]

I tried looking it up on Upwork but could not find the job, so probably was reported or deleted by Upwork. Could be a private job also, not sure. 

I will not be comfortable doing it with the GPS enabled!

Although the job does not seem to need any specific skill set, nothing about the job description matches your profile. 

Also since you are new to the platform with no job history, you are an obvious and easy target for scammers. 

I'd steer clear of such jobs! 

[#18]

That's a weird job, but I can't see anything that violates the ToS or suggests fraud. It could be they invited you as a newbie becuase they want people who'll accept low rates. 

[#19]

Hi Latisha,

Thank you for reaching out to us and bringing this to our attention. I shared your report with our team for further investigation and appropriate actions will be taken according to our internal processes.

Please check this post for the freelancer resources and tips for avoiding questionable jobs that we put together to help freelancers make decisions whether to work with a client or not.

I also advise you to also check this page for more information on how to report any suspicious activity in freelance profiles, portfolios, job postings, or the Upwork Message Center.