Can scams be avoided if...?

[#1]

Something occurred to me just now when looking at an ad that ended with the words, "let me know if you are interested to proceed with the interview and hiring process." That immediately made me think this client plans to ask freelancers to go to Google Hangouts or some other platform for the "hiring process." When looking at their history, I see they just joined Upwork today and have no hiring history. Then I noticed that the job requires 6 connects to apply to. 

This is my question: Surely someone at Upwork determines how many connects each job will require. Isn't the only way to do that reading the contents of the ad? I would think wording like that would raise suspicion. And what about the ads from "clients" who post the same job with the same wording (probably under a different account) immediately after the previous one is taken down for being a scam? Am I missing something, or is Upwork simply not paying attention?

Just curious.

[#2]

Hi Bettye,

I understand that you are concerned about avoiding scams. We have a team dedicated to making sure that Upwork is safe for both clients and freelancers to collaborate. I know that there are still jobs that may raise suspicions. When you're in doubt, please feel free to flag the job so that our team can review them and take action on those that are found to be violating the TOS. 

[#3]

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Bettye U wrote: Surely someone at Upwork determines how many connects each job will require.

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No, an algorithm does.

There are currently 219,490 job posts live. It's simply too expensive to check them all. Or how would you feel about a sharp hike in fees to pay for every job post to be reviewed?

[#4]

Even if UW invested substantially in trying to filter out scam job posts, it would be a losing battle. (Think of another intractable problem: automated spam phone calls...the one I get most often refers to an extended warranty I never purchased on an automobile I sold seven years ago.)

This is not to say they shouldn't direct more resources to this problem. The platform should definitely respond faster and more nimbly to dispose of flagged job posts. But the only way to get real ROI on an anti-scam investment is at the other end: require new FLs to demonstrate they understand minimally how to use the platform in compliance with the ToS. That would put a huge dent in the food supply that attracts scammers. I once lived in a gentrifying urban n'hood where the coyote population got dense enough that people began seeing them. All hell broke loose with demands that the beasts be trapped and relocated. It was an uphill battle to convince people that trapping and relocating would simply create opportunites for new animals to move in. The key was eliminating their easy food supply: stop feeding dogs and cats outdoors, stop storing pet food on porches and decks, etc. The same principles apply here. Scammers are opportunists. The only way to discourage them is by starving them out.

[#5]

"Even if UW invested substantially in trying to filter out scam job posts, it would be a losing battle."

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Yes, I guess it's impossible, Phyllis. [Sigh...] Good analogies, though.