There really is no 'protection' in the VAST majority of the cases where freelancers don't get paid, which are these 'chargebacks'. This is just a way for clients to get work for free: They act like they they plan to pay, and then rather than try to file a groundless dispute with Upwork to get a refund through the correct process, they simply go around Upwork and issue themselves a 'refund' by doing a chargeback. They do this because they know they have no grounds to tell Upwork you didn't complete the work, but they don't want to PAY for the work, so they just steal it. I hate to say this, but there really is no 'protection' on this site if UW does not pay freelancers in these instances, which are the most common instances resulting in freelancers not being paid these days. UW only 'protects' your payment if the client isn't a crook and plays by the rules. However, if your client is a crook and breaks the rules like this, you're pretty much just left high and dry and get ripped off. Again, UW only protects you IF the client is not a crook. However, since most scam artists are crooks by definition, you are not 'protected' from those people. Sorry.
Here is my advice: AVOID "new' clients at all cost, because they are UNPROVEN and the vast majority of the scam artists on the platform are 'new' clients. I see that the client that did this to you had just joined Upwork on June 1, only a couple weeks before your contract was issued. He hired another freelancer around the same time you were hired and problem did a 'chargeback' and ripped that person off too. What I don't understand is why Upwork still has a client's profile active, and the client has 7 other 'open' jobs posted- likely to rip off some more people. At the very least, UW should have banned that client and kicked him off the platform already so he can't keep scamming other people.
I wouldn't go anywhere near a client that is that 'new'. I won't deal with a client unless they have been on the platform at least 90 days and have at least one contract they paid out that ended at least 30 days ago. The reason: Is most of the times when a 'new' client rips somebody off link this, they do it within a month of 'paying' the freelancer. This will either get the client suspended or kicked off the platform or you'll see very negative reviews from freelancers complaining they client didn't pay and ripped them off. Because Upwork doesn't 'vet' any 'new' clients in any way shape or form, I just avoid them like the plague because almost every time some freelancer gets ripped off, it's one of these 'brand new' clients that created an account just long enough to run a scam or steal free work by doing 'charge backs'. It sounds bad to have to discriminate against these 'new' clients, and maybe you lose a few potential good opportunities, but it's just not worth the risk if UW isn't vetting these new clients and most of the new clients are scam artists and thieves. Work with the clients that have proven themselves with an established reputation on UW and avoid all the rest is my advice unless you like getting ripped off.
You have a very high-demand skill and you don't need to waste your time with 'unproven' clients like this. There are more than enough clients with long, good track-records on Upwork that are just clamoring to get Python / Java developers. Stick to the clients that have document proof on their profiles of regularly hiring and paying people like they're suppose to. If I were you, I wouldn't take a risk again with another client that 'just joined' upwork in the past few days or weeks.
