🐈
» Forums » Freelancers » Client requsted refund after he have got a sc...
Page options
yevhen_ohorodnyk
Community Member

Client requsted refund after he have got a scam messages from my stolen skype account

 

Hello!

I took a fixed task for 6 weeks. The customer said that the communication will be on Skype, I said ok. Over the course of a month, I worked closely communicating with another 1 contractor on the client side. At the end of the month, when the project was 95% completed, I asked the client to help me and split the payment into parts: $2500 now and $1000 upon completion. I urgently needed money for personal reasons. The client agreed to pay me part now, but could not edit the milestone. Then he paid the amount for the task in full, for which I thanked him and promised that I would complete the work and not let him down. He also said that he would leave feedback upon completion of the contract. This is his right, I respect it.

There was a little more than 2 weeks left until the completion of the contract, I decided to have a few days off because I was tired for a month of work, and it was also difficult to work because of the need to solve personal problems. I informed client about this, he was not opposed. During the rest, I noticed suspicious activity on my skype, namely: the messages that came to me were already read, but I did not remember that I read them. I did not pay due attention to it, thinking that I had forgotten how I read because of fatigue.

On May 4, I saw that the funds for my work were available for withdrawal - and withdrew them. There was plenty of time to finish the work (8-9 days), and I will continue to work on May 6.
On May 5, I again discovered that some messages on Skype were read again, but I did not read them. I decided to change the password on Skype, but first I wrote to client that my Skype account was probably hacked, and I will write to him at the Upwork so that he will add me again to the new account. (probably my messages were deleted and the client did not receive them). I decided to export messages on Skype so as not to lose important information, and also decided to take screenshots of messages from the phone. I managed to download exports from my Skype account, but after a few minutes I was automatically thrown out of Skype on my computer and phone (I took a screenshot from the phone). Immediately after that, I set the computer to scan viruses using a scanner program, and then an antivirus. Scanning showed that there were virus files on the computer. When I returned home, I deleted them.
The next day I created a new skype, and went to the Upwork to inform the client about what had happened and to give my new skype. Then I saw a message from him that there was no news from me for several days, and then an hour after the 1st message, he sent a request for a refund, referring to the correspondence from my stolen account. That is, he did this without waiting for my answer on Upwork, referring to messages from his account on Skype that were sent by attackers. The client said that the work was half done and is useless for him.

It turns out that he decided to request a refund wothout waiting for my response on the platform, which acts as a guarantor of the work for both the client and me. And indicating that the work was done in half, although it was almost completely finished, and there remained another 8 days before the end of the contract. Would a client pay for work that was half done? If he had doubts - there is a period of hold, which was successfully completed. I understand the feelings of the client, but why didn’t he wait for my answer?

I refuse to finish the work that I spent more than a month on, knowing that they might not pay me anything if they decide against me. And also I can get a bad review, and lose the success rating. I also do not consider myself guilty of the situation, because I acted in agreement with the client. I do not absolve myself of the guilt that my Skype account was stolen, but who can be insured against this? (I sent a warning message to the client, which he probably did not receive). While it’s almost impossible to steal an account at Upwork because of a secret word that I didn’t keep anywhere except my head.

 

Please tell me how to act in this situation? This story is very sad, and very upsetting to me. I don't want to loose my JSS and get a bad reviews when my tasks were 95% finished. But I also don't want to finish it cause that's might be 1,5 months for free! 

**Edited for community guidelines**

10 REPLIES 10
abinadab-agbo
Community Member

You want discuss with your client and let him know what happened.

You want to complete the work for which you've been paid.

You want to get his approval before doing this.

robin_hyman
Community Member

Have an actual phone call with the client and discuss the situation. You shouldn't refund the entire sum. 

 

I didn't quite understand the skype hacking besides reading your messages. Were they communicating as you with the client?

The person who hacked my Skype account deleted my last message to the client in which I said that I was hacked. And then hacker came up with a story, and, I'm sure ,demanded money from the client. (because we discussed the amount and payment process there).
The thing is that the client, after he wrote me a message on the Upwork, did not wait for my answer, but an hour later sent a request for a refund of funds, describing the story that the hacker told him.
This is outrageous and absolutely unfair. At the same time, indicating that the work was half done, although in fact I completed his task by 95% and only 1 section of his site remained

The hacker named 4chan sure does have strange motives for hacking Skype accounts these days.

Honestly, if I were the client, there is literally nothing in the world you could say that would make me believe that you noticed suspicious activity on your account and that someone else was reading your messages and did nothing about it for days, then eventually did something about it but at no point in that process bothered to check and see what those messages were.


Tiffany S wrote:

Honestly, if I were the client, there is literally nothing in the world you could say that would make me believe that you noticed suspicious activity on your account and that someone else was reading your messages and did nothing about it for days, then eventually did something about it but at no point in that process bothered to check and see what those messages were.


When I got hacked I did notice suspicious activity for a few days, but wasn't savvy enough to realize what was happening. Sometimes you think it's just a technological glitch from Skype or Google. 

lysis10
Community Member

You have to see it from the client's side. He paid you and that's exactly when you started getting flakey and suddenly your skype was hacked and whatever. Doesn't really look good. 

Kinda makes sense, Jennifer.

This happens a lot in the dev section.

I also noticed that nothing in the screenshot he posted shows evidence of being hacked.

I also had similar experience the last time I hired a dev guy.

Badgered me everyday to release something as much progress had been made (true).

Gave in, released some money.

Then the flakey part.

After that experience, never again with early releases. Ever.

Once the job is done, it's done and gets paid.


Abinadab A wrote:

Kinda makes sense, Jennifer.

This happens a lot in the dev section.

I also noticed that nothing in the screenshot he posted shows evidence of being hacked.

I also had similar experience the last time I hired a dev guy.

Badgered me everyday to release something as much progress had been made (true).

Gave in, released some money.

Then the flakey part.

After that experience, never again with early releases. Ever.

Once the job is done, it's done and gets paid.


Yeah I saw the pics too. lol He gets paid in full accidentally and suddenly he wants to take a vacation and his skype gets hack. Sure. lol

bizwriterjohn
Community Member

Withhold a requested refund - for any reason- probably ensures your Job Success Score takes a massive hit.  You have in essence made your point with a baseball bat of money withholding.  It is a por bat that does not swing in both directions.

The JSS is the most important asset a freelancer carries.  I protect my JSS to points of pain at times.  That is why my JSS is what it is.  That is why when I compete with freelancers who swing bats at clients for any reason, they are easy targets to pick off in competitive circumstances. You are not in the writing vertical and compete with me.  My advice would be different in that regard.  Swing the bat  hard and often. Thank you.

Latest Articles
Featured Topics
Learning Paths