Client's Fraudulent activity can Suspend Freelancer's Account?

[#1]

In the last few months, I saw many posts on social media and one of my friends also experience the same thing. Upwork suspend the Freelancer's profile when the Client was unable to pay on hourly contract or the client involve in some Fraudulent Activity.

So how a freelancer can protect him/herself?
Freelancer is on Risk always? because it's not the responsibility of a Freelancer to check the background of the client.

Please provide me your thoughts,
Thank you

[#2]

I know from experience that it takes a lot to suspend a freelancer. Your friend might have forgotten some details including ToS violations from his side.

Upwork will not provide a background check of the client, so it is up to us freelancers to identify clients and avoid the scammers. You obviously do a good job.

Vetting clients is only one thing that separates successful freelancers from those who are not cut for selfemployment. Sounds harsh but sugarcoating does not really help in the long run.

[#3]

Thank you Jennifer but what if the Freelancer did not violate any terms. Like receiving an invitaiton, start working on the project payments got successful but suddenly something happens client disappears and Upwork sends a message contact your client for the payment.

How does a freelancer gets contact with the client and ask for the payment why is Upwork not taking any measures that ensure the client must be paid prior to the start of the contract with hourly contracts.

How should a freelacner verify the cleint payemnt menhod or background check or how a scammer be identified ?

[#4]

If your friend was invited to an hourly job and the rate was considerible higher that his usual rate and he then tried to use payment protection because the client did not pay, it smells like a fake job.

We could need to know more about what kind of job it was to make a really educated guess.

[#5]

You identify a scammer by their actions - offers that are too good to be true, communication outside of upwork, buying virtual currency, requesting upfront payments, etc. 

There is no need to investigate the client's payment method once you have identified them as a scammer. 

But people jump into it without thinking and complain later. 

If you told us your friend's story honestly from start to finish, I will be able to point out all the red flags to you. It might also be that your friend hasn't given you a full and honest account, most people are a little embarrassed after falling for a scam that they should have seen from miles away. 

[#6]

The Freelancer doesn't get suspended because of the client. What you're describing sounds like a chargeback situation. If the client pays and then issues a chargeback, the Freelancer's financial transactions will become limited until the Freelancer pays back to Upwork the amount that was charged back, then the limitation will be lifted. 

[#7]

The best, and really only way to protect yourself is to read and follow the ToS. It should be Upwork's responsibility to check the background of the client, at least as much as they do the freelancers. But they don't do that. Also, read this:https://community.upwork.com/t5/New-to-Upwork/List-of-red-flags-for-scams/m-p/1017044/highlight/true...

[#8]

That sounds like a very realistic answer Yes it should be Upwork's responsibility to check the details about the clients as they do with Freelancers. On one side Upwork focuses to retain all the communications on their platform and we aren't allowed to share any contact details prior to the contract then how a freelancer checks the client's credibility if nothing knows who is behind the curtain.

Right now I afraid to get contract form every client I dont know who is scammer and who is  real  one.

[#9]

If the client and the freelancer were suspended for some fraudulent activity, it is very likely that the freelancer participated willingly, for example, being paid outside of upwork takes two parties.

You don't need to worry if you don't do anything that is not allowed. It's really that simple. 

[#10]

What if a freelancer didn't violate the terms and the client do so. I see many cases in which freelancer is doing a great job but the client failed to pay or demand the refund or he is scammer doing all this things with other freelancers too. End result Freelacner's accounts got suspended.

[#11]

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fawad w wrote:

What if a freelancer didn't violate the terms and the client do so. I see many cases in which freelancer is doing a great job but the client failed to pay or demand the refund or he is scammer doing all this things with other freelancers too. End result Freelacner's accounts got suspended.

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Again, this is virtually impossible. If a client doesn't pay because his credit card was stolen, the freelancer will not get paid, but he will certainly not get suspended.

On the other hand, if the freelancer violates ToS by communicating outside of upwork before hire with a scammer, agreeing to jobs that are forbidden such as buying virtual currency, or he agrees to get paid outside of upwork, then of course he gets suspended. 

If you hear accounts from people that did absolutely nothing wrong and still got suspended, they are not telling you the truth of what happened.