Fake clients asking to contact outside UpWork

[milaportela]

I've been with UpWork for almost a year now, and over the past couple of months I've been noticing a huge amount of job offers from clients with "unverified" payment methods (they typically offer over $500). You send your CV and get a message asking you to get in touch by phone or WhatsApp.

I have spent lots of connections without proceeding with the negotiation because I believe it shouldn't be a serious proposition.

Could anyone explain why this wave of fake customers? Is there any way for the platform itself to filter this type of offer? I've read that "unverified" isn't always a "red flag", but when there are so many, you end up hurting yourself by wasting connections risking finding someone who actually exists.

Thanks.

[petra_r]

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Ludmila P wrote:

You send your CV and get a message asking you to get in touch by phone or WhatsApp.

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That is forbidden,

Flag such job posts and if they are removed, you get your connects back.

[milaportela]

I didn't know I can have my connects back! Thank you!

[deborah-ponzio · Accepted solution]

Hello Ludmila, it's good that we all keep our eyes open for fakes, however, in light of my experience here, I found that:

1) Some of my best current and long-term clients did not have a verified payment method when we crossed paths, BUT they fixed this before starting a contract. I would check this before accepting an offer and, if needed, would politely ask the client to sort this out. New clients often verify their payment method only when they decide to hire someone

2) Most clients don't seem sufficiently aware of Upwork's no-direct-contact policy and, when I stick to that, the good ones accept to maintain contact via this platform until we reach the contract stage. They have later proven to be real and honest people and we worked well together on Upwork.

I have come to believe that Upwork could improve the way they inform clients about the pre-contract no-direct-contact rule and I raised this issue previously. 

3) I do not send my CV neither Linkedin profile nor any personal information to anyone before a contract is open. We have the Upwork profile + portfolio for that.

Coming to your case, in light of the above I would not cut negotiations on the basis that you outlined, I would wait to see what happens after informing them about the rules. 

I hope that this helps, Ludmila and wish you best luck 😉

[NikolaS]

Hi Ludmila,

Thank you for reaching out to us. As Petra and Deborah already mentioned, sharing contact information before a contract has started is against Upwork’s Upwork's Terms of Service and that all communications prior to the contract starting must take place on Upwork. I would like to add that a real client will never ask you to give them money to start working, cash a check for them, work for free, or provide your personal information.

We take great measures to keep our global marketplace safe, and we’re committed to doing our best to prevent or address suspicious activity. However, with so many users in the Upwork marketplace, suspicious activity may appear on the platform from time to time. We count on your help and diligence to make the Upwork experience as safe as possible.

I encourage you to let us know if a TOS violation has happened by using the Flag as Inappropriate option throughout the platform. You can learn more about user reporting here.

Please also check this page to find more information on how to stay safe on Upwork. You may also want to 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.