Fraud Acitivity By Client

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I met a client who showed interest in WordPress Theme Installation and Adjustment and purchasing the Directory Pro WordPress theme through my proposal. When he faced an issue with payment processing for debit cards, specifically with Wise and Payoneer, he was unable to proceed with the purchase according to his country's payment options.

Therefore, he requested my assistance in buying the theme using my personal Wise account and paid me upfront by creating an hourly contract. I agreed to help the client.

Our entire communication regarding this matter appeared through Upwork messages. However, after I made the payment and shared boutght theme to the client, he stopped to respond to my messsages and after some time, my Upwork profile and the associated hourly contract were suspended by Upwork. Upon contacting Upwork support, I was informed that both the client and I had violated Upwork's terms and conditions.

To my surprise, Upwork refunded the payment to the client instead of transferring it to my Upwork wallet, as it was originally intended.

I afterwards discussed the situation with Upwork's support team, but regrettably, they refused to pay the bonus payment that I was supposed to receive for purchasing the theme on behalf of my client from my own pocket. This case resulted in a loss of approximately €163 (equivalent to 16,000 INR).

Upwork took the client's side and facilitated the return of the payment to the client's account, rather than directing it to my Upwork wallet as it was supposed to and informed me to contact to client outside of Upwork in regards to collecting payment.

I agree that it's important for Upwork to maintain a fair and secure environment for both clients and freelancers. Controlling fraudulent activities and ensuring that both parties are treated fairly is important for the platform's goodness.

While Upwork strives to provide support to all users, it's important that they investigate and address issues thoroughly, taking into consideration the interests of both clients and freelancers.

Balancing this support is key to building trust within the Upwork community and ensuring that freelancers can work confidently and clients can find reliable talent.

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

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Feedback from other users will be valuable in helping Upwork improve its policies and practices to create a more fair and secure platform for everyone involved.

[LuiggiR]

Hi Bhargav,

I'm sorry to learn about your experience. I'd like to clarify that a real client will never ask you to give them money to start working, purchase products for them, cash a check, work for free, or provide your personal information. Any time you encounter these, it's recommended that you report them so that the Trust & Safety team can investigate them further.

I can see that you already have a ticket where one of our support team is assisting you and provided some context regarding their decision. If you have specific questions about this contract, kindly direct them to the team so they can assist you further.