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bundie702
Community Member

How to spot an Editing scam

This is the usual scam criteria for editing jobs: 1) posting is full of misspellings and bad grammar, 2) needs to hire multiple people, 3) just joined Upwork on the current date with zero hires, 4) offering a high pay rate, 5) claims to be about to "launch" a new product (like a magazine, despite their inability to write proper English) or service.

 

Likely applicants will be asked to interview on Google Hangouts...

20 REPLIES 20
431885bd
Community Member

Hi! I received an offer from someone who had a posting with legitimate and proper English. The offer was made through email outside of upwork and interview was done via Skype messaging. They told me they would pay outside of upwork because they payed the opt-out fee. It all seems like a scam to me, except that their email address holds the domain of a legitimate company and is linked to social media profiles for the actual VP of HR for this company. How do I verify the legitimacy of this? Please help.

I am in the same boat. Please help

**Edited for community guidelines**

They sent this to me

Hi Ashab and Stephanie,

 

I'd like to check this further. Could you please click on my name and send me a PM with more information about your reports? I'll check that for you and advise you accordingly.

 

Additionally, please check out this post for more tips on how to avoid questionable jobs and please use the flag option found on each job post or message anytime you’d like to report a violation.

 

Thank you.

~ Bojan
Upwork
959a1b72
Community Member

Bojan, 

 

I've experienced this multiple times as well, almost half of the jobs I've applied for have asked for my social security number and other personal info despite the fact that my resume is short. Also, they offer extremely high rates, (85 US dollars an hour) for someone like me with zero reviews (let alone 5 star) being new to Upwork. I'm not sure of names and such because I'm new to Upwork, but if you can somehow access my account and check the names that could help others not be scammed. I also accused one of being a scammer and they blocked me...

 

Thanks, Ginger

Hi Ginger,

 

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I have reported this to our team for review. 

~ Joanne
Upwork

It's incredibly unlikely that a company would actually pay the opt-out fee for someone they've never worked with before.  You should assume that they're lying and that this is a scam.

ashab-siddiqui
Community Member

Hi, i am a new freelancer for writing and I am a bit concerned about this client. Something feels a bit off but at the same time some of it seems real. I also need the money. I have attached screenshots of the chat. 

1. They contacted me on Upwork, referred me to chat via Skype

2. Asked me some questions over text, then said I was hired
3. Gave me a form to download and fill out. I requested by email since I was feeling a bit odd about it and yahoo did not file it as scam. 
4. I filled it out and digitially signed it. 

 

**Edited for Community Guidelines**
5. They said they will send money for equipment via virtual check. 

Please help

Scam.

It is a serious violation of Upwork TOS for any client or freelancer to exchange money outside of the platform.

 

You could have your account suspended for agreeing to do that, or even for discussing such.

What do you suggest I do or who do I contact for this?

Ashab,

 

Walk, don't run, quickly away from this. Send a PM to the Moderator who requested one a few posts above yours. He will fix things quickly, before you get burned.

Hi Ashab, 


It looks like Bojan responded to your post, and shared ways on how you can send him more information about this. I wanted to check if you sent him a private message with more information about your concern?


~ Avery
Upwork

A lot of freelancers unfortunately do not know that and these scammers do look for the freelancers that have 0 experience on the platform to try to scheme them out of I don't know what! Maybe get them to do free work?  I don't know.  Indeed a risky situation! 

I have chatted with legitimate potential clients on Skype (but never on Google Hangouts), but I'm always suspicious of anyone who says they pay through Paypal. Truthfully, I never heard of an opt-out option. I figure if they can hire through Upwork, they can pay through Upwork.

 

I would advise against filling out any type of form for anyone, and a promise to send a check for "equipment" is always a red flag for a scam. I think what they usually do is say they made the check out for too much and ask you to send them a check for the difference...their check will end up being worthless and they will cash your check.

 

This is the usual scam criteria for editing jobs: 1) posting is full of misspellings and bad grammar, 2) needs to hire multiple people, 3) just joined Upwork on the current date with zero hires, 4) offering a high pay rate, 5) claims to be about to "launch" a new product (like a magazine, despite their inability to write proper English) or service.

Bettye,

 

Good for you. I hire, although mostly on another board that is not as rigid as UW. I just hired two UW freelancers for return engagements, and interviewed both over Skype. I'm also a provider. The list of red flags is exceedingly long. One is a promise of future work. As we say in Spanish, caca de toro.Another is an inappropriate use of articles (a, the) by a "native" speaker. It's probably time for us geezers to roll out a list of red flags again. Thank you. You're right, and it's not just editing.

Oh my goodness! The exact thing happened to me! Every thing here happened to me, the Skype, interview, online form, etc... Don't work for them! Definitely a scam. Also, who did they say they worked for? (company?)

It doesn't matter what company they say they work for, because they obviously aren't going to give you their real name, and don't really work for any company. Naming names is against forum rules, because then innocent people and companies get accused.

33c8520e
Community Member

Hi! I'm Newbie Freelancer and having bad guts on this Scam editing etc. There is One Proposal that is "Transcription PDF Files in Word. For me its very interesting as my First time Job here in upwork but I think this is not good cause after they send me a message on upwork they said I need to send a message them in Whatsapp but when I introduced myself to the client he send me a some link for Demo about the project and then after that I approve because I know how to do that anyway. And then he send me again another link about the contracts? It says that I will chose any of the Project 1-3 and each Project there is a any prices indicate s of Freelancer Service fee? But each project has indicated Service fee in a very high prices. And then I doubt if this is legit? Because they said that , that Service fee of mine will be refundable after I finish the project and I was confused it? Can someone explain to me if this is Legit or not. Because as of now they keep on contacting me. And I don't know what to do. 

It is a scam. Never pay anyone a service fee and never communicate off of Upwork until after a contract is in place. Block them and report then. Here's an article on how to spot scams in the future:

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Community-Blog/Top-Red-Flags-for-Scams-From-Community-Member-Wes-C/b...

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