How to understand fake client

[amitav-das]

Can you tell me how to recognize fake client

[kitty-wu · Accepted solution]

Hi Amitav, I would stay away from posting mentioning to text their personal number, reach them on telegram, etc. Basically, any postings that contain some sort of communication outside of Upwork upon their initial outreach can be a clear red flag. Another sign I would look for is if their payment is verified, I find clients that have their payment verified is waaay more trustworthy than $0 spent, not verified. I hope this helps! 

[ArjayM]

Hi Amitav,

Thank you for reaching out to us and raising this query. Jia Hui's correct! In addition to 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 highly encourage all members to let us know if they find anything suspicious has happened by using the Flag as Inappropriate option throughout the platform. You can learn more about user reporting here. I also suggest you check this help article and this thread for more information on how to stay safe on Upwork.