I have been scammedd

[itz_translator]

Actually i was given a contract of translation, but to receive the file to be translated , i was asked to pay , though I am a freelancer, I paid because I was told that it was the support asking for payment, and now the contract is closed. What should I do now ? I want to contact support, I tried everything, please help me getting my money back.

[petra_r · Accepted solution]

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Om K wrote:
Actually i was given a contract of translation, but to receive the file to be translated , i was asked to pay , though I am a freelance

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Freelancing means that the client pays you, not the other way around. Why would you pay a client to work for them?

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Om K wrote:
 please help me getting my money back.

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You won't get your money back through Upwork because the payment didn't go through Upwork.  Upwork can't help you get your money back. Depending on how you paid, contact your bank, card issuer or PayPal to see if they can help.

[beda709f]

Hi Mam,

I have worked for two clients and submitted the work. Before the work, they told me they will pay through PayPal. And when it comes for payment they sad you have to submit this much amount to receive a salary. what should i do please tell me

[m_terrazas]

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Sanchi S wrote:

Hi Mam,

I have worked for two clients and submitted the work. Before the work, they told me they will pay through PayPal. And when it comes for payment they sad you have to submit this much amount to receive a salary. what should i do please tell me

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Petra can't answer, but what she said to OP works for you.
You have violated the Upwork TOS by:
- You have communicated with the client outside the platform before having a contract.
- You have accepted to be paid outside the platform.
- You have lied when creating your profile since you confirmed that you had read the TOS, which you did not do, otherwise this would not have happened to you.
- You don't have a contract in Upwor, correct?
- If you don't have a contract on Upwork, what do you want them to do to help you? They have nothing to do other than suspend your account for doing everything wrong.

[JoanneP]

Hi Om,

I checked your account, but I was not able to locate an active contract. Please know that communication outside of Upwork before a contract is placed and receiving payments outside the platform is a violation of Upwork TOS. All payments should only be done on Upwork.

Once a contract is in place you may use any communication methods you choose. However, we find that when users communicate outside of Upwork there is an increased risk of fraud, scam, and other harmful behaviors. When communications (and work) stay on our platform we can better track, verify, and help address any issues that emerge, and as a result the potential for these harmful behaviors decreases dramatically. For example, the vast majority of scammers that successfully take advantage of talent on Upwork do so by going off the platform. 

You can read more on this help article and also, please check out Tips to avoid questionable jobs and this help article about how you can stay safe on Upwork.  

Please feel free to send me a PM with the job post link so that I can also check. Thank you. 

[itz_translator]

these are the only proofs I have .

AND, For how much time will my account be suspended?

I was told that it was necessary to pay, and also that it was the support asking me the payment. That was the only reason I payed them.

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[g_vasilevski]

Hi Om,

Please keep in mind that sharing private details publicly in our Community is not allowed. Please be mindful of our Community Guidelines when posting in our Community. Thank you.

[kinector]

Om, I confirm that you got scammed. My condolences.

Next time, you won't get scammed, I'm sure. I can only hope the amount you paid was small.

Lessons learned: Upwork is like the Doctor Strange movie. The warnings come AFTER the spell. On this platform, it is very easy to sing up, jump in, and start "freelancing online" which is one of the trendiest things to do these days. But soon you realize, exactly as you just did, that this doesn't go right... 😬

I'd recommend you to go through ALL of the official guides on how this platform works starting from this: https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211063748-Fixed-Price-Protection

It's all there, but unfortunately, not everyone finds this information.

Maybe Upwork could make a stronger link between those guides and the sign up page... It might help. The guides are accurate and really well written. 👍