I think I have been scammed by Upwork and its not fair, My account should be reviewed

[#1]

Now I saw a post from a client saying he needs a cryptocurrency expert the client is from the UK and he said he is into real estate and wants to explore the crypto world but they have some bans on crypto in their country. I actually Sent a proposal and it was accepted before we started this discussion.

Now he said he would pay me hourly for teaching him, and also I would help him buy some crypto because he cant in his country and he has tried a lot of things I did some research and found out that it was true.

So finally we had a zoom meeting he could not share his screen and so he sent screenshots of his binance not having a p2p section so I believed he could not really buy.

So he said I should send him crypto and he would pay me on upwork.

Firstly we spent an hour or more on our first contract and he paid me. He even sent the invoice and I researched and found out that it takes a 5 day security period for the payment to reflect in my earnings.

Wow, I was happy just made my first earning I went ahead to verify my account, it was also successful.

After that, the client gave me lots of bonuses and requested that I send him crypto and that he is eager to buy so he can show his friend that has been having the same challenges as him.

I sent Crypto and he gave me bonuses. To cut the long story short.

I checked my transactions and am seeing some return transactions of all the funds I was paid by the client, upwork suspended our contract (the new one we had for hourly training), and I already did all the client said to do and trusted upwork to deliver my funds cause I taught they were reputable but it seems not so.

On top of that, they gave me a certificate of earning 0$ and I cant still make my profile visible.

I think I have been treated badly by upwork and it's not fair something should be done.

My account was also blocked from withdrawal.

Now it seems like I lost my crypto and upwork ran away with my money, I never knew upwork was a scam also. Am disappointed.

To resolve this issue I need my crypto back, I can leave my hours of work and teaching to waste I followed the rules but still got scammed.

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[#2]

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Maria T wrote:

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Martina P wrote:

They have some questions in the readiness test which many people take because they get free connects. It seems the information doesn't sink in, though. 

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That doesn't do much good either. You can find the answers on the internet.

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I know! People are so clever to find the cheat-sheet, but then they are not clever enough to not fall for scams. Not you OP. Well, what can I say. 

[#3]

It really is mind-boggling. That's why I have suggested a short test confined entirely to how to avoid scams. They might at least be willing to actually learn and absorb the answers rather than go looking for cheat-sheets. But never underestimate human foolishness. 

[#4]

Nah, they use the cheat-sheets. You can find them all over the internet. Nobody studies for this test or reads the ToS. These are people believing that upwork is either an easy way to make money, or a good way to cheat clients. Some of those will fall for scams due to a combination of lack of knowledge and willingness to do or participate in shady things. 

[#5]

Oh dear. Then the answer to that problem is an immediate and permanent ban from Upwork for anyone who contacts a client offsite pre-contract or makes any payment or purchase outside of the platform. 

It seems some people are determined to be scammed, in spite of all efforts to protect them. Their right to be conned is inviolable - maybe it's enshrined in some international charter that we don't know about. What's more, most of these people never generate one cent of revenue for Upwork. 

[#6]

It's simple, you have been duped by someone, they paid Upwork with a stolen CC number. It's just one of the ways criminals cash out stolen CC numbers: they get people like you to send them crypto, then vanish.