Is it typical for a client to send a link to be clicked on for further hiring process?

[designsbybreann]

Hello fellow freelancers,

    I am fairly new to upwork. I have just received my first response to a proposal I sent out. The proposal said that I am shortlisted for the final selection process. They sent me a project invite link. I am wondering if this is a typical process. Should I click on the link or is it a scam? Have you had any experience with this type of response?

[tlbp · Accepted solution]

Is the link to a page within the Upwork website? If not, it is likely a scam. 

[prestonhunter · Accepted solution]

Breann:
If a real client wants to hire you, he hires you.

He doesn't send you to a link on another site.

If I need to hire you to actually do work on another site, then I hire you first, and then I send you there to do your work.

If somebody sends you to that link, it is almost certainly part of a "scheme," not a real job.

If you are an EXPERIENCED Upwork freelancer, you will be able to understand exactly what is going on and you will be able to work with an INEXPERIENCED CLIENT who is making a mistake in their onboarding process. But if you're new to Upwork... just forget about this.

re: "In this case, how do I handle the response from here so that it doesnt effect me as a freelancer? I dont want to be seen as someone who didnt respond to a client."

There is really nothing you need to worry about at this point. Nothing about this can affect your JSS. If you received this invitation from out of the blue, all you need to do is clickon "decline" and your "freelancer responsiveness score" will remain at 100%.

[tlbp · Accepted solution]

Is the link to a page within the Upwork website? If not, it is likely a scam. 

[designsbybreann]

Thank you so much for your reply. 

     No, the link does not have the words "upwork" in it at all. So I will assume it is a scam. In this case, how do I handle the response from here so that it doesnt effect me as a freelancer? I dont want to be seen as someone who didnt respond to a client.

[prestonhunter · Accepted solution]

Breann:
If a real client wants to hire you, he hires you.

He doesn't send you to a link on another site.

If I need to hire you to actually do work on another site, then I hire you first, and then I send you there to do your work.

If somebody sends you to that link, it is almost certainly part of a "scheme," not a real job.

If you are an EXPERIENCED Upwork freelancer, you will be able to understand exactly what is going on and you will be able to work with an INEXPERIENCED CLIENT who is making a mistake in their onboarding process. But if you're new to Upwork... just forget about this.

re: "In this case, how do I handle the response from here so that it doesnt effect me as a freelancer? I dont want to be seen as someone who didnt respond to a client."

There is really nothing you need to worry about at this point. Nothing about this can affect your JSS. If you received this invitation from out of the blue, all you need to do is clickon "decline" and your "freelancer responsiveness score" will remain at 100%.

[designsbybreann]

Thank you so much for your response. I understand what your point. At this point, whats the best way to handle the situation so that it doesnt effect me negatively on Upwork as a freelancer?

[tlbp · Accepted solution]

You are not obligated to continue engaging with someone in the message rooms. If you don't want to respond, just don't. 

Read through the resources here so that you have a better understanding of how a legitimate client should behave. 

[designsbybreann]

Thank you so much for your help.

[prestonhunter]

re: "whats the best way to handle the situation so that it doesnt effect me negatively on Upwork as a freelancer?"

At this point, there is absolutely nothing that this client (or scammer, whatever the case may be) can do to negatively impact you as a freelancer.

IF you actually get hired by this person, then they CAN impact you positively or negatively, based on their feedback when the contract is closed.

If you don't want to talk this person, you can click on their name in the Messages tool (or maybe it is a right-click or left-click) and BLOCK them.

If you think that this might be a legitimate client, then try asking them about the work that you will be doing.

Or tell them you're ready to do the work now and you will start after they officially hire you.

Or tell them that you can't go to the other site until you have been officially hired, because you don't want to violate Upwork rules.

If you ask anything like this or say anything like this, a scammer will just stop communicating with you.

[pgiambalvo]

Good for you for not falling for it and reporting it. These scams have become more rampant lately. Never communicate outside of Upwork.

[prestonhunter]

I actually do hire freelancers on Upwork. The last thing I want to do is present stumbling blocks. Or reasons why they would avoid working for me if I want to hire them.

I know about Upwork's rules. And I know that good freelancers know about those rules.

So I know that the best freelancers are going to think I'm a scammer if I send them to links on other sites before I have a chance to hire them.

If I have questions, I'll ask those questions in the Messags tool.

If I need to have them register on another site, such as where they submit their work on my website, I will hire them first and then explain why they need to do that.

[martina_plaschka]

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Breann D wrote:

Thank you so much for your reply. 

     No, the link does not have the words "upwork" in it at all. So I will assume it is a scam. In this case, how do I handle the response from here so that it doesnt effect me as a freelancer? I dont want to be seen as someone who didnt respond to a client.

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Nothing you do before hire can hurt your profile (unless it violates the terms of service, of course.) Please don't worry about being polite to a scammer. Trust me, they don't care if you are polite or not. 

Edit: I don't know the scammers. I'm just assuming they don't care.