Is "Service Area Verification" a scam?

[rachel_zinn]

I've completed one job and received a request from another individual to do a second 'service area verification' job. The first time I got an invitation to do this, I researched it a bit but couldn't find much indicating that it's a scam. So I completed the task, but as I was doing it, I felt something was up. The job was to share my screen with this individual as they walked me through the tasks of entering my address and listing it as a business on Google, then later received a postcard from Google with a verification code, then contacting the client with the verification numbers. Throughout this process, I just kept having a feeling that something was fishy. I have now received another request to do this again through someone else. This person did not list the job as service area verification this time, they've listed it as a 'data entry' job and then messaged me asking to do service area verification. I've decided to decline this person's invitation, but would still like to know if anyone else has any further information about this or if I should report this as a scam?

[AndreaG]

Hi Rachel,

If you see a violation of the Upwork Terms of Service, we encourage you to report it. We take every report of suspicious or inappropriate activity seriously. Every report is sent directly to our Trust and Safety team for investigation. Please check out this help article to learn how to Report Suspicious User Activity.

Thanks!

[m_terrazas]

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Andrea G wrote:

Hi Rachel,

If you see a violation of the Upwork Terms of Service, we encourage you to report it. We take every report of suspicious or inappropriate activity seriously. Every report is sent directly to our Trust and Safety team for investigation. Please check out this help article to learn how to Report Suspicious User Activity.

Thanks!

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Hi Andrea,

Well I think OP is asking precisely if it is "suspicious or inappropriate".
Is it?

[rachel_zinn]

I will certainly report it if it is in fact a scam, but I was more just wondering in general if this is legal or some new form of a scam. I've just never heard of 'service area verification' until the last couple of weeks, so I'd like to know if there is anyone else out there who has heard of this or had any advice. Thanks!

[m_terrazas]

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Rachel Z wrote:

I will certainly report it if it is in fact a scam, but I was more just wondering in general if this is legal or some new form of a scam. I've just never heard of 'service area verification' until the last couple of weeks, so I'd like to know if there is anyone else out there who has heard of this or had any advice. Thanks!

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Well, from what Phyllis has commented (I trust her knowledge), it is a scam from the moment they are scamming Google.
If I am wrong, anyone correction please.

[AndreaG]

Hi Rachel,

We suggest you report "anything that looks like it could be a scam or fraud", to be safe. That way our team can review and take action if appropiate, as provided for in our Terms of Service.

Thanks!

[m_terrazas]

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Andrea G wrote:

Hi Rachel,

We suggest you report "anything that looks like it could be a scam or fraud", to be safe. That way our team can review and take action if appropiate, as provided for in our Terms of Service.

Thanks!

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Andrea, can you please tell us if what OP is saying is a TOS violation or not?

We are only making assumptions.
That's what she asks. It has already been clear that if it is something suspicious, better flag it, but it is a direct question that I think can be answered, right?
Thank you.

[AndreaG]

Maria and others, activities that would violate the terms of service of another website are not allowed. If after a review it’s determined that a job involves activities that would violate the terms of service of another site, that job will be removed. We will not be able to discuss an outcome of a review nor interpret another website’s terms of service here and encourage you to check Google’s Terms of Service or contact their support team directly.

[gilbert-phyllis]

These clients are gaming Google. By getting you to show they have service area they don't really have, they improve their search rankings. 

[yitwail]

Even if it’s not prohibited, you’re revealing your address to strangers, something you might want to think twice about.

[moonraker]

If you have a registered business and you get your business on Google maps, with your website, it means your website will have a backlink to Google themselves which will send lots of SEO juice your way. 

It looks to me as though that's what they are doing. 

[petra_r]

At best this is a violation of Google's terms of service and therefor also a violation of Upwork's terms of service. At worst it's step one of out and out fraud.

That's why those people are not advertising their "jobs" as what they are, but as "data entry" etc.

[lysis10]

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Rachel Z wrote:

I've completed one job and received a request from another individual to do a second 'service area verification' job. The first time I got an invitation to do this, I researched it a bit but couldn't find much indicating that it's a scam. So I completed the task, but as I was doing it, I felt something was up. The job was to share my screen with this individual as they walked me through the tasks of entering my address and listing it as a business on Google, then later received a postcard from Google with a verification code, then contacting the client with the verification numbers. Throughout this process, I just kept having a feeling that something was fishy. I have now received another request to do this again through someone else. This person did not list the job as service area verification this time, they've listed it as a 'data entry' job and then messaged me asking to do service area verification. I've decided to decline this person's invitation, but would still like to know if anyone else has any further information about this or if I should report this as a scam?

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ho hum. This is used by scammers so that they can verify their scam (guess what country)-based business as a US business to scam people. 

[kfarnell]

It's fraud. The verification is to prove they are in the location where the postcard is sent. And they're obviously not.

[f976b894]

Thank you for posting this.  I just received an invite for something similar.  It looked like something fishy but after reading you post I feel like I can decline it without wondering if I made a mistake.

[AveryO]

Hi Reena, 

Thank you for sharing your experience here. It would also be best to visit and read up on this Community article and these articles for more information about working safely through Upwork. In the future, please don't hesitate to report this user and their job post by following the steps here.

[williamtcooper]

Hey Rachel, sounds like a scam to me because you entered your information versus their information. Report the company. Have a great day!