🐈
» Forums » Freelancers » Re: Need help to determine if I'm being scamm...
Page options
lightingbird
Community Member

Need help to determine if I'm being scammed

I finally have my first proposal. The client immediately went to emails. He's wanting me to do some work for his construction company. After some questions, he offered me the work. Now he wants me to print a check he emailed me and deposit it into my account.

Huh? It's for $3000+. Saying I can keep a hundred for a sign on bonus. He's wanting me to use the mobile upload with my bank.

This seems odd to me but I'm new.

Am I overreacting?
ACCEPTED SOLUTION
BojanS
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Antonio,

 

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Thank you for flagging this for us. I've checked and it looks like the job has already been taken down because it was in violation of Upwork ToS and action has been taken on the client account. 

 

Please, check this help article for more information on how to use the flag option found on each job post or message to report any suspicious or inappropriate content. Also, check out this post for more tips on how to avoid questionable jobs.

 

Thank you!

~ Bojan
Upwork

View solution in original post

15 REPLIES 15
martina_plaschka
Community Member


Antonio S wrote:
I finally have my first proposal. The client immediately went to emails. He's wanting me to do some work for his construction company. After some questions, he offered me the work. Now he wants me to print a check he emailed me and deposit it into my account.

Huh? It's for $3000+. Saying I can keep a hundred for a sign on bonus. He's wanting me to use the mobile upload with my bank.

This seems odd to me but I'm new.

Am I overreacting?

I don't get it. You get a check for 3000 and can keep 100? What's with the rest? Office supplies, maybe?

Anyways, yes, you are being scammed, and you are underreacting, because this has so many red flags: 1. circumvention of payment (gets you suspended), 2. no stranger on the internet is giving you 3000 dollars.

Ok, thank you. He mentioned for me to buy software and a laptop. Which makes no sense really. That's entirely too much. Also you are right, we haven't even had a phone conversation and he's been using a Gmail account all this time. Also it appears he just opened his account in July.

I just sent him an email and said I would prefer using Upwork for payment.


Antonio S wrote:
Ok, thank you. He mentioned for me to buy software and a laptop. Which makes no sense really. That's entirely too much. Also you are right, we haven't even had a phone conversation and he's been using a Gmail account all this time. Also it appears he just opened his account in July.

I just sent him an email and said I would prefer using Upwork for payment.

It's actually an ancient scam with a modern twist.  You didn't fall for it, you just wanted to.  Waiting for that first project is hard.  This could be discouraging, don't let it be.

 

This is my second bit of unsolicited advice on two seperate posts but I would put more about how you will solve a clients problems in your profile.  I like to think of it as if I was a client coming to my profile what would I want to see.  I assume that I, as the client, have a problem, that I, as a freelancer, know how to solve and what would be reassuring to read there.

 

I think your rate could do with a bump as well.  It looks like you have experience and skills you need to showcase it better and position yourself that way.  There is a lot of advice around that you have to go low to get that first project and I didn't, and don't agree, you just have to be patient.  But even if that is good advice there is such a thing as too low.  You want a client to value you and you can't do that if you under-value yourself.

Thank you. You are right, I did make it lower in hopes of getting business. But so far, nothing.


Antonio S wrote:
Thank you. You are right, I did make it lower in hopes of getting business. But so far, nothing.

I think that you are far more likely to be successful if you decide what you are worth it and prove it.  You need to maximize your chance of proving it by really marketing  yourself.  Your profile should say how YOU are the best person to solve a client problems.

 

Your proposals should be specific to how you will solve THAT particular problem.  It's important to note that the first two lines of the proposal are your hook.  The review screen the client sees they will only see those if they don't click to see the whole thing so don't waste it by introducing yourself or anything else, through in a hook, pull them in, get them to read the rest and move on to your profile.

 

I believe there is a lot of good advice out there about how to succeed at Upwork on the web and, in particular, here and I would make a habit out of finding it, sifting through it, and deciding what works for you.

 

Good luck!

Big thank you for all of that. I think I'll start looking in this forum a bit more for direction.
versailles
Community Member


Antonio S wrote:


Am I overreacting?

Seriously?

 

 

 

-----------
"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless
mtngigi
Community Member



Antonio S wrote:
I finally have my first proposal. The client immediately went to emails. He's wanting me to do some work for his construction company. After some questions, he offered me the work. Now he wants me to print a check he emailed me and deposit it into my account.

Huh? It's for $3000+. Saying I can keep a hundred for a sign on bonus. He's wanting me to use the mobile upload with my bank.

This seems odd to me but I'm new.

Am I overreacting?

 

Of course this is a SCAM. Stop communicating with him and report him. Then read up:

https://community.upwork.com/t5/New-to-Upwork/Tips-to-Avoid-Questionable-Jobs/td-p/240833


 

BojanS
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Antonio,

 

I'm sorry to hear about your experience. Thank you for flagging this for us. I've checked and it looks like the job has already been taken down because it was in violation of Upwork ToS and action has been taken on the client account. 

 

Please, check this help article for more information on how to use the flag option found on each job post or message to report any suspicious or inappropriate content. Also, check out this post for more tips on how to avoid questionable jobs.

 

Thank you!

~ Bojan
Upwork

Ok so I just fell for the same scam. Because that’s me. Always being the gullible one falling for scams. Anyway, so I basically bit the hook and got dragged into the boat because these 2 people (be nice) have my name phone # address and one of them mobile sent a $2000 check that I deposited. Any advice anyone?

Wow.

I wish I knew what to tell you. Can you contact your bank and explain the situation?

Antonio is right.

The #1 best thing for you to do next would be to go to your bank and tell them that you realize the check you deposited is fraudulent.

 

They are going to figure it out very quickly if you don't tell them. It will be better for you if you go to them first.

 

Also: you can "Flag as inappropriate" this job posting, if you have not already done so.

 

For future reference:

Even if the $2000 check they sent you was real, you would not be able to accept it or deposit it, because doing so would be a serious violation of Upwork ToS. Upwork does not allow freelancers and clients to exchange funds except through the Upwork platform.

I'm surprised to hear you were just scammed because you kudoed 2 posts in the Tips to Avoid Questionable Jobs thread in October.

 

How did you read that and then fall for the same or similar scam?

Who says I read it? 😏

LOL.

 

LOTS of people prefer to "learn by doing."

 

Some people read the manual. Some people jump in and test out the software.

Latest Articles
Featured Topics
Learning Paths