Personal Information

[msvvalentine]

Hi, I am new to Upwork and a Freelancer. At the end of an interview with business, I was asked to provide my "Address, City, State, Zip Code, Primary Email, and your active cell # so it can be enlisted for proper documentation" 
I am wondering if this should be flagged as a possible scam or if this is normal. I know that we are told never to give out SSN and IDs etc. but am unclear here.

[cari-schaeffer]

I am fairly new to UpWork as well, but that sounds highly suspect to me. I would NEVER give that info out. If I am mistaken - we are to keep all communications within UpWork's forum/messages, too. Communication outside of their forum between clients and freelancers is a no no.

Best regards,

Cari

[jcullinan]

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@Cari S wrote:

I am fairly new to UpWork as well, but that sounds highly suspect to me. I would NEVER give that info out. If I am mistaken - we are to keep all communications within UpWork's forum/messages, too. Communication outside of their forum between clients and freelancers is a no no.

Best regards,

Cari

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*Payment* outside of Upwork is what is forbidden, not communication. Given that Upwork's message system is often unreliable, I always make sure to give my clients my email address as soon as our contract starts.

Clients also often ask for a phone interview before awarding a contract, which is completely allowed. Google Hangouts are unadvisable, however - that's where the scammers tend to draw freelancers.

[nkocendova · Accepted solution]

Hi Victoria,

If you've been hired for a project and the client would like to communicate off of the Upwork platform, this itself is not a violation of the ToS as clients may sometimes request to communicate through means which are most convenient to them.  That said, I would caution against sharing your personal information such as your address with another user. Please also note that you should have a contract with a potential client on Upwork before doing any work on a project, and that the client has a verified billing method so that you will be covered by Upwork's Payment Protection.

 I would also suggest you browse this thread for tips on avoiding suspicious jobs and scams. I hope that helps!

[msublette]

It's extremely rare that I have had to give out a cell phone number.  I have a few clients that I have done several projects with who have my number. If someone needs to speak with me at the beginning of a project and they need a number, I have a google voice number I give them.  However, for the most part, my clients like to speak via video conference.

Also, I have had to sign a few NDAs.  Even on those, I do not usually have to give all the information you are describing.  Signing an NDA is also quite common in my business so that in and of itself if not out of the ordinary.  I've even had people require me to sign an NDA prior to telling me the details of the job.  Again, somewhat normal for what I do.

What you are describing does seem to be a bit suspicious.  Sometimes it's nothing.  Sometimes it's the client not understanding how Upwork works.  Sometimes it's a scam. I guess you need to decide if this is normal for the types of jobs you apply to.  I tend too look at the client, how much they pay, their ratings, etc. and then decide how I should proceed.  I'm sure this will bite me one day, but I've had great clients so far.

Michelle

[kat303]

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@Victoria V wrote:

Hi, I am new to Upwork and a Freelancer. At the end of an interview with business, I was asked to provide my "Address, City, State, Zip Code, Primary Email, and your active cell # so it can be enlisted for proper documentation" 
I am wondering if this should be flagged as a possible scam or if this is normal. I know that we are told never to give out SSN and IDs etc. but am unclear here.

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Not quite sure what the client means when they stated they need to enlist it for "proper documentation"??? All a client needs is to get their job done. not where you live etc.

Communication can occur offsite, If this is a job that requires a client to mail you materials so that you can enter them in some program etc, then I can understand why your address may be required. And if this is a big, complicated job, talking personally conveys information, questions, answers and details much more effectively then typing back and forth.  And email is used for a clients convenience. or when the message system here (or site) goes down for whatever reason and either of you need to communicate.

But each of those instances relate to specific needs. and that is not what this client is asking for.

[mwiggenhorn]

If you decide to proceed with this job/ interview, please reassure the client that Upwork has all of your personal information and has verified it.