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d472434b
Community Member

Phishing Scam - I am really naive - However, I am trying to make this entertaining.

Hello All,

 

I'm new to upwork and I did something extremely naive today and did a Skype interview with a potential "client" in which I was hired for a role that was reasonably well described and something I have done tons of times before.  I was asked for personal information after I was "hired" and I didn't think much about it until after.  I gave lots of personal information including address and banks I use but not social security or account numbers.  Soooooooooooooooo stupid but I didn't think upwork would have scams on the site.

 

Does anyone know how to report a client?

Tony

ACCEPTED SOLUTION
PradeepH
Moderator
Moderator

Hi Anthony,

 

Thank you for your message. I checked the job post you were referring to and forwarded it to the relevant team to investigate further. The team has confirmed that they have taken down the job because it was in violation of Upwork TOS.


Please keep communications on Upwork until your contract starts. It’ll help you stay safe from scams, plus it’s against our Terms of ServicePlease check out this course for more tips on staying safe on Upwork and please use the flag option found on each job post or message anytime you’d like to report a violation.

 

Thank you,

Pradeep

Upwork

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35 REPLIES 35
d472434b
Community Member

martina_plaschka
Community Member

It is not reasonable to expect upwork to be the only scammer-free zone on the internet. 

From the job posting, there is really no indication that this is a scam except new and unverified client, but that is not a certainty.

Skype before hire can get you suspended, so don't do that again. The rule is in place to keep people safe, but I guess it doesn't work if they don't know it. Make sure all the data you gave out is protected, change passwords, etc. I doubt you were hired on an official contract. 

Agreed, Martina.  For anyone's entertainment, first I'll send the website with the some of the employees and their names:

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

The link will be deleted. You can't call out a client in a public forum. The real company has nothing to do with the scam. 

You don't even evaluate the content before posting a unilateral opinion.  I can call them out.  There is not a real company.  I just asked him if he'd send multiple sets of the mysterious 3500 equipment so I wouldn't have to carry it around and he said sure and that is understandable.  

 

This is not a real company.  Do a whois search and find they are "located" in Iceland.  Please read the full post on the community and do 2 minutes of research if you are going to comment.

I will not click on a link that might be a scammer!

Usually they use legit companies and pretend to be them.  


Anthony K wrote:

You don't even evaluate the content before posting a unilateral opinion.  I can call them out. 


No, you can't "call them out" because it's against forum rules, and also unhelpful. Just because you were able to find out that this particular company was fake, that doesn't mean your research will keep you safe from scams in the future. Scammers don't really work for ANY company they say that they work for, and many do use real people's names and real companies that they've found on Linked In. Some will even put a company's logo on a fake contract in order to trick people. 

Hi Martina,

I have found upwork one of the only templates that have actually worked for freelancers!! In my field I usually get clients that make out they know more than me and how they will handle the project?? it is actually really funny! I am a senior formulator and they treat me like I am a graduate out of uni. However, I just tell them that if they want to pay $5 per hr, then  go somewhere else. Today I had a group of people that gave me a formula and I had to tell them how to reformulate it and what was wrong with it. By the end we were all laughing. I think that clients should be able to tell who you are and what you are capable of doing once they read the cover letter? If they need more than that then they just want free work.

d472434b
Community Member

Here are the questions I was gullable enough to at least partially answer:

SECOND SECTION!

PAYROLL & WORKING SCHEDULE:
1. How many hours are you willing to Work per week? (10hrs Minimum per week )
2. Are you willing to work flexible or long hours? what time range?
3. When would you be available to start if HIRED?
4. Do you have an HP LaserJet printer, copier, and scanner?
5. How much will you like to receive as your hourly pay?
6. Payroll Method (Check/Direct deposit)?
7. What is the name of the Bank which you currently operate with so as to see if it tallies financially with the company's official salary payment account?

*********** AND THEN *********************

As a new member of our team, i need you to provide me with the list of information below.

Full Name. : This will appear on the employment letter you will be receiving soon.
Home Address: This will appear on the employment letter you will be receiving soon.
Email Address: The employment letter will be sent here, when ready for you to review.
Contact Number : A number you can be reached on if necessary.
I need you to provide me with the information above so HR can draft the employment letter.

*************AND HERE IS THE SCAM PART THAT WAS REPEATED MULTIPLE TIMES**************

Therefore the company will be issuing you a check, this will be for purchase of all the equipment needed for the project from the company’s local vendor that is closest to your location, method of purchase and payment will be made known to you, when you’re in receipt of the check, which will be arriving soonest.

 

After employment process


But the company will be issuing you a check, this will be for purchase of all the equipment needed for the project from the company’s local vendor that is closest to your location, method of purchase and payment will be made known to you, when you’re in receipt of the check, which will be arriving soonest.

 

All Funds for the software are provided to our new members by the company as a written Check, this is to enable us track and ensure safety giving out Funds

 

Accounting will scan your Check and email you a pdf version, which you can proceed to print on your printer, and do a mobile deposit on your mobile phone or deposit at the ATM. This would be faster than mailing you a physical Check which will take more than a day and with the whole covid situation in town and the original version will be send to your address in a few days for your records.

 

The amount is $3,500

 

*****************

I don't need any equipment, they want to use their online provider, they won't just pay their provider to send it to me and they won't tell me what the equipment is.

 

I think I understand the scam:

-they send me a fake check for $3500

-I use my real credit card and buy $3500 of stuff from some site on the Internet

-the check bounces

-nothing ever comes

 

If people are interested, I'll update the thread.

martina_plaschka
Community Member

No need to post all this, this is a very old scam from before the internet existed.

6. Payroll Method (Check/Direct deposit)?

If you even talk about payment outside of upwork, you can get suspended. 

No need to read my posts as you were super negative last time too.  Please don't comment either as you just make me feel worse.  You can still have your stats as the biggest commenter on the planet without me.

I thought your post was well worth the read, I am so naive I would be the one to fall for that!!

Anthony,

I think everyone who's new to Upwork should read this article. And I think you should too before you venture into taking another contract.

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Community-Blog/Top-Red-Flags-for-Scams-From-Community-Member-Wes-C/b...

Also, it's a really good idea to read the Terms of Service. These are the terms you agree to every time you take a contract on Upwork. The terms of use outline what clients and freelancers can and can't do on Upwork. I have to say that this is not the best written document I've ever come across, but it's Upwork's attempt at clear language (something they say they're working on).

https://www.upwork.com/legal#terms-of-use

If you notice a client behaving in a way that countervenes the terms, you can report them. And you can flag both the initial post and any messages they send you. Sometimes people take screen shots and start a ticket. So that's another way you can report a client.

Martina has many upvotes beause freelancers value her expertise.

 

 

sofia2008
Community Member

Please review the Terms of Service (at the bottom og this page) every user agree to when they create an account.

 

  • Communicating outside Upwork = violation of Terms of service
  • Providing personnal information = violation of Terms of Service
  • Accepting/sending payment outside Upwork = violation of Terms of service
d472434b
Community Member

I understand and I am new and made a mistake and am paying the price for it.  I have not posted the whole thing in which I tell them they need to pay me from within upwork.

 

Maybe you are able to relate to the human experience of being excited to start a new gig and being a little lost in the moment.  

 

I am sharing an anecdote.  It this community only to put people down?

There are a lot of new people every day on upwork. 

If they take it seriously, the first thing to do is all the Academy courses, reading the help section, etc. After that, they know how everything works and how to not fall for a scam.

My answers rely on freelancers to have done the bare minimum to understand the platform, and I expect them to have done their homework as mentioned before they jump in. Is that an unreasonable expectation?

Martina P,

 

Again, just don't respond to my posts because you are too superior and no matter what the situation is, you'll be right and the new person will be wrong because they are still learning what and where to go.  Again, I'm not asking for and don't want your "help".  Please don't comment on my posts.

 

My fourth request: Martina P, please don't comment on my posts.

It's a public forum. You can't control who posts, and you can't control what they post. 


Anthony K wrote:

Martina P,

 

Again, just don't respond to my posts because you are too superior and no matter what the situation is, you'll be right and the new person will be wrong because they are still learning what and where to go.  Again, I'm not asking for and don't want your "help".  Please don't comment on my posts.

 

My fourth request: Martina P, please don't comment on my posts.


Well, Martina has responded as many others would have responded to you, because we see too many freelancers who create a profile and, without knowing how the platform works, start submitting proposals.

Did you read the TOS? In them she clearly tells you that what you have done should not be done. By the way, when you created your profile you stated that you had read them.
Have you watched ACADEMY? To know, at least the rudiments of the platform.
There is also a post about scams that you might want to read. BTW Upwork, it should be in "New to Upwork" pinned and in red letters:
https://community.upwork.com/t5/Community-Blog/Top-Red-Flags-for-Scams-From-Community-Member-Wes-C/b...

And get used to it, in case you spend more time in the forums, they are public, you can't decide who writes and what is written.

When you make a post in a public forum, people will respond.

 

It is baffling that people will dive into financial transactions without understanding the rules.

 

We were all new once.  However, not all of us broke the rules. You not only risk losing money but you can be suspended from Upwork.

 

There is a popup that says don't go outside of Upwork, right before people go outside of Upwork.

 

 

What do you do for freeleance work?

I do IT related work, Dr C.  It might be the first time in 27 years that I fell for a phishing scam or it might be the only one I am aware of.

I did 2.5 years of chemical engineering at University and loved the chemistry but didn't like the engineering.  Your line of work looks very interesting.

PradeepH
Moderator
Moderator

Hi Anthony,

 

Thank you for your message. I checked the job post you were referring to and forwarded it to the relevant team to investigate further. The team has confirmed that they have taken down the job because it was in violation of Upwork TOS.


Please keep communications on Upwork until your contract starts. It’ll help you stay safe from scams, plus it’s against our Terms of ServicePlease check out this course for more tips on staying safe on Upwork and please use the flag option found on each job post or message anytime you’d like to report a violation.

 

Thank you,

Pradeep

Upwork

I doubt that your account would have been banned for having a Skype chat in relation to a scam job posting that was removed. Pradeep simply gave you links to the Terms of Service and Upwork's information on how to stay safe on Upwork.


Anthony K wrote:

For all that were curious, Martina was so helpful that she reported this chat for using skype outside of upwork and got the accout banned.  What an amazing and helpful community leader she is.  If you ask for help here and are still learning the terms of service, prepare to have Martina report you so that you are banned.  Amazing


While it would be with anyone's rights to report your infraction, none of us, Martina included, have an interest in doing so over an honest mistake. It's rather presumptuous of you to come to that conclusion.

You were the one to bring your difficulties to Upwork's attention by posting here. That would not automatically get you banned, but once you have Upwork's attention in a post admiting a ToS violation, any outcome is possible; it depends on how Upwork views the facts available to it once you're on their radar. I believe your beef is with Upwork, not with any of the colleagues and competitors who volunteer our time here.

 No one reported you. You brought attention to yourself and your disregard of the Terms of Service. Is that why the account was closed? Only Upwork can tell you, but no one, including Martina, caused you to be banned.

 

Martina, along with other freelancers who volunteer their time and expertise, try to help and do not "report" on freelancers. 

 

Did it not occur to you if the reason for being banned was the conversations here, that you initiated the topic?

Hi Anthony,

 

I would like to clarify that the client was flagged based on your report shared in this Community thread. While we'll continue to allow criticism, posts that come without constructive feedback or are disparaging of other members won't be allowed. Forums like the Community are at their best when participants treat each other with respect and courtesy. We do appreciate your participation, so please be considerate of this in your future replies.

 

Thank you,

Pradeep

Upwork


Pradeep H wrote:

Hi Anthony,

While we'll continue to allow criticism, posts that come without constructive feedback or are disparaging of other members won't be allowed.


So why hasn't the accusation been removed, if that's the case? 

I agree wholeheartedly with the comments from Renata, Douglas Michael, Jeanne, and Pradeep. That said, I would not object in the least if UW made being rude to Martina a bannable offense. There's no excuse for it. 

Hi! I need help too report a possible phishing scam too. An employer sent me an offer to a job I didn't apply for. 

 

After a few exchanges of message. I thought I'd give it a try. But then he sent me an email with a link to where I can download the file he was saying. I felt doubtful. 


Lerma E wrote:

Hi! I need help too report a possible phishing scam too. An employer sent me an offer to a job I didn't apply for. 

 

After a few exchanges of message. I thought I'd give it a try. But then he sent me an email with a link to where I can download the file he was saying. I felt doubtful. 


How did the client get your email address? It's against the terms of service for you to give out your contact information before you've been hired on Upwork. 

 

If the client asked for your contact information or gave you his, you can use the "flag as inappropriate" link on the job page to report this. But there are no rules against a client sending a file to you; that in itself is not a scam.

d472434b
Community Member

Thank you very much Pradeep, that was very constructive, helpful and will guide me in the future.

 

Tony

de9c64eb
Community Member

What is an upvote? And how could I get a few of them ?

Hi Camila,

 

Upvote is similar to a like button on a social media platform. When the community members like your post, they will hit the Upvote button.

 

Thank you,

Pradeep

Upwork
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