Possible Scam?

[Margo A]

Well, thanks for letting me know. I guess Upwork is not the place for me.

[Gina H]

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Margo A wrote:
Well, thanks for letting me know. I guess Upwork is not the place for me.

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It is wildly amazing to me how many people think that it's up to Upwork to protect them at all costs when the TRUE issue is that they couldn't properly read the terms of service.

[Joanne Marie P]

Hi Margo,

If you see a job that seemed suspicious, please report it to so that our team can review and take appropriate actions. I'd recommend that you please check out the thread that Bojan shared, and this help article, Also, please check out Tips to avoid questionable jobs. You may also send us a PM to report and, we'll gladly share it with the team for you. 

[Margo A]

The job I sent a proposal to was Convert an audio podcast to text transcript.**Edited for community guidelines** I received an email from**Edited for community guidelines**at Upwork informing me that I had been sent a project invitation from the client and he included a link. That link then gave me instructions to make contact with the client via Skype which I did.

I'm not saying it's an excuse but since this was my first experience sending a proposal and getting a response I was somewhat naive. Since the request to set up the Skype came via the email from**Edited for community guidelines**it did not occur to me that it should be questioned. In any case, I was asked a series of questions then told I had been selected. I was then asked for my name, address and phone number so they could prepare an offer letter. I was told they would be sending me a check to purchase equipment; the hourly rate was higher than posted and they hoped to make this a long-term partnership.

When I received the offer letter I told them I thought Upwork should be a part of the process and asked if they would then bring in an Upwork contact which would make me more comfortable. That was the end of the communication. Here are some more details:

**Edited for community guidelines**

This was a very disheartening experience and I hope no one else has to experience it. I was disappointed to realize Upwork doesn't do a better job of vetting clients so my trust level has dissipated.

Thank you,
Margo

[Joanne Marie P]

Hi Margo,

Thanks for sharing more information. I'll be sure to report this to the team for review. If you have more information that you would like to share, please feel free to send me a PM by clicking on my name. 

[Julie J]

Sounds like a scam. Clients have no reason to need your banking information and if they want you to have equipment they can order it and have it sent to you. In all my years of freelancing no one ever needed me purchase special equipment.  Please flag the job. 

[Tamara E]

Hi,

That exact process happened with me under a job for proofreading for:

**Edited for community guidelines**

**Edited for community guidelines** contacted me. After an "interview" on Skype (no video, just text) and filling out a form, they said I was accepted and would pay x amount for my work plus $100 bonus because of the Coronaviurs (which I though was weird). Then they asked me for my banking instiution (big red flag) and said that they would send ME a check within the hour so that I could purchase the work from home equipment I would need from them, like a secure laptop. 

When I asked for more details on the project they said that they would get to that later. I will not be cashing the check they sent me, especially after reading this article: **Edited for community guidelines**

[Christine A]

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Tamara E wrote:

Hi,

That exact process happened with me under a job for proofreading for:

**Edited for community guidelines**

**Edited for community guidelines** contacted me. After an "interview" on Skype (no video, just text) and filling out a form, they said I was accepted and would pay x amount for my work plus $100 bonus because of the Coronaviurs (which I though was weird). Then they asked me for my banking instiution (big red flag) and said that they would send ME a check within the hour so that I could purchase the work from home equipment I would need from them, like a secure laptop. 

When I asked for more details on the project they said that they would get to that later. I will not be cashing the check they sent me, especially after reading this article: **Edited for community guidelines**

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Even if this hadn't been a scam, it was against the rules for you to accept a cheque from a client or chat on Skype; all messages and conversations have to stay on the Upwork platform until you have a contract in place. You should read the terms of service or you're liable to have your account banned.

[Jeremiah B]

Also look out for the "work sample" scam.  Depending on what services you offer, clients will ask you (and others) to perform a certain job as a sample so they can choose the best candidate from the submissions.  This is just a way for them to get free work.  Imagine having a large project with several parts, then giving each potential hire a slice of that project as a "test", they collect up all of the "tests" and now have their project completed so they tell each candidate that they chose someone else while walking away with an entire project.

Consult with potential clients but don't be afraid to stop the conversation and inform them that in order to continue you'd need to have an established contract.

[Tamara E]

Wow that is sneaky! Thank you for the heads up!