Solved: Possible Scam - Page 2

c763b1a0 · ‎10-27-2021

Hello all! I am thinking there might be a scam going on here on Upwork. It's pretty creative and sneaky if you don't know what to look for, but here's my experience: I am a photographer and editor and I recently saw a job (payment unverified) asking for photo editing of eCommerce jewelry items. I applied and was contacted and she asked if I would be willing to do a few test shots so she could determine whether I was capable of handling the work. I am paying member so I have the ability to see how many people have applied and are being interviewed. I noticed she was already interviewing 11 people. I also noticed that the quality of images she was having me edit were horrible and I realized that she might be asking all 11 applicants to edit "test shots" and essentially getting all of her editing done for free. If each was asked to do 2-3 images as I was, that would be over 30 images done for no charge! I told her I would do one for free but that's it. My portfolio already demonstrated I could do what she was asking. That conversation has quickly gone dead and I haven't been hired. So, on the next day, I saw a similar job posted (eCommerce image editing) and applied for that one, as well. This time, I wasn't interviewed, but again, I noticed that the client was interviewing multiple people in a very short amount of time. This job quickly closed with no hires and no verified payment. Does anyone else think this sounds fishy and is there a way to report this?

pgiambalvo · ‎10-27-2021

If it smells like a fish and quacks like a fish, it's a fish.

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pgiambalvo · ‎12-21-2021

No, I don't. Do you think all freelancers are exactly like you?

feed_my_eyes · ‎12-21-2021

Peter G wrote:
No, I don't. Do you think all freelancers are exactly like you?

I'm not the one who tried to disprove a comment by only reflecting on my own personal work ethic.

pgiambalvo · ‎12-21-2021

I wasn't trying to disprove anything, just sharing how I deal with such situations. Nowhere did I say anything that what you said wasn't the case.

pgiambalvo · ‎12-21-2021

So the naive clients must think UW will protect them, just like naive freelancers do. But yes, I will take up their cause and demand that Upwork do more to protect them. I already tried demanding Upwork do more to protect freelancers and we all know how that went.

feed_my_eyes · ‎12-21-2021

Excellent. I will certainly support your efforts to clear scamming freelancers off the platform.

martina_plaschka · ‎12-21-2021

Spend some time reading the client section of the forum. You will recoil in horror.

pgiambalvo · ‎12-21-2021

I just did. And I did recoil in horror. Seriously.

martina_plaschka · ‎12-22-2021

I know. And I must say, these accounts worry me so much more than the occasional freelancer getting scammed because they don't do their homework. This is what is hurting the platform. Clients are precious.... They should do more to eliminate these scammers. Wrong timezone? Stole a picture from the internet? Hired by your aunt? They all need to go poof, no questions asked or answered.

hedy_w · ‎12-21-2021

How are freelancers scamming money from clients?

martina_plaschka · ‎12-22-2021

Requesting payment upfront, never sending any work. Using fake screenshots. Doing shoddy work that ruines the clients website. Lying about their skills. When they get bad feedback, they create another account.

hedy_w · ‎12-22-2021

One person does all this? Since I am a freelancer and wouldn't do any of this, I can only worry about what affects me. I'm not sure why you are siding with the company or the employers and I don't know what the ratio of corruption is between the employers and freelancers. All I can say is the company should protect the freelancers better, especially if they are paying for their services. This company does have paid subscriptions. Where is the money going?

m_terrazas · ‎12-22-2021

Hedy W wrote:
One person does all this? Since I am a freelancer and wouldn't do any of this, I can only worry about what affects me. I'm not sure why you are siding with the company or the employers and I don't know what the ratio of corruption is between the employers and freelancers. All I can say is the company should protect the freelancers better, especially if they are paying for their services. This company does have paid subscriptions. Where is the money going?

I think Martina was giving you examples of scam, not that one of them did all that. Although you might just be being sarcastic and I didn't catch it.

On the other hand, this topic has been discussed countless times in the forum.
You just have to search for "scam" and read everything that has been said about it.

martina_plaschka · ‎12-22-2021

Hedy, it is becoming very clear that upwork is not the right place for you. How much have you paid so far for using upwork? Zero, right? Because you only pay a fee once you win a contract.

I do not dispute your right to complain or jump up and down like Rumpelstilzchen (German spelling) if you want to. You go ahead and do you!

It might be more becoming to understand a thing before complaining, but hey, I'm in a forgiving mood this close to the holidays!

a_lipsey · ‎12-22-2021

Martina P wrote:
Hedy, it is becoming very clear that upwork is not the right place for you. How much have you paid so far for using upwork? Zero, right? Because you only pay a fee once you win a contract.
I do not dispute your right to complain or jump up and down like Rumpelstilzchen (German spelling) if you want to. You go ahead and do you!
It might be more becoming to understand a thing before complaining, but hey, I'm in a forgiving mood this close to the holidays!

I have read through this whole thread, and I have to say I agree with Martina. Hedy, the platform is not going to change to suit you. The things you are complaining of are problems on every freelance platform and everywhere on the internet. Like Petra, I would prefer Upwork spend money on bringing good clients to the platform rather than holding the hand of newbie freelancers. The purpose of this platform is to connect clients and freelancers and provide a payment conduit. It's not here to manage freelancers and teach them how to be safe on the internet. Upwork provides loads of help pages on Getting Started and Staying Safe. As Preston mentioned, if you want to jump in without reading and learning, you must be willing to accept the mistakes and losses you will make. That's really all there is to it.

It sounds like Upwork is not for you, and maybe it would be better for you to focus on building local business through networking or other means instead. That's okay. Upwork isn't for everyone.

petra_r · ‎12-22-2021

Hedy W wrote:
One person does all this?

Clearly not.... Where is thar even coming from?

Hedy W wrote:
I can only worry about what affects me.

But things that affect clients affect all freelancers. Clients are who bring the work and the money we make.

Hedy W wrote:
I'm not sure why you are siding with the company or the employers

There are no employers here. There are clients. Completely different concept. And it's not about "siding with" anyone. It's about being grown up, realistic and take responsibility for one's own actions.

Hedy W wrote:
All I can say is the company should protect the freelancers better, especially if they are paying for their services. This company does have paid subscriptions. Where is the money going?

Clearly the money goes on running a multi million Dollar business. What a MOST peculiar question...

I tell you what: I (or rather my clients via myself) pay Upwork many thousands of Dollars a year and I want them to spend that money wisely, bringing more clients so freelancers can earn more money.

I'd rather they didn't spend the money I (or rather my clients) pay them on protecting people from their own unwillingness to follow the rules and their own lack of basic common sense.

I don't want Upwork to spend that money on stuff for people who have no business navigating the internet unsupervised.

martina_plaschka · ‎12-22-2021

LOL unsupervised! That's funny. Let's hope for a X-Mas miracle and all upwork rules being miraculously revealed to all the newbies. Cue heavenly music! Otherwise, we are edging dangerously close to the conspiracy cliff right there.

m_terrazas · ‎12-22-2021

Martina P wrote:
LOL unsupervised! That's funny. Let's hope for a X-Mas miracle and all upwork rules being miraculously revealed to all the newbies. Cue heavenly music! Otherwise, we are edging dangerously close to the conspiracy cliff right there.

Hey, are you happy or have you started celebrating the holidays with a glass of Schnaps?
I think I'm going to start with the Cognac :party_popper:
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it, and to those who don't, come on, sign up, a party doesn't hurt anyone!

martina_plaschka · ‎12-22-2021

Just happy! I don't drink any more, soooo...... alcohol-free party, anytime!

roberty1y · ‎12-22-2021

Best idea yet. Merry Christmas to you and everyone who posts here!

Maybe we can celebrate New Year by forming a lynch mob and hunting down the scammers with pitchforks and nooses.

feed_my_eyes · ‎12-22-2021

Hedy W wrote:
Since I am a freelancer and wouldn't do any of this, I can only worry about what affects me.

Of course it affects you, and it especially affects you as a new freelancer, because clients who've been scammed in the past are less willing to take a risk on somebody who doesn't already have good reviews and a solid reputation.

If a client has a bad experience on Upwork, they often leave and don't come back, and they share their bad experiences with others, who will then also avoid Upwork. That means less business for all of us, so it's a much bigger concern than scamming clients, who are very easy to avoid.

hedy_w · ‎12-22-2021

Then what does it say about this platform if there are so many problems? Why are any of us even on here? I can't worry about what the freelancers do, but since I am one, I am going to worry more right now about how to navigate on this system without getting scammed myself. But I don't know if I would say the scamming is coming more from the freelancers than the clients. How is there a way to know the ratio? I would say in the work world, employees get screwed over and exploited more than the employers, so I would think it would mirror that.

martina_plaschka · ‎12-22-2021

I don't know what it says about this platform. They must be doing something right, since they are by far the largest of its kind worldwide.

You could spend your time more wisely working on your profile. Right now it's just click-bait for scammers. The only target inexperienced newbies that don't present in a professional manner. If you want to avoid that, that should be your first point of action.

But of course you can go on trying to be right about everything. It does not help you get serious clients, it does not change how upwork operates, but there must be something in it for you since you would not do it otherwise.

m_terrazas · ‎12-22-2021

Hedy W wrote:
Then what does it say about this platform if there are so many problems? Why are any of us even on here? I can't worry about what the freelancers do, but since I am one, I am going to worry more right now about how to navigate on this system without getting scammed myself. But I don't know if I would say the scamming is coming more from the freelancers than the clients. How is there a way to know the ratio? I would say in the work world, employees get screwed over and exploited more than the employers, so I would think it would mirror that.

You must first stop comparing the normal / freelancer world of work (both as a freelancer and as a client).

Then assume that you are a business, not an employee, who is hired by a client for a specific job (and vice versa).

Once this is assumed, you have to look at this platform from that new perspective. Upwork allows you to get in touch with many clients and / or freelancers, and they assume that, as a company, you know how to navigate the world of work.

And do not trust that they will lead you by the hand through each of the problems you may encounter, since they assume that you have caught up with their rules and their problems.

Read, read, read and when in doubt, there are the forums where many people leave part of their time to help others (when they allow themselves to be helped).

And it is completely irrelevant who wins in the amount of scammers.
These exist and it is your role to learn to detect them.

hedy_w · ‎12-21-2021

It's been going on that long? People shouldn't have to keep complaining about this. It should get done. They go through enough trouble to put in detailed terms of service and it sounds like to protect themselves more, but they can't do anything else to protect freelancers on this site who are new? I guess they don't have to worry if someone gets scammed and bilked out of money or time as long as they have their terms of service that protect them.

martina_plaschka · ‎12-22-2021

They should do so much more to protect the clients that get scammed and taken advantage of fraudulent freelancers. People that lie about their skills, picture, location, experience, language skills. Getting hired, never doing any work. Using fake screenshots for the work diary. Asking in the forum if they can work on two projects at the same time.

That is the real problem here. There are too many freelancers already, and not enough clients. The clients is what the platform needs to worry about.