Proposal Response

[44ac2e26]

Hello, I joined Upwork last night. I sent about 10 proposals. 4 replied with links to Skype or Telegraph for an 'interview'. 2 of these turned out to be scams asking for a registration fee. The other two have been messaging back and forth all day asking a bunch of questions.. but now I'm wondering if they are also scams. Is it normal to do an interview in another platform, or should they tell me right away the post is a scam?

[spectralua · Accepted solution]

Outside communication before contract started is ToS violation. So, yes, all 4 is scammers. Or clients which ignore ToS, is same. You can report them all.

Never chat outside or your account can be blocked too.

[44ac2e26]

Oh shucks. Ok, so anytime I get a response with a link to a communication platform outside of Upwork, it's either a scam or a violation. So either way I shouldn't waste my time. I wish I had asked earlier before messaging with them all day. Thank you very much for your prompt reply. 

[sofia2008]

This is only one of many rules you have to follow and to which all freelancers agree to comply to when they create an account. Please review the Terms of Service at the bottom of this page and take some courses from the Academy at the top of this page.

[renata101]

Hi Amber,

I think there may actually be data entry jobs because I see freelancers who specialize in data entry with completed jobs on their profiles. But it's an oversaturated market, and the rates may be low because there's a lot of competition.

I'm not sure if there are other strategies you can use to find legitimate jobs. I do know that it's generally better if you have a more specialized skill or you work in a specific niche. If you're looking for "lowing hanging fruit," be advised that a lot of other freelancers are looking for the same thing. If you can demonstrate that you have a higher level of skill than basic entry level, it might be easier to find contracts.

[elisa_b]

Amber, please be aware that the "data entry" category is one of the most targeted by scammers (if not the preferred one). What happened to you during your very first hours of freelancing is clear evidence of that.

Plus, you will hardly find any data entry jobs here that are worth doing here. They are basically all scams or underpaid jobs.

What are you able to do, do you have any real skills or knowledge that you can offer to clients? Otherwise, I am afraid you might be only wasting your time on Upwork.