Questioning Legitimacy

[angelambui]

Is it normal for a client to ask me not to interview with other companies? I am pretty sure my "interview" will be used to hack into my bank account or something of that nature. How can UpWork guarantee my protection?

[prestonhunter]

re: "Is it normal for a client to ask me not to interview with other companies?"

No.

re: "I am pretty sure my 'interview' will be used to hack into my bank account or something of that nature."

I do not know why you are saying that. Asking you to not interview with other companies does not give anyone the ability to hack into your bank account.

Can you tell us more about why you are asking about bank accounts?

[angelambui]

Hi, Preston. It was more a two-fold thing. The questions asked during my interview - some were normal and some had me scratching my head. I didn’t give account numbers or anything. I was asked my credit score, who I banked with, who my mobile phone provider was... I know they can’t get into my accounts based on that info. I was more worried about if this Interview was (the beginning of) a phishing event.

[mtngigi · Accepted solution]

---

Angela B wrote:
Hi, Preston. It was more a two-fold thing. The questions asked during my interview - some were normal and some had me scratching my head. I didn’t give account numbers or anything. I was asked my credit score, who I banked with, who my mobile phone provider was... I know they can’t get into my accounts based on that info. I was more worried about if this Interview was (the beginning of) a phishing event.

---

If your brand new and got an interview, you're about to be scammed. Read up:

https://community.upwork.com/t5/New-to-Upwork/Tips-to-Avoid-Questionable-Jobs/td-p/240833

[angelambui]

Virginia, thank you so much!!! I knew it was wonky... I just didn’t know...

[yitwail]

Angela, to expand on what Virginia wrote, if you send a proposal and the client interviews you, that's one thing, but if they just invite you to a job, then be extra-cautious because legitimate invitations are rare for new freelancers.

[angelambui]

John, thanks for that insight. Yeah. I blocked the person. The post was taken down by UpWork too. AND from Virginia’s post, (again, newbie) they wanted to take the work off UpWork. So... lesson learned.

[florydev]

---

Angela B wrote:
John, thanks for that insight. Yeah. I blocked the person. The post was taken down by UpWork too. AND from Virginia’s post, (again, newbie) they wanted to take the work off UpWork. So... lesson learned.

---

Good job, Angela, way to be on the ball.

Just keep plugging and you will find a way through.

[lysis10]

IME, they want a phone chat ---> safe

they want to email, skype, whatsapp instead of chatting on upwork -----------> yerrrr outta here!

[prestonhunter]

And because nobody mentioned it yet:

No legitimate client will ask a freelancer where she banks at.

No legitimate client will ask a freelancer about her credit score.

No legitimate client will ask a freelancer about who her cell phone provider is.

[angelambui]

Thanks Preston. I scratched my head on those questions. But as a precaution, I moved my money to a diff bank I have and I notified my bank provider of what happened, and requested they flag suspicious activity. Hopefully the phishing scammers were just that, and aren’t talented enough to actually get any more info from what I provided.

Thanks everyone for your answers! Sorry for being such a newbie at this.

[angelambui]

That’s good to know. Because last nights “interview” was via google hangouts. And I just got another message for a job I bid on and they too want me to google chat.

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[prestonhunter]

Ignore anybody who invites you to interview using Google Hangouts. They are scammers.