Response to my first proposal on this platform!

[311295f6]

The message I received in response to my first ever proposal on this platform is asking for my number and email to communicate outside of this platform; I'm not comforatable doing so just yet, and they don't seem willing to conduct a zoom call direct from our massaging conversation. Am I being too touchy about all of it or am I right to err on the side of caution. I don't wanna hand out any information to malicious characters.

In addition to all of it, the grammer is really bad with the person I'm communicating with via messaging. They're supposably representing a construction company in need of a software engineer...

[roberty1y · Accepted solution]

They're planning to rip you off. They look out for new members in the hope that they'll be more naive than people who have spent some time on the site. Also, it would be against Upwork's terms of service to communicate outside the platform before a contract is started, and you could have your account suspended for doing so.

[311295f6]

Thank you for the response Robert!

[JoanneP]

Hi Dennis,

Please know that communication outside of Upwork before a contract is placed is a violation of Upwork TOS. We find that when users communicate outside of Upwork there is an increased risk of fraud, scam, and other harmful behaviors. When communications (and work) stay on our platform we can better track, verify, and help address any issues that emerge, and as a result, the potential for these behaviors to cause harm decreases dramatically. For example, the vast majority of scammers that successfully take advantage of talent do so by going off the platform. You can read more on this help article and also, please check out Tips to avoid questionable jobs and this help article about how you can stay safe on Upwork.