Scam or Not?

[d_samuel_udokpok]

So I saw this job posting and wanted to apply. Then within the description, I saw this cons kinda intrigue me. The client joined Upwork in April 2022 and hasve spent, $30. What do you think of this posting

CONS:
1. The event has an admission fee of $10 that the freelancer will pay upfront.

PROS:
1. You dont have to participate. You just need to leave your device online during the meeting.
2. You will get paid hourly for 15 hours a week, 60 hours for 4 weeks.

Please don't forget to record the time on your Upwork contract while attending this event.
We will only work with the first 100 freelancers to pay the admission fee by latest Sunday. Best wishes!

job link: **Edited for Community Guidelines**

[yitwail]

David, it's 100% SCAM  and I strongly urge you to read this blog post so you know why it's a scam: https://community.upwork.com/t5/Community-Blog/Top-Red-Flags-for-Scams-From-Community-Member-Wes-C/b...

 I'm frankly disappointed that Wes' post isn't automatically placed at the top of the Community Blog because it contains essential information for new freelancers. 

[d_samuel_udokpok]

I've read that post and I'm wondering because this is an old client

[feed_my_eyes]

---

David S wrote:

I've read that post and I'm wondering because this is an old client

---

They only joined in April of this year, and have spent a total of $30. I've seen jobs posted by scammers in which they offer freelancers a small fee in return for a good review, and I would bet that's what's happening here. Of the three freelancers that this person worked with, two of them have only done a single job - for this client - and the third has had their profile suspended. 

The client even admits to being a scammer right in the job description - they were paid to promote the event, they didn't do the job right, and now they want to fill the seminar with fake attendees. Sure, that sounds like somebody you can trust.

[d_samuel_udokpok]

Absolutely spot on there. Well just feeling a little bad for those freelancers that have applied already. Right now the job has received 20+ proposals on both postings. I believe the moderator in here edited the job link but has refused to remove the job itself from the marketplace. Why?

[pgiambalvo]

The moderators are quicker to remove things here than the team that removes scams from our feeds. I don't know what that is.

[pgiambalvo]

I'm frankly disappointed that Wes' post isn't automatically placed at the top of every page on the site.

[tkgnewseed]

RUN AWAY!!  I have been seeing more and more of these scams than I did earlier this year.  It's nuts and a waste of time for freelancers like us to skim through it all.

[d_samuel_udokpok]

If only I'm able to flag the job, freelancers are already applying

[ambika_mahajan]

Honestly speaking, I would not fall for it. 
The biggest red flag is that the client wants the freelancer to pay you an 'admission fee'.

Then, he does not expect you to do anything- you are simply required to leave your computer on. I mean, ARE YOU SERIOUS?
No one in the world would be starving or grappling with poverty if anyone could get paid just to leave the computer on.
That's a scam- A BIG NO!

[d_samuel_udokpok]

There are a few instances with jobs related to this which just asked you to be a participant to fill up a particular event. But this is quite different though and flagging isn't working on the job

[feed_my_eyes]

If it were legit, the client would pay the $10 registration fee for the freelancers. And I already flagged it.

[feed_my_eyes]

A job that offers to pay you for 60 hours to do absolutely nothing, but the "client" can't pay the $10 registration fee for the freelancers - he needs 100 freelancers to pay $10 each? 

Already flagged as a scam.

[pgiambalvo]

Reported the same thing yesterday.

[prestonhunter · Accepted solution]

Totally a scam and totally wrong.

But thank you, David, for posting this because this is one I have NEVER seen mentioned before in the Forum.

This represents some creative effort on the part of the scammer to do something new.

[sofia2008]

The CONS is a violation of Upwork Terms of Services. So no matter the PROS, this is a scam. Never pay anything to a client/never buy anything for/from a client.

Flag as inappropriate.

[d_samuel_udokpok]

Just wondering why flagging isn't working 

[pgiambalvo]

This post is in violation of the ToS and the client should be blocked from being able to post again.

[draaismaedwin]

I agree completely. Unfortunatly, having reported several scammers throughout the years, they're still active on Upwork. Last month I reported an agency asking for free work. This agency needed freelancer to do a full one-page translation "test" in order to consider hiring.  ( 20 "tests" ads up to a complete e-book). I reported him twice last 2 months, but still they're active on Upwork. Quite disappointing as there does not seem to be consequences for scammers on this platform.

[thompson_karen]

Scam.