Solved: Shady job or this is how it works?

bkoyak · ‎09-02-2021

Hello I’m a bit nervous about a job. I went through question process with client t on upwork, they had me meet their HR via text in Skype.
 
Theyd said I got the job immediately and are asking for my personal info via Skype. Is this the usual process?

petra_r · ‎09-02-2021

Brad K wrote:
Hello I’m a bit nervous about a job. I went through question process with client t on upwork, they had me meet their HR via text in Skype.

You violated Upwork's terms of service by communicating outside the platform before a contract was in place.

Brad K wrote:
Hello I’m a bit nervous about a job. I went through question process with client t on upwork, they had me meet their HR via text in Skype.
 
Theyd said I got the job immediately and are asking for my personal info via Skype.

Scam. They want to send you a fake check for your "home office" and steal thousands of Dollars from you. Or a variation of that. It's an ancient scam that only works in the USA.

You will come across that nonsense frequently

Brad K wrote:
Is this the usual process?

No.

NEVER communicate with anyone outside the platform until you are hired and have a proper contract showing on your My Jobs page. That will eliminate the vast majority, if not all the scams.

View solution in original post

wescowley · ‎09-02-2021

Brad K wrote:
Hello I’m a bit nervous about a job. I went through question process with client t on upwork, they had me meet their HR via text in Skype.
 
Theyd said I got the job immediately and are asking for my personal info via Skype. Is this the usual process?

No. Walk away. This is a scam.

Upwork's rules prohibit communicating off the platform before you have a contract in place. Keep the conversation in Upwork messenger or the integrated Zoom. Do not share contact information before you have a contract. Do not share personal details over and above what's needed to do the job.

petra_r · ‎09-02-2021

Brad K wrote:
Hello I’m a bit nervous about a job. I went through question process with client t on upwork, they had me meet their HR via text in Skype.

You violated Upwork's terms of service by communicating outside the platform before a contract was in place.

Brad K wrote:
Hello I’m a bit nervous about a job. I went through question process with client t on upwork, they had me meet their HR via text in Skype.
 
Theyd said I got the job immediately and are asking for my personal info via Skype.

Scam. They want to send you a fake check for your "home office" and steal thousands of Dollars from you. Or a variation of that. It's an ancient scam that only works in the USA.

You will come across that nonsense frequently

Brad K wrote:
Is this the usual process?

No.

NEVER communicate with anyone outside the platform until you are hired and have a proper contract showing on your My Jobs page. That will eliminate the vast majority, if not all the scams.

bkoyak · ‎09-02-2021

Of thanks guys new here looks like I made some major mistakes. It was premium member so I assumed they were legit and following rules.

wescowley · ‎09-02-2021

Brad K wrote:
Of thanks guys new here looks like I made some major mistakes. It was premium member so I assumed they were legit and following rules.

If by premium member, you mean "Upwork Plus", that means absolutely nothing. Just ignore it.

gilbert-phyllis · ‎09-02-2021

Brad K wrote:
Of thanks guys new here looks like I made some major mistakes. It was premium member so I assumed they were legit and following rules.

Don't make any assumptions, especially about clients or anyone else being responsible and following rules. You have to assume responsibility for knowing the rules and making sure you follow them and you only work with clients who also follow them.

Learn how Upwork works by reviewing the information provided in the Help & Support pages and the New to Upwork section of this forum. UW is not an app you can figure out as you go along, it's a complicated platform where you can waste a lot of time, i.e., money if you don't know what you're doing. You can also damage your profile by establishing a job history that does not cast the best light on your capabilities. If that happens, you're stuck, you can't cancel and start over with a new account. UW allows one account per person per lifetime. So, do some homework before you proceed. Good luck!

bkoyak · ‎09-02-2021

I was looking all over for info on this. I literally couldn't find the new to UpWork section. I looked at how UpWork works but that didn't explain the process. Also, the UX is lacking. Can we get some video welcomes and introductions explaining everything, maybe some infographics?

gilbert-phyllis · ‎09-02-2021

Brad K wrote:
I was looking all over for info on this. I literally couldn't find the new to UpWork section. I looked at how UpWork works but that didn't explain the process. Also, the UX is lacking. Can we get some video welcomes and introductions explaining everything, maybe some infographics?

Seeing as how tens of thousands of us have managed to understand the platform using available resources and we'd prefer to see the fees we pay being invested in addressing real functional issues, I'd say the answer is no. (Petra brings out some dynamite flowcharts from time to time.)

There are reams of information available and while the UW-produced material is often rather convoluted and opaque, the Community Forum is an encyclopedia of knowledge and insight mostly presented in plain language with ample dollops of humor sprinkled with snark. Who could ask for more?

bkoyak · ‎09-02-2021

You arent wrong I've just had a hard time finding the parts I was looking for. I teach full time and am going through the move from hell and am just a bit weighed down with reading material right now. I am also a total snob for UI/UX. I will say this is significantly better than Fivver.

wescowley · ‎09-02-2021

Brad K wrote:
I was looking all over for info on this. I literally couldn't find the new to UpWork section. I looked at how UpWork works but that didn't explain the process. Also, the UX is lacking. Can we get some video welcomes and introductions explaining everything, maybe some infographics?

https://community.upwork.com/t5/New-to-Upwork/bd-p/New_to_Upwork

AleksandarD · ‎09-02-2021

Hi Brad,

Please note that taking communications with a freelancer or client off of Upwork before a contract is in place is against our Terms of Service.

I checked the job post you were referring to and it seems that it's already been taken down because it was in violation of Upwork TOS and action has been taken on the client account.

Please check out this post for tips on how to avoid questionable jobs and please use the flag option found on each job post or message anytime you'd like to report a violation.

Thank you.

~ Aleksandar

bkoyak · ‎09-02-2021

Great thanks for the resources and yes I reported them. I teach full so finding all the fine print is a bit cumbersome. I really appreciate it.

martina_plaschka · ‎09-02-2021

Brad K wrote:
Great thanks for the resources and yes I reported them. I teach full so finding all the fine print is a bit cumbersome. I really appreciate it.

Starting out on upwork can be a bit confusing, your best strategy is reading the help section, the forum, or asking questions. The first skill you need to acquire is differentiating between real clients and scammers, who will steal your time or worse, your time and money. Scammers target inexperienced newbies, so you might get a bad impression at first, but don't let that discourage you. What upwork is not, though, is an easy way to make money. If you are serious about it, you need to invest considerable time and effort to gain traction.