Shared files to work on through google drive. How to know I won't be scammed?

[avirockx007]

Hi Team Upwork,

I am in the contract with a client who has shared some files to work on through google drive. I am right now working on some shared files. My question is this, am I being scammed because I am working on shared files? Do you think the client can dodge me by this? He is new to the Upwork platform & has hired a lot of freelancers to work on his project(Shared files project).
Should I download my work & remove it from his/her drive & after completing it submit it on the Upwork. He is paying me in Milestones. I have to deliver the first milestone on 23rd Oct.

Hope you guys give me some advice on it, I am confused right now.

Thanks
Kind Regards
Awais N.

[petra_r]

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Awais N wrote:

I am in the contract with a client who has shared some files to work on through google drive. I am right now working on some shared files. My question is this, am I being scammed because I am working on shared files? Do you think the client can dodge me by this? He is new to the Upwork platform & has hired a lot of freelancers to work on his project(Shared files project).

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Are you actually hired?

"Where is my money?"

[avirockx007]

Yes, I am hired on Upwork. My work is in progress and has to be submitted on 23rd Oct. Can I work on a separate file & submit it through Upwork?

Thanks
Kind Regards
Awais N.

[wescowley]

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Awais N wrote:

 Can I work on a separate file & submit it through Upwork?

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That's a question for your client.

[avirockx007]

Yeah, I have asked them the same question. 
Thank you for your support, really appreciated. 

Regards
Awais N.

[tta192 · Accepted solution]

The only way for the client to scam you is by removing your access to the shared files after you finish the task and then claim you did not deliver.

You can keep working on the shared files but save offline copies from time to time. You don't need to submit those files when requesting payment, just add a note 'work submitted on shared files'. The offline copies are for showing proof in case of a dispute by the client.

But you should not need that either, it's much better when there's mutual trust. You build that by starting with very small milestones and raising the amount progressively. If you start with a milestone of just a few dollars you don't care if you get scammed, you simply drop the client and move on.

[avirockx007]

I am really humbled by your reply/suggestion.

I am hired by this client on 500$, the first milestone is of 350$. The project is very much time consuming & requires hard work. I am just worried that when I complete the project & he/she removes me from accessing the file, it shall be very difficult for me after that. I have completed 40% of the work. I have asked them now if I could work on a separate file.

(One more thing,  he/she has hired more than 10 people on the same project. I don't know how they are working like such.)

[wescowley]

Yes, there are certainly ways you could be scammed with this. But you can do some things to protect yourself.

First, look at Petra's flowchart to make sure you've actually been hired and make sure the milestone is really funded in escrow.

Before you start and before you click submit on the milestone, make backups of the files to your GDrive. Make sure to click the option to copy any comments but don't click the "share with same people". You may also want to do this at major stages in your work. You can clear these after the milestone has been paid and a bit of time has passed. Even with long-term clients, I'll usually backup the original file from GDrive just in case something goes badly wrong.

Definitely don't delete the original from the client's drive, that's likely to make them quite unhappy.

When I click submit on something like this, especially for new clients, I usually just put in a few notes about what I did and make it clear all the edits were done on GDrive. 

Can you still get scammed after doing all the above? Sure. It's always a risk.

[martina_plaschka]

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Awais N wrote:

Hi Team Upwork,

I am in the contract with a client who has shared some files to work on through google drive. I am right now working on some shared files. My question is this, am I being scammed because I am working on shared files? Do you think the client can dodge me by this? He is new to the Upwork platform & has hired a lot of freelancers to work on his project(Shared files project).
Should I download my work & remove it from his/her drive & after completing it submit it on the Upwork. He is paying me in Milestones. I have to deliver the first milestone on 23rd Oct.

Hope you guys give me some advice on it, I am confused right now.

Thanks
Kind Regards
Awais N.

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I don't see why you would even think of being scammed just because you are working on a google doc.

[avirockx007]

Dear Ma'am, 

It is a shared file, they have shared the file with me from Google Drive. That is why I feel like this that could it be a scam? 

Should I go for a new file & copy the data from the shared file to it? (Which is a Google SpreadSheet)?