Sharing Mail or Phone numbers but Contract on Upwork only.

[itsyash]

Hello there,

There have been times when clients asked me to share my phone number so they can get on a whatsap calll and other stuff. I have always said and stated that this might be against Upwork Policy.

But they shared theirs anyway.

I have never made a contract with a client outside of Upwork that I met on Upwork. 

I don't wanna do anything to mess up my account in any way.

I'm really thankful for Upwork.

So I would like to know about these things a little more please so I can be on the safer side.

Also, Is sharing phone numbers, mail address and other stuff is okay when you are already in a contract?

Not everyone is willing to join a Zoom meeting or Google Meet. Some prefer just a WhatsApp call.

Thanks, Regards

Hoping you all a good day!!

[JoanneP · Accepted solution]

Hi Yash,

Please know that communication outside of Upwork before a contract is placed is a violation of Upwork TOS. Once a contract is in place you may use any communication methods you choose. However, 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 harmful behaviors decreases dramatically. For example, the vast majority of scammers that successfully take advantage of talent on Upwork do so by going off the platform. To learn more about staying safe on Upwork, click here.

[itsyash]

Thanks! For what it's worth. I didn't share anything from my side. 

I told the clients that it'd be better to deal here in Upwork only.

[upworkvictoria]

Thank you so much for your information