Suspicious Client

[saimulft]

I was contacted by a client for website dev work. But due to me being busy at that time I couldn't properly look at the messages and I asked for some time from him for me to get some free time to check the work description. Today when I was looking at the work data I noticed his account stats are $0 spent but hires were 292 and 5 active contracts. I am now confused if this is some kind of scam of getting work for free by asking refund at the work end. I tried to open a close support ticket to discuss this issue with someone from upwork but every time the chatbot sends me to the forum so I am raising the question here. I am not sure if it's really a scam or not, I just need someone from upwork to help me ( No intention of disclosing any client detail on public. But I can surely give all information if a support assist me)

( Another suspicious thing is I tried to avoid taking the work by saying I am busy but he keeps insisting on taking it myself..)

[yasmin_gruss]

That is strange! You can look back at the job history and contact one of the previous freelancers if you're curious. 

[saimulft]

I got this message from my project catalog, No way for me to check the previous freelancers as this only works if I send a proposal to a job post. ( this is similar to direct message)

[martina_plaschka · Accepted solution]

Upwork support is not going to answer this for you. These are decisions you have to make on your own as a business owner. 

It sounds strange for sure. Definitely don't accept any offer from them. 

[saimulft]

Thanks a lot for the advice Martina. I was also thinking the same, this seems to me like getting free work by asking refund at the end of work. This is the only explanation for this kind of account unless there's a mistake in the calculation by upwork system ( which as a web developer myself I find very very unlikely that upwork will have such a flaw in it's calculation algorithm)

* I was thinking of asking upwork support so that they can review the client and stop if it's a scam . The hire number is 292 ( if it's a scam than 292 people are already affected, that's a large number and I thought I should definitely raise an alert so either other people can saved from it or if there's any error with the clients account than maybe the support can ractify it)