Suspicious(?) job post/interview

Johnny S · ‎05-04-2020

I am earnestly seeking my first hire through this platform. A potential client sent a message through Messages for me to connect with him through Skype for a chat interview. There was nothing terribly disconcerting about the interview, but I am unnerved by the request for personal info at the end of the chat. What need does a prospective client have for my full name, email address, home address and phone number? For a proofreading job through a freelance platform?

I've pasted a record of the Skype into the Messages platform. There supposedly is a way to flag a message as inappropriate, but I cannot find it.

How can I flag this message as inappropriate so someone can take action on this post and the other one listed by this client?

Bojan S · ‎05-04-2020

Hi Johnny,

Thanks for flagging this. I'll be sure to share this with our team for their review. Please, check this help article for more information on how to use the flag option found on each job post or message to report any suspicious or inappropriate content. Also, check out this post for more tips on how to avoid questionable jobs.

Thank you!

~ Bojan

Gemma K · ‎08-27-2020

Hi,

I also had almost the exact same situation as Johnny stated in his post. It was a client with an Upwork subscription who asked for information during the interview process as the offer was being made. The conversation was also not terribly alarming or concerning but, after giving my information, I felt uneasy and ended up declining the job offer. I was wondering how this situation was resolved, if at all. I'm a new freelancer on Upwork and I, inadvertently, gave the information that was asked to said client and would really want to know how this situation was resolved or dealt with. I cannot find a way to flag the job posting as it is no longer available, although I do have the job posting saved under Saved Jobs.

Thank you!

Amanda L · ‎08-27-2020

Gemma K wrote:
Hi,

I also had almost the exact same situation as Johnny stated in his post. It was a client with an Upwork subscription who asked for information during the interview process as the offer was being made. The conversation was also not terribly alarming or concerning but, after giving my information, I felt uneasy and ended up declining the job offer. I was wondering how this situation was resolved, if at all. I'm a new freelancer on Upwork and I, inadvertently, gave the information that was asked to said client and would really want to know how this situation was resolved or dealt with. I cannot find a way to flag the job posting as it is no longer available, although I do have the job posting saved under Saved Jobs.

Thank you!

Did you keep all communication on Upwork and was the offer on Upwork? As an FYI, before a contract is accepted, all communication is supposed to remain on Upwork. So if you're being asked to interview on Google Hangouts or Skype, that is a red flag. Any legit offer will be made through Upwork where you hit a button that says "Accept Offer". And you will find the job under your contracts.

Gemma K · ‎08-27-2020

I was sent a similar invite to interview over Skype through Upwork so I assumed it was a common process. Thank you for the heads up. Do you know if there's any way for me to contact support to report the page or flag the job posting? They've technically already removed the job posting but I can still see it under Saved Jobs. 

Amanda L · ‎08-27-2020

Gemma K wrote:
I did not know what was "normal" for the site so I had that conversation on Skype. I was sent a similar invite to interview over Skype through Upwork so I assumed it was normal. Thank you for the heads up. Do you know if there's any way for me to contact support to report the page or flag the job posting? They've technically already removed the job posting but I can still see it under Saved Jobs.

Hi Gemma, if you are still able to access it under Saved Jobs you should be able to flag it. Also, about what is "normal": what I told you before is outlined in the Terms of Service you agreed to when you signed up. A this point I would pause from applying and sit down and read all the help articles on how to use this site otherwise you are going to get scammed or hired by a bad client and be back here needing more help, and there will be nothing we can do because you violated TOS.

So please read up on the TOS so you can stay safe and not get banned. 🙂

Gemma K · ‎08-27-2020

Thank you for the heads up. I'm honestly so new to Upwork and was just eager to get into it that I must have skimmed through the TOS when signing up. I'll have to spend more time getting acquainted with it before applying for anything in the near future so as to avoid getting scammed again.

Joanne P · ‎08-27-2020

Hi Gemma,

Please send me a PM with more information including the job post link so I can check this with the team. You can click on my name to send a PM. Thank you!

~ Joanne

Martina P · ‎08-27-2020

Gemma K wrote:
I did not know what was "normal" for the site so I had that conversation on Skype. I was sent a similar invite to interview over Skype through Upwork so I assumed it was normal. Thank you for the heads up. Do you know if there's any way for me to contact support to report the page or flag the job posting? They've technically already removed the job posting but I can still see it under Saved Jobs.

It has nothing to do with being normal or not, it is strictly forbidden and against the terms of service you agreed to when creating your profile. There is really no excuse to not know them, and as we say in German: Dummheit schützt vor Strafe nicht. (It sounds nicer in German, believe it or not.) It can get you suspended faster than you can google the phrase.

Gemma K · ‎08-28-2020

Yes, thank you, I realize this now and have already been made very aware. If there are consequences through Upwork from this incident, I will accept them.

Preston H · ‎08-28-2020

re: "I realize this now and have already been made very aware. If there are consequences through Upwork from this incident, I will accept them."

Gemma:
You are very new.

Of course Upwork CAN sanction freelancers any time they violate ToS.

But as a practical matter, I never see Upwork impose harsh sanctions on new freelancers who made mistakes not out of intentional malice but because they didn't know the rules.

Don't worry about what Upwork is going to do. They will probably do nothing, or very little, such as issuing a warning. The important thing for you to do is to learn from what happened and handle things in the future in a way that benefits you the most.

Gemma K · ‎08-28-2020

Thank you so much for the reassurance. I’ll definitely be a lot more cautious and vigilant when handling future matters on here.

Phyllis G · ‎08-28-2020

Preston H wrote:
re: "I realize this now and have already been made very aware. If there are consequences through Upwork from this incident, I will accept them."

Gemma:
You are very new.
Of course Upwork CAN sanction freelancers any time they violate ToS.
But as a practical matter, I never see Upwork impose harsh sanctions on new freelancers who made mistakes not out of intentional malice but because they didn't know the rules.

Don't worry about what Upwork is going to do. They will probably do nothing, or very little, such as issuing a warning. The important thing for you to do is to learn from what happened and handle things in the future in a way that benefits you the most.

Preston, how would you know, unless the FL comes to the forum and reports what happened to them -- which they cannot do if they've been banned? I agree that we can probably assume UW doesn't drop the ban-hammer on every single ToS violation any time, for any reason. But we should also assume that it could happen and each do the tedious but necessary homework of learning the ToS so as to avoid violations.

It's especially crucial for newbies to invest the time and attention learning the ropes before plunging in and if scaring them works, then that's what we should do!