Hi. I'd like to get some advice.
I am new to the platform and bid on a job today. I received a message to interview with someone on Telegram. I had no idea what Telegram was or that it was not part of Upwork. I installed it and interviewed. At the end of the interview, the person had me wait about 20 minutes while he conveyed the information to the hiring manager. He came back and said I was hired. This is when I realized something did not seem right.
I replied "Thank you. I assume you are aware that I bid on this position though Upworks and that their TOS requires offers, payment, and work to go through their platform. Also, of course I would need more information on the job before accepting the position."
He basically indicated that it wasn't necessary and that I'd be emailed the offer letter, etc. When I reiterated that I was required to work through Upwork, he said it was my choice to work via Upwork or directly with the firm. I indicated that I needed to go through Upwork and assumed that the person posting the position would take care of the contract through the platform. He indicated yes.
Obviously now I know that the Telegram app is not associated with Upwork, I won't accept interviews through that in the future.
I don't know if this is a scam or someone using this for the first time and not properly understanding the TOS. If I don't hear from them through Upwork, all is fine.
My question is this. If my bid gets accepted through Upwork, can I assume this is a valid job? Is there anything I need to be cautious about?
