Telegram messenger - if they use this to communicate should I assume it's a scam?

[sandraevans77]

Hi 

I was just contacted by someone about a proposal and they asked me to download telegram messenger to "interview".

This seems suspicious to me. I have had folks try to scam me on other freelance and job sites and it's just gotten so prevalent.

Do companies ever use Telegram messenger to interview? 

And to everyone out there. Be careful. The scammers try to get your drivers license, deposit fake check in your account and get you to purchase equipment with it, you name it they are relentless.

[martina_plaschka]

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Sandra E wrote:

Hi 

I was just contacted by someone about a proposal and they asked me to download telegram messenger to "interview".

This seems suspicious to me. I have had folks try to scam me on other freelance and job sites and it's just gotten so prevalent.

Do companies ever use Telegram messenger to interview? 

And to everyone out there. Be careful. The scammers try to get your drivers license, deposit fake check in your account and get you to purchase equipment with it, you name it they are relentless.

---

No, unless they are scammers. Communication outside of upwork before hire is strictly forbidden. 

[aed35c33]

Hello, I'm new to Upwork & I don't know how to proceed. Each job I have applied, the notification says, 'contact via Telegram'. I didn't understand it, till I surfed about it. So telegram is a service outside of Upwork  !  At Upwork, we hv to contact via 'msgs' & companies offer a contract. Then what? Plz some1 guide me fully...... thanks.  

[sparkesusan]

Be safe and keep the interview process on the Upwork platform. I never respond to offers to interview on telegram.  

[2a05aa63]

It's forbidden to communicate outside Upwork before creating a contract because of scams like these.

[dac81292]

Thank you for your insight on this matter because they just send me a proposal but I didn't follow through and am not interested anyway I guessed they are a scum. a prop!

[sandraevans77]

Hi!

Be careful out there. I have almost been scammed three times now on each freelance/job search website I use.

Very dissappointing. 

If they want to chat offline without you meeting them or seeing their face as with a Zoom, highly suspicious.

These are the worst of humans doing this. They are also time wasters. i just wasted about an hour today realizing that this was a fake job and another one yesterday.

Be really careful. Treat your Upwork communication with extreme caution with "interviewers"

[prestonhunter]

Sandra:

It is a violation of Upwork ToS for freelancers to communicate with prospective clients outside of the Upwork Messages tool.

A freelancer must use the Upwork Messages tool only, until an official Upwork contract is in place.

That has been the rule since June 26, 2020.

If freelancers follow this rule, then they won't have their time wasted by these scammers.

This is not just a rule for clients. This is a rule that freelancers are expected to follow as well.

[cpho3h]

I almost did work on telegram yooh and everyone else Iam getting keeps saying must telegram them.

[nitzveinz]

Is this also true even if they have a verified payment method? sorry, very new to upwork.

[the-right-writer]

It is a violation of the Terms of Service to go outside of Upwork for anything before you have a contract in place through Upwork. It doesn't matter if the payment is verified or if they want you to buy something, or they want to chat through Telegram. Going outside the platform before you have a contract will get you scammed and can cost you your Upwork account. Read and follow the Terms of Service and then read this from Wes.

[nitzveinz]

Thank you for this. will always keep this in mind.

[583e2e94]

Noted. I wish I'd known sooner.

[the-right-writer]

I know you understand, but everyone needs to read and understand the Terms of Service for any jobs platform. The document is where the rules are governing earnings.

Consider it a hard lesson learned, and put it behind you.

[459b8ad4]

Hi, I've received a proposal with the request to contact them in telegram, but I've answered that I must the UPwork tool only. 

[the-right-writer]

Good for you to avoid a terrible decision. In addition, flag the job, or report it to Upwork.

[BojanS]

Hi Sandra,

Thank you for flagging this for us. I’ve escalated this report to the correct team for their review and the project has already been taken down because it was in violation of Upwork TOS and action has been taken on the client account. 

Make sure to check our Stay Safe series and learn more on how to work safe online:

• Stay Safe Online: Preventing Fraud
• Stay Safe Online: what you need to know
• Stay Safe Online: How circumvention hurts the marketplace and your business
• Stay Safe Online: Paid and Leased Account Fraud

If you see a violation of the Upwork Terms of Service, we encourage you to use the Report Suspicious User Activity feature.

[0a7f0379]

Hi Bojan S,

I am new to upwork, but I see a lot of jobs with telegram as the way to contact the employer.  I haven't felt comfortable with these so have not sent a proposal to any of them, but can't upwork kill these before they get posted?

Thanks!

George M

[JoanneP]

Hi George,

If you see a job or a profile that seems suspicious, you can report it to us using the flagging option. You can read more on this help article and also, please check out Tips to avoid questionable jobs. You might also want to check out the information here to learn more about staying safe on Upwork. 

[mmgarcia150]

Why not drop the "telegram" word in the database to fish them out?

[pgiambalvo]

I think they do that but many still slip through.

[257eb323]

Hi Bojan,

Yesterday I've lost lot of connects because of this.. 4 of the jobs I applied to reacted about Telegram. Some even had the payment verified so I thought they were legit. 

[PradeepH]

Hi Linsey,

Thank you for your message. I am sorry to hear about your experience. Please check out this post for more tips on how to avoid questionable jobs and please use the flag option found on each job post or message anytime you’d like to report a violation. Your Connects will be refunded when the jobs are removed for TOS violation. 

Thank you

Pradeep

[4511fd6e]

Hello. I've sent countless proposals on upwork now, but all they do is just tell you to contact on telegram. How can i find proposals who are not scams and are willing to contact only through upwork?

[bf732072]

I had the same thing happen. I withdrew my proposals for them to try and get a refund on connects plus reported the messages. 

[bundie702]

"Some even had the payment verified so I thought they were legit."

----------

Some scammers do have payment verified status. Better to look and see if they have a long history of actually paying freelancers, which scammers don't do. Payment verified with no payment history (and usually an Upwork member date that's current or perhaps the day before) doesn't bode well. I know, it's tricky, because legitimate clients do join Upwork every day. But at least you will get your connects back once the listing is removed for being a scam. Check your Connects History under the Reports section.

[martina_plaschka]

---

Sandra E wrote:

Hi!

Be careful out there. I have almost been scammed three times now on each freelance/job search website I use.

Very dissappointing. 

If they want to chat offline without you meeting them or seeing their face as with a Zoom, highly suspicious.

These are the worst of humans doing this. They are also time wasters. i just wasted about an hour today realizing that this was a fake job and another one yesterday.

Be really careful. Treat your Upwork communication with extreme caution with "interviewers"

You will not waste more than a few minutes when you tell a potential client that you only communicate on upwork before hire (because you want to not be suspended for violating ToS and such...). That weeds out the scammers, because they neither want to talk to you in person, on the phone, or in written form on upwork since then their intentions are well documented. Problem solved!

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[45d6cafe]

Hello,
A company I'm working with wants me to chat with them inbox about a project on telegram. And I have already accepted the chat before I remember it's forbidden to work outside Upwork. Should I keep chatting with them or stop?

[petra_r]

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Eriyomi N wrote:

A company I'm working with wants me to chat with them inbox about a project on telegram. And I have already accepted the chat before I remember it's forbidden to work outside Upwork. Should I keep chatting with them or stop?

---

If you are already hired, you can talk to the client however you want, including Telegram.

If you are not yet hired, you are violating Upwork's terms of service and are risking a ban.

[45d6cafe]

This is what they keep saying to me.

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This is our company platform where your project award are to be specified to ur understanding

---

[martina_plaschka]

Have you been hired?

[45d6cafe]

Not yet 

they just keep telling me that

This is our company platform where your project award is to be specified to ur understanding

I just deleted the chat to avoid any scam after reading this thread

[f3fb6ba8]

it is scam. i have been scammed once, and now when i see "contact by telegram or whatsapp" i know it is a scam. problem is that 80 per cents of the proposiion in upwork are like this. i dont uderstand there is no verification. 

[amy-crowson]

I'm so glad I googled this this morning! Just had the same request. Someone wanted me to contact someone else via telegram with no other information. I thought it sounded odd glad I checked. Also glad to know Upwork had this policy in place to protect us freelancers hungry for work.

[56ff5e40]

Hi. Either I had come across the same with a message asking to contact through telegram. I was wondering why would they need to message on telegram when Upwork does already have a messaging tool. Moreover , I was also scammed by landing on to a link that was a virus which was mentioned in the job description. So yeah, we gotta be really alert!!

[38fa2bf9]

Hello today i have received message from apen and the person name is sherriff miller from upwork site stating that connect with them telegram so I connected but later i asked that person to talk to me directly from upwork i got replied no . Then i come to know this is something fishy. Requesting you to look into this so that people will not share their bank details with them.

[sofia2008]

The name of the Company and the name of the person are most likely fake.

You did good to eventually stop communicating them, but should not have communicated on Telegram.

Communicating outside of Upwork before being hired is a Violation of Upwork's Terms of Service.

Before jumping right in to sending proposals, I would encourage you to read the following ressources to get you up to speed on how to use Upwork, and learn what is allowed and not allowed. When you signed up, you agreed to follow their Terms of Service. You will find them below.

Get Started – Upwork Customer Service & Support | Upwork Help

Upwork Customer Service & Support | Upwork Help

Upwork Legal Center

List of red flags for scams - Upwork Community

Freelancing 101 on Upwork - Upwork Community

Report Suspicious User Activity – Upwork Customer Service & Support | Upwork Help

Understanding and Using Connects – Upwork Customer Service & Support | Upwork Help

Tips to Avoid Questionable Jobs - Upwork Community

[feed_my_eyes]

You are not allowed to contact clients on Telegram, Whatsapp or anywhere but Upwork unless you have a contract (again, ON UPWORK) with them. There is never, EVER any need to share bank details with a client. Also, there is no such thing as an easy job that pays well.

Stop wasting your time and read this: https://community.upwork.com/t5/New-to-Upwork/List-of-red-flags-for-scams/m-p/1017044

[prestonhunter]

Shalaka:

I think that you already know that the WhatsApp people are scammers, right?

And you already know that as a freelancer you are not allowed to communicate with clients prior to being hired using an official Upwork, correct?

[sofia2008]

Communicating outside of Upwork is a violation of Terms of Service. Make sure you understand how the platform works before applying to jobs and to stay safe.