Upwork needs to do a better job vetting potential clients

[#1]

Don't waste your time responding to a "payment method not verified" client. Why Upwork allows potential clients to be unverified in the first place is beyond me. Upwork needs to start doing a better job vetting these scammers. Freelancers have limited time as it is, so we don't need to waste more time chasing a lead that goes nowhere.

[#2]

Don't waste your time responding to an "unverified" freelancer. Why Upwork allows potential freelancers to be unverified in the first place is beyond me. Upwork needs to start doing a better job vetting these scammers. Clients have limited time as it is, so they don't need to waste more time chasing a lead that goes nowhere.

[#3]

Not sure what you're trying to imply here, Jennifer. But if this is a legitimate problem on the client side, then we are in agreement. How would you recommend Upwork vets freelancers? It's been my experience that most freelancers on this site are hard working individuals. It takes a long time to review and respond to potential work, with no guarantee of success. Considering the amount of effort it takes to be successful on this site, at least in my own experience, I highly doubt there are many scamming freelancers.

[#4]

I encountered far more scammers among the freelancers than the clients.

A "payment method not verified" client is simply a new client who has not hired someone in the past.

[#5]

Okay, point taken then, thank you Jennifer. How do we fix this on both ends to make the Upwork platform work for both clients and freelancers?

[#6]

Follow the ToS and look out for yourself. We are not getting paid to fix Upwork's problems.

[#7 · Accepted solution]

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Katy K wrote:

Okay, point taken then, thank you Jennifer. How do we fix this on both ends to make the Upwork platform work for both clients and freelancers?

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Charge a fee to join the platform and a monthly fee to access it in order to cover the costs of  additional vetting. 

[#8]

The Freelancers on here are also VETTED before they can do most useful things, including an ID check/verification.   For new clients, no ID check is even required before they can start 'posting' stuff and doing 'interviews'.  The client can claim to be anybody, claim to be from anywhere, and nothing is verified before they start 'posting' stuff to the Job Board. There have been MANY times I have seen a job show up from a client that is supposed to be in the "United States", then look at their 'profile' in the job, and their timezone is 8-10 hours+ ahead of the East Coast (EST) of the United States, meaning they are over in another country on the other side of the globe but were able to LIE about being in the "United States" because there is no 'vetting' of new clients.  It is MUCH easier to run a scam as a 'client' than it is to run a scam as a 'freelancer' because most people can't obtain new ID cards as fast as they can get a new email address. A client that gets banned can just 'dump' that UW account and EASILY get a new one with a new e-mail address.  If you've got an email address UW's system has never seen before and can operate a computer keyboard, that is all you need to 'qualify' for a client account on UW.  A scammer's paradise, basically

[#9]

That's unfortunate. Any experience with Bark? Maybe it's time to jump ship if Upwork is not willing to address the problem.

[#10]

Freelancers have to verify before they can access their money, not when signing up.

[#11]

I think the point is that with the dramatic increase in scam posts recently, a client with no verified payment method is no longer just a new client who has not hired someone yet, but also very likely a scammer as well. I used to apply to them, but now unless I see stars or money spent, my eyes barely register them as I scroll past them.

[#12]

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Peter G wrote:

I think the point is that with the dramatic increase in scam posts recently, a client with no verified payment method is no longer just a new client who has not hired someone yet, but also very likely a scammer as well. I used to apply to them, but now unless I see stars or money spent, my eyes barely register them as I scroll past them.

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In many of the latest scams, the payment was verified. So, what can we do now?
What are we going to complain about?

[#13]

Go to the client section then and read all the accounts of clients getting scammed by freelancers. It is a huge problem. 

[#14]

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Katy K wrote:

Not sure what you're trying to imply here, Jennifer. But if this is a legitimate problem on the client side, then we are in agreement. How would you recommend Upwork vets freelancers? It's been my experience that most freelancers on this site are hard working individuals. It takes a long time to review and respond to potential work, with no guarantee of success. Considering the amount of effort it takes to be successful on this site, at least in my own experience, I highly doubt there are many scamming freelancers.

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How many freelancers have you interviewed and hired? 

[#15]

I'm afraid I have to agree with you. Just not worth the time since the ratio of scam to legit clients with no history is so high. I feel bad for the new legit clients who are now being ignored because of the scam problem.

[#16]

Yep! Since I started on Upwork, I only work for verified and well rated clients! So far, so good!

So many scammers out there!

[#17]

Knowledgeable clients should undestand that there is a severe LABOR SHORTAGE in the United States right now. And this isn't limited just to the United States. Many other places are experiencing similar conditions.

If a client wants to succeed in hiring quality freelancers on Upwork, he needs to "bring his A game."

A client needs to look like a promising prospect, or he may not be able to attract the level of talent that he needs.

This means making sure he is payment-verified.

Making sure he maintains a high hire rate.

Making sure he posts quality job descriptions that are as concise as possible, while also providing prospective freelancers with the details they want.

[#18]

Cannot agree more! 

[#19]

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Preston H wrote:

Knowledgeable clients should undestand that there is a severe LABOR SHORTAGE in the United States right now.

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There's a shortage of people who want to do jobs like pick fruit, drive trucks or wait tables, but I doubt that there's any shortage of people who want to sit at home and pretend to be writers or designers. I certainly haven't noticed any reduction in the number of people complaining in the forum that they can't get enough (or any) projects - quite the contrary.

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Preston H wrote:

This means making sure he is payment-verified.

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The more experienced freelancers have said time and time again that they don't care whether a client's payment method is verified, until the point where a client wants to hire them. 

[#20]

Absolutely!  UW seems to forget that the Freelancers - the LABOR/SKILLS - are the PRODUCT for 'sale' on the platform. If the PRODUCT begins to disappear from the SHELVES - due to frustration with an avalanche of bogus job posts, or whatever reason - the paying CUSTOMERS/CLIENTS also disappear as well because there is no PRODUCT to buy.  Unfortunately, they seem only concerned about attracting Customers/Clients to the 'Store', and not very concerned about keeping Product on the Shelves.  Customers don't stay very long in an empty store.

[#21]

Love this analogy CJ! We're already offering our skills and talents for WAY below market value. Why continue to subject ourselves to a broken system.

[#22]

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Katy K wrote:

Love this analogy CJ! We're already offering our skills and talents for WAY below market value. Why continue to subject ourselves to a broken system.

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Speak for yourself. 

[#23]

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CJ A wrote:

Absolutely!  UW seems to forget that the Freelancers - the LABOR/SKILLS - are the PRODUCT for 'sale' on the platform. If the PRODUCT begins to disappear from the SHELVES - due to frustration with an avalanche of bogus job posts, or whatever reason - the paying CUSTOMERS/CLIENTS also disappear as well because there is no PRODUCT to buy.  Unfortunately, they seem only concerned about attracting Customers/Clients to the 'Store', and not very concerned about keeping Product on the Shelves.  Customers don't stay very long in an empty store.

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Sorry to disappoint you, but Upwork has so much "product" that it wouldn't keep its shelves empty even if it had a sale.

As discussed hundreds of times already, Upwork might do a better job with certain job postings, but there are plenty of others where unless you have a guy submitting pitches, you won't be able to tell if they're scams or not.
The thing is as it is. We will continue to flag scam posts, flag "questionable" job listings, and post on the forum if we find a new scam method so Wes can add it to his awesome listing.
And we will continue to have scammers on both sides and we will continue to see how freelancers fall for scams due to ignorance (because they did not bother to know what they signed when entering Upwork), due to greed or simple stupidity.
Have you ever visited the client forum to see how many complaints there are from scamming freelancers?
So, given what has been seen, it is time for so many people who threaten to leave the platform to do so and not threaten something that Upwork cares little about.

[#24]

Wow Maria, way to dumb it down or dismiss legitimate concerns on this forum. I personally take offense at your comments about "ignorance, greed or simple stupidity" on the part of freelancers. Scammers are successful because they're able to fool even the most seasoned professionals at times, so please dismount from your high horse. There is a solution here, in fact, several. Upwork take accountability and take action. Start a subscription service, increase the cost of credits, etc. Here's another crazy idea, pair the complaining clients with the complaining freelancers. I'm wasting even more of my time complaining in this forum, so there's a vetting process for you, I wouldn't be here if my concerns and my product weren't legit.

[#25]

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Katy K wrote:

Wow Maria, way to dumb it down or dismiss legitimate concerns on this forum. I personally take offense at your comments about "ignorance, greed or simple stupidity" on the part of freelancers. Scammers are successful because they're able to fool even the most seasoned professionals at times, so please dismount from your high horse. There is a solution here, in fact, several. Upwork take accountability and take action. Start a subscription service, increase the cost of credits, etc. Here's another crazy idea, pair the complaining clients with the complaining freelancers. I'm wasting even more of my time complaining in this forum, so there's a vetting process for you, I wouldn't be here if my concerns and my product weren't legit.

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I am not simplifying anything. I'm just making it clear what's there.
And if my ratings of freelancers who fall for scams over and over again offend you, I'm sorry, I wasn't addressing you in particular.
But reality is what it is. The vast majority of scams to freelancers that we see in the forums are due to not having read the TOS (which by the way they confirmed having read when signing up) and having thrown themselves into writing proposals without knowing how the platform works.
And yes, out of greed there are freelancers scammed. As with the scam of buying crypto (or anything of that sort) thinking they're going to get a payout that's double or triple what they've invested (if not more)
So don't tell me to get off the horse, I won't.

By the way, everything you're talking about how to fix all this has already been discussed a thousand times on the forum. You can search if you are interested.