Worried all are scams

[yahyalina]

Dear Upwork community,

I've recently joined the Upwork platform and since then I got about 4 replies from different clients but all of them are either asking to work and pay outside Upwork platform or ask me to buy stuff to take the project. I feel something fishy. Yet, I'm confused and don't know how to deal with them. One I reported to Upwork team. Two I said " no, thank you " others I messaged them on Upwork platform saying I wouldn't contact them outside this platform and the terms of service that I agreed to sign on. I would like to be enlightened. Am I doing the right thing? Can you help me? Any tips or recommendations.?

• Thank you

[nyonomega0]

Here's the solution to your problem(s):-

Only apply for jobs that seem genuine. Here are the red flags for potentially scam jobs -

- Vague/Shallow/Aggregated Job Description

- Unrealistic Pay

- Client's contact details

- Suspicious external link(s)

- Asking you to buy something (Mainly PUBG UC, Valorant VC, Cryptocurrencies)

STOP communicating with clients who -

- Ask you contact them outside of Upwork (Mainly Telegram, Whatsapp)

- Ask you to pay a security deposit in order to proceed

- Ask you to buy something for them because of WHATEVER reason

- Seem more interested in YOU rather than discussing their project

Simple.

If you keep these points in mind, I'm sure your worries won't exist.

Thank You.

[sourceprouk]

Some of the things you list are, in no way, signs of dodgy clients. For instance, they ask you to contact them by email or Skype because they do not know the Upwork rules about initial contact being through Upwork.

[nyonomega0]

Ask you contact them outside of Upwork (Mainly Telegram, Whatsapp)

Maybe you haven't encountered a scam job post or a sketchy client yet. A good number of job posts on Upwork ask freelancers to contact them directly on Telegram or Whatsapp in their JD (with contact details). And almost everyone on them is a scam. On these bases, my statement was based.

I know there are some genuine clients who are unaware of Upwork rules, but those are hugely outnumbered by the scam jobs/clients. So, yes my point has a higher probability of being a sign.

[59995aa9]

These incidents run rampant on TONS of freelance platforms & other networking & job sites as well.

I swear if I had a dollar for every one I have come across -- even in just recent months -- well let's just say I wouldn't need to post a profile! Ha! Not to mention all the wading thru over the last few YEARS of postings ...OMG I'd be a millionaire lol 

Instead though I get a million headaches UGH 

[acc182c7]

I'm mostly looking for "copy editing/Proofreading" jobs.

Here are some other potential "red flags": (Suggested refinements would be helpful:)

New Upwork client.  (A lot of the apparent scam postings are from entities who have joined in the past day or two.  Even a few weeks doesn't seem like a guarantee.)

No reviews, payments, or verification of payment.

Stereotypical, vague initial posting.  (There are a lot of these that appear to be verbatim copies of other posts. Some of them are even literate English. I suppose even scammers can copy-and-paste.)

Wants initial contact outside of Upwork. (I've seen a lot of Skype, a few text messages, and Telegram.)

Didn't respond after I quoted Upwork policies.

A large number of unanswered invites.

I send them this verbiage from Upwork's policies:

To help our users connect as safely as possible, we require that you do not request or share any contact information and keep all direct communications on Upwork until you start a contract. This means you cannot share your contact information in your profiles, proposals, job postings, invites, or other pre-hire contacts.

All introductions, interviews, and project scoping communications need to use Upwork's collaboration tools."

Think of these in terms of Bayesian probabilities:  (Look it up.  This is KEY.)

True positives (they show a number of red flags, and ARE in fact scammers.)

True negatives (they show few red flags, and ARE NOT in fact scammers.)

False Positives (they show a number of red flags, and ARE NOT in fact scammers.)

False Negatives (they show few red flags, and ARE in fact scammers.)

Federico.  Fratello.  (Herrero?)  Yes, asking for contact by email or Skype IS a sign of dodgy clients.  A less-than-1 probability of being a dodgy client DOES NOT mean that "in no way" is it a sign of being a dodgy client.  Instead, compare the probability-of-being-a-dodgy-client (say, p-obdg) BEFORE Asking-for-Outside-Upwork-Contact (AfOUC) with the p-odbg AFTER AfOUC. This is somewhere between 0 and 1; I'm pretty sure it's greater AFTER AfOUC.  The DIFFERENCE between p-odbg-B and p-odgb-A (Delta p-odgb) is PROBABLY > 0.  Capisce? 

[yahyalina]

Hi,

Thank you for your time to answer my worries.

Will keep that in mind

[sourceprouk]

Yes

[yahyalina]

Thanks a lot for the time and replies.

Any recommendations how to choose jobs on Upwork to secure (kind of ) ther are not scams

[cassajoy · Accepted solution]

I would say you are sending the correct responses to those clients. You are doing the right thing because you read the Terms of Service. You can flag the posting and always report the message via a small gearbox that pops up next to the timestamp.

As far as recommendations, you can narrow your search to what is relevant to you. Plus, use the categories to filter a search, such as only payment verified clients or clients with a hiring history. Payment unverified doesn't automatically mean they are a fake client, but it can help when new to Upwork to filter those out.

[618e2e58]

Hi Cassidy.. your response really helps me.. thanks for that.. I am also new to Upwork and already came across 4 or 5 (potentially) scams.

So why is the payment verified is more reliable? 

[cassajoy]

Payment verified might be more reliable for newer freelancers since scammers tend to target us, hoping we are desperate for whatever they are offering or we are not aware of how this platform works.

I want to add - not only payment verified, but looking at the client's details/history can help to paint a picture.

[59995aa9]

Probably a great idea to not just report, but BLOCK as well! But it would be soooo much easier if UpWork did a pre-emptive to prevent them or filter them as most say, to begin with! Way less work 

[tlbp]

Look in the forum's New to Upwork section for guides and tips for avoiding scams. 

Since you are new, you are likely to encounter more scams than a more experienced freelancer would. If you encounter a scam and report it, you may get a return of your connects. So the major risks of sending proposals to potential scammers is mitigated. Just make sure you never provide personal information to a prospective client (and don't have any conversations off the platform until you have a contract). 

[yahyalina]

Thanks for your time and the recommendation 

[b61b97a5]

Same here. I've just started yesterday and I've already had three replies asking me to contact them outside Upwork. I've just got rid off the first one. Couldn't believe he was asking me for money in order to get the job. Later, when I said no, he told something about Binance and an email that has to be from the company. And now, the message they'd send me here has dissapear. Almost. When I refresh the page I still can see it.... and take a screenshot.

Great start 😒...

So, other than avoid them, do you recommend to flag them?

[cassajoy]

Yes, definitely flag the post as it makes Upwork aware. You can also report the message from a small gearbox that shows up next to the time stamp.

It sounds like maybe the job posting was removed if you can't see it anymore.

[yahyalina]

Good morning,

I would like to thank you for your advice. Hopefully soon I get a right client.

Regards

[c_tannery]

I too, am fairly new to Upwork, and am trying to find legitamate work and am being scammed left and right. 

they all want to communicate OUTSIDE of upwork and cannot seem to agree to payment terms, 

Is it ok to accept Paypal?

is it safe to give out email?

all help is appreciated 

[c_tannery]

I find a lot of clients are asking for external downloading of apps for comminication 

Has anyone else encountered this 

I assume if they can't comminicate via upwork - this must be a scam

would I be correct in my assumption?

[NikolaS]

Hi Crystal,

I would like to clarify that sharing contact information before a contract has started is against Upwork’s Upwork's Terms of Service and that all communications prior to the contract starting must take place on Upwork. Taking work or payments outside of Upwork can be an easy way to get involved in a scam. Freelancers put themselves at risk of not getting paid, getting paid in a fraudulent manner (e.g., fake checks), or similar, and it is against Upwork’s Terms of Service.

Feel free to check this post for the freelancer resources and tips for avoiding questionable jobs that we put together to help freelancers make decisions whether to work with a client or not. 

I also encourage you to let us know if a TOS violation has happened by using the Flag as Inappropriate option throughout the platform. You can learn more about user reporting here.

Additionally, I encourage you to check this page for more information on how to stay safe on Upwork. 

[59995aa9]

BAM! as Emiril the famous chef would say 

You got it, Crystal! 

[c_tannery]

GREAT!!  THANK YOU!

[58feaef8]

Welcome aboard, Lina! Glad to meet another translator here! I have been flagging posts everyday to a point I feel it has become my part-time job. Please brace yourself and try not to fall victim to scams. Take care!

[pgiambalvo]

Thank you for flagging them. I do it too and it does take up a lot of my time on here. But if it helps even one freelancer to not even have to see it, let alone fall for it, it's worth it.

[59995aa9]

Yes I feel the same, Yi! 

Like we need some extra compensation for all this extra time & effort it takes to do these tasks 🙄

[64963dc1]

Thanks for Sharing!

[alves-fernando]

All of them are scammers! THey are using the name o freputable companies, offering high wages and asking for an "insurance deposit". I hope that upwork improve it´s safety. This is a breeding ground for scammers.

[acc182c7]

So far, I've had two potential clients who asked that I have an HP-brand Laserjet (which they could conveniently send me if I had a non-HP laser printer), one who insisted on an iOS system, (which, again, they could send me) or a bunch of specific software (ditto.)

I'm wondering about a few things:

From the standpoint of deterring scammers, what's best?

Should I let them know that they look like scammers, or not?

At what point should I report them?  I've sort of decided on "when they actually ask for contact outside Upwork after informing them of Upwork's policies", but I'm not sure this is best.

C'mon, Upwork!  Further inaction may kill the goose that you hope will lay your golden eggs!

[roberty1y]

When they ask for contact outside Upwork, there's a 99 percent chance it's a scam. Tell them they need to keep all contact on the site until there's a contract. Then they'll disappear, except in very rare cases where it's an honest client who genuinely didn't know this.

Any talk of sending you a printer or any other such equipment - you can stop right there. The next step is they ask you to pay them and they say they'll reimburse you. Needless to say, you'll never see your money again.