*edited* Scam

[mattjkoe]

I was contacted by a client after posting an offer for a proofreader/ editor. The "rep" said he was from **edited for Community Guidelines**. and was looking for a longterm editor, basically a permanent hire. He warned me not to worry about Upwork taking his post down, allegedly it's standard after they find enough candidates. He then asked me to interview over Skype or Hangouts, wasted a few hours of my time with legit sounding questions, but ultimately asked for publicly available information: phone number, email, address, etc. At which point, I asked him to properly identify himself (again), because I'd found the person he was supposed to be online, and asked him specifics about his job title and history, also publicly available information. He wouldn't answer and then got aggressive. 

Just putting this out there to any freelancers who get roped into this scam. Don't let them waste your precious, billable hours like I did. 

[AveryO · Accepted solution]

Hi Matthew, 

I'm sorry to learn about your experience on Upwork. I looked into the client you are referring to in your post and I can confirm that actions have been taken against the client for a violation of the Upwork User Agreement. Since you are new to Upwork, you may want to read up on the "Safety First!" section of the freelancer resources we have compiled, and these tips for avoiding questionable jobs for more information about working safely through Upwork.