scammers on data entry

[b2a24813]

Hello i just started on upwork and i did two data entry typing jobs. 

they asked me to deposit money for me to complete the job, i did deposit 50 usd as i dont know at that time, but then the "manager" is not showing any intention of paying me back.

The other one is asking me for a deposit after i have completed the project, the manager was asking me for money through paypal via family and friends option, which i declined. And then that is the time that i realized tat this was a scam. 

Its just depressing that i have put work and effort into typing and ending up just being scammed.

To all freelancers, please do not go outside the upwork platform. Learn from my mistake.

i have attached the title of the job postings which has now been taken down.

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[grendon]

That is a shame. 

I'm sorry for you. 

But yeah, you learned the lesson the hard way. To never pay someone so you can work for them. 

Remember that things have always to be kept inside Upwork, that includes payments and all type of communications.

Even if Upwork allows to communicate freely after you have a contract with the client, I usually prefer to keep communications inside the chat and I always take screenshots of the conversation.  And record any videomeeting we may have. 

[martina_plaschka]

Do NOT do data entry. Those jobs are mostly scams. Market a different skill you might have and polish your profile to be attractive to serious clients. 

[prestonhunter]

Stephen:

You are a healthy man living in the United Kingdom.

There is absolutely no reason you should be considering doing data entry work on Upwork.

You would be better off walking outside your home, randomly walking in any direction for one mile, and then working at whatever business location you find yourself at.

[renata101]

Hi Stephen,

Sorry to hear you've been scammed. Scammers really focus on people who are unfamiliar with the platform, and unfortunately, you agreed to start work without a contract. Luckily, the tuition for this lesson was fairly low.

There have always been scams circulating on Upwork, but not to the level of what's been happening since January.
These days, I think everyone who starts out on Upwork should read this article. If you know the typical scam scenarios, you can recognize the red flags more quickly and assess whether what you're being asked to do sounds legit.

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Community-Blog/Top-Red-Flags-for-Scams-From-Community-Member-Wes-C/b...

Clients aren't screened or vetted in any way, so it's good to know how to assess work offers.