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b516ef19
Community Member

Employer sending me a check for equipment purchase?

Hi, I'm new to upwork and this is my first contract.  The employer wants me to purchase a laptop with malware which is totally reasonable for the job, however, I'm a little nervous that they are sending me a check to purchase the equipment rather than sending me equipment directly.  Has anyone run into this?  I don't have a problem using their equipment just nervous about being responsible for purchase with an new employer.  They have not asked me to send them any money so I don't think there is a problem from that perspective at all.  

 

 

12 REPLIES 12
BojanS
Community Manager
Community Manager

Hi Ginny,

 

I’ve checked your report 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. Please check this help article for crucial information that will help you have a safe and successful journey on Upwork.

 

Thank you! 

~ Bojan
Upwork
a_lipsey
Community Member


Ginny H wrote:

Hi, I'm new to upwork and this is my first contract.  The employer wants me to purchase a laptop with malware which is totally reasonable for the job, however, I'm a little nervous that they are sending me a check to purchase the equipment rather than sending me equipment directly.  Has anyone run into this?  I don't have a problem using their equipment just nervous about being responsible for purchase with an new employer.  They have not asked me to send them any money so I don't think there is a problem from that perspective at all.  

 

 


Did they ask this over Skype or Upwork messages. 

All communication has been through skype.  So I should just assume that the job is a fraud and start over?  


Ginny H wrote:

All communication has been through skype.  So I should just assume that the job is a fraud and start over?  


First, yes, the job is a fraud.

 

Second, Upwork's rules prohibit communicating outside of the messenger or the Zoom integration before you have a contract. If you insist on keeping the interview in the messenger, a lot of the scammers will disappear.


Ginny H wrote:

All communication has been through skype.  So I should just assume that the job is a fraud and start over?  


Communicating through skype prior to having a contract on Upwork is a violation of Upwork's TOS. The sscammers bet that you haven't read the TOS fully and get you off platform and scam you, then you come back here wanting Upwork to help you get your money back (that's the scenario). 

 

You need to read all the Help articles on getting started and fully read the TOS so this doesn't happen again. 


Ginny H wrote:

All communication has been through skype.  So I should just assume that the job is a fraud and start over?  


Start over with what? This is freelancing. There is no employer, only clients. 

You will have to spend a lot of time working on your profile (hint: it's not a resume) and finding serious clients. Most jobs will be short-term. Don't give up after sending 100 proposals and not getting a job. Don't expect invitations without a reasonable work history. 

So what is your suggestion for getting a "reasonable work history" when you are getting started?  I have 20 years of professional work experience which is highlighted in my resume on my profile.  Is it helpful to put together some personal projects to put on my portfolio or will those not really gain any weight unless they are paid roles?  I guess I'm just trying to decide if this is worth the time and effort if you won't get a response until you have paid jobs to show.  


Ginny H wrote:

So what is your suggestion for getting a "reasonable work history" when you are getting started?  I have 20 years of professional work experience which is highlighted in my resume on my profile.  Is it helpful to put together some personal projects to put on my portfolio or will those not really gain any weight unless they are paid roles?  I guess I'm just trying to decide if this is worth the time and effort if you won't get a response until you have paid jobs to show.  


Everybody started with zero jobs. Yes, you need a portfolio, that doesn't have to come from paid jobs, as long as the work is yours. Research your competition. 


Ginny H wrote:

So what is your suggestion for getting a "reasonable work history" when you are getting started?  I have 20 years of professional work experience which is highlighted in my resume on my profile.  Is it helpful to put together some personal projects to put on my portfolio or will those not really gain any weight unless they are paid roles?  I guess I'm just trying to decide if this is worth the time and effort if you won't get a response until you have paid jobs to show.  


Yes, build out your portfolio, also request testimonials through the testimonials feature. We were all new once. We all started from zero and had to get our first job. 

 

Some advice to help you get the first job: You need to work on your profile. It's not very interesting and doesn't stand out. You've approached it as a summary of your skills, which on a resume is fine. But now you are selling your services. Think about the problems your ideal clients have and write your profile as an ad of how you will solve those problems and what about working with you will be unique and the best answer to their solution. 

You can create completely original works purely for the purpose of adding them to your portfolio.

 

Imagine what kind of client you would like to work for, and what type of work that you would like to do for him. Then do the work for the imaginary client, and post it.

tlbp
Community Member
wescowley
Community Member


Ginny H wrote:

Hi, I'm new to upwork and this is my first contract.  The employer wants me to purchase a laptop with malware which is totally reasonable for the job, however, I'm a little nervous that they are sending me a check to purchase the equipment rather than sending me equipment directly.  Has anyone run into this?  I don't have a problem using their equipment just nervous about being responsible for purchase with an new employer.  They have not asked me to send them any money so I don't think there is a problem from that perspective at all.  

 

 


This is a well-known scam. The check will be fake.

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