Finding legitimate clients

[rquattrini]

Hi all! 

I'm new to UpWork (3 days in), and so far I have burned through a lot of Connects trying to find some work. I need it desperately. I've received 3 replies, all scams. Two have had links to OneDrive files with a page about a Skype interview and emails for folks on protonmail (big clue there). The one that came in the middle was for a DropBox file, but they all three had the same phrasing - "add up the director." Obviously they're scams. 

So how do you find legitimate clients who aren't going to try to take you off UpWork? I can't afford to waste money applying for jobs with scammers. My kids need a roof over their heads and I need to work to make that happen. After the first scam I tried to read the postings really carefully to look for clues that they weren't real. Not having any previous jobs looks suspicious, but everyone has to start somewhere and I didn't want to miss out on a job for which I was qualified just because a client was new to UpWork, too. 

What do I need to look for? Also, when a real client wants to make a connection, is a Skype interview legitimate? I thought this process would be straightforward, but now it seems that I have to be really on my guard. 

Thanks for your help.

-Rebecca

[MichaelJ · Accepted solution]

Hi Rebecca,

I'm sorry to hear that you've had trouble with the proposals you've submitted. One thing I can suggest is to ensure the client has a verified billing method prior to submitting a proposal. You can check the verification status in the search results or on the job posting. You will see text that says "Payment verified" and a blue or green badge with a white checkmark.

I hope this helps and that things improve for you.

Thanks,

Mike

[rquattrini]

Mike, 

Thanks for the insight!

-Rebecca

[martina_plaschka]

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Mike J wrote:

Hi Rebecca,

I'm sorry to hear that you've had trouble with the proposals you've submitted. One thing I can suggest is to ensure the client has a verified billing method prior to submitting a proposal. You can check the verification status in the search results or on the job posting. You will see text that says "Payment verified" and a blue or green badge with a white checkmark.

I hope this helps and that things improve for you.

Thanks,

Mike

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Mike, payment not verified is not a way to find scammers. 

[robin_hyman]

Hi Rebecca,

Welcome to Upwork! As you work with more clients on the platform you will be better able to spot red flags BEFORE wasting connects.  

Here are some things I look for:

* Hire rate: make sure it is above 50%

* Freelancer reviews - positive, negative, or lukewarm?

* Client reviews - do they always give 4 stars even for exceptional work or perhaps "no feedback given" is found over and over again (meaning freelancer closed the contract because client was likely unresponsive).

* Average hourly rate - if this client is paying $3/hour, they certainly won't want to pay me my rate ($90/hour)

* How long have they been on Upwork?  I work with both new and experienced clients but the newer ones usually need to be educated about the rules of the game (and Upwork). 

* Is there payment verified? It's not a deal-breaker, but a consideration point

You're still so new I hope you continue trying and stay positive. It took me a few months to land my first gig and that was 2 years ago way before this pandemic. 

Good luck!

[rquattrini]

Robin,

Thanks! I'll be sure to look for those things. 

-Rebecca

[martina_plaschka]

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Rebecca Q wrote:

Robin,

Thanks! I'll be sure to look for those things. 

-Rebecca

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Scammers target people located in the US, because this is where the old check cashing sceme works best. Be wary of unsolicited invitations, you will not receive those from serious clients until you have a good work history on upwork.

Edit: curious about the client testimonial. How do they work?

It looks kinda strange because you have not jobs yet. 

[richard_wein]

Hi Martina. The client testimonials feature is supposed to help people get started on Upwork by letting them display testimonials from non-Upwork  clients. I think you send a request for a testimonial to the client through Upwork, and the client can respond to Upwork. 

[martina_plaschka]

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Richard W wrote:

Hi Martina. The client testimonials feature is supposed to help people get started on Upwork by letting them display testimonials from non-Upwork  clients. I think you send a request for a testimonial to the client through Upwork, and the client can respond to Upwork. 

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I see. I was wondering about it, because there's feedback to do that. So it looks to me like an upwork client gave feedback, which looks weird when you don't have any jobs. As a client, that would confuse me.