Dec 15, 2021 12:50:50 PM by Liz H
I'm new to Upwork and have been invited to a couple interviews. The clients wanted to interview outside of the platform. One wanted to interview me by text only over Telegram and pay me by direct deposit or paycheck.
What are the rules around these things?
Thanks,
Liz
Dec 15, 2021 12:55:21 PM by Preston H
re: "I'm new to Upwork and have been invited to a couple interviews. The clients wanted to interview outside of the platform."
If you are caught doing that, you could be suspended. That is a violation of Upwork ToS. And clients who ask to do so are typically scammers. They're trying to steal money from your bank account. So there's no money in it.
re: "One wanted to interview me by text only over Telegram"
Freelancers are required to communicate only using Upwork Messages until an official Upwork contract is in place. Not Telegram. And not anything else.
re: "and pay me by direct deposit or paycheck."
That is a serious violation of Upwork ToS.
If you are caught getting involved with that, you could have your Upwork account suspended or terminated permanently.
Also: These scammers send fake checks, which they use to steal money out of your bank account. Their typical initial target is to steal about $3000 from you.
Dec 15, 2021 01:33:02 PM by Bojan S
Hi Liz,
Please note that it is a violation of Upwork’s Terms of Service to request or share contact information before a contract starts. You can check this help article for crucial information that will help you have a safe and successful journey on Upwork. If you see a violation of the Upwork Terms of Service, we encourage you to use the Report Suspicious User Activity feature.
Thank you!
Dec 15, 2021 06:32:37 PM by Thami M
It's against Upwork's rules, and clients who ask for payment outside Upwork are usually scammers.
Dec 15, 2021 10:20:20 PM by Martina P
Freelancers don't receive legit invitations without a job history. Decline those.