Sep 4, 2020 10:11:30 AM by Danielle F
I'm new to Upwork and still getting my bearings.
I've submitted some proposals and twice had a response asking me to sign up for a Skype interview. I'm not opposed to interviewing, but it did give me pause. I suppose I was anticipating communication being done through Upwork's platform. The clients are Upwork Plus, but payment unverified.
Does this sound fishy? Or am I being too cautious?
Sep 4, 2020 10:14:06 AM by Wes C
Under the new rules, all communication before you have a contract with a client has to be done through Upwork messenger. So, no, you should not do your interview over Skype.
Sep 4, 2020 11:02:21 AM by NikolaS N
Hi Danielle,
As the Wes already said, please let them know that sharing contact information before a contract has started is against Upwork’s Terms of Service and that all communications prior to the contract starting must take place on Upwork. We also encourage you to let us know if a TOS violation has happened by using the “Flag as Inappropriate” option throughout the platform. You can learn more about user reporting here.
Thank you,
Jun 5, 2023 11:41:17 AM Edited Jun 5, 2023 02:01:01 PM by Arjay M
There is no "flag as inappropriate" button available within the messaging platform, and the flag button appears to not work on the job listing page at least in Chrome. The report won't submit and the tell us more text box will not activate. Also being contacted for a skype interview with details listed on an attached pdf.
**Edited for Community Guidelines**
Jun 5, 2023 02:27:22 PM by Arjay M
Hi Mitch,
Thank you for reaching out and reporting this. We take every report of suspicious or inappropriate activity seriously, and every report goes directly to our Trust and Safety team for investigation.
I actually tried and wasn't able to replicate the issue you're describing. I can see the option to flag suspicious activities throughout the platform by following the instructions given in this help article. Could you please share try clearing using a different browser or the incognito mode of the current one? You may also clear your cache and cookies. Let us know if the issue persists with a screenshot of what you can see from your end and we'll look further into that for you.
I took the liberty of sharing your report with our Trust & Safety team for further review. Rest assured that they'll look closer into this and take action accordingly if necessary. You may want to check this help article and this thread for more information on how to stay safe on Upwork.
Jan 31, 2022 10:15:42 PM by D C
I've already received two requests like this. It's disappointing that so far I've only received scam invites.
Jan 31, 2022 11:56:30 PM by Pradeep H
Hi D C,
Thank you for your message. I am sorry to hear about the scam invites. While our teams are working hard to rid our workplace of all inappropriate jobs, we sometimes need to rely on your assistance to report anything suspicious. Please check out the tips in this post to make sure you stay safe and protected while working on Upwork. Also, check this help article for more information on how to use the flag option to report any inappropriate content.
Thank you
Pradeep
Oct 7, 2022 12:54:13 AM by Saima N
Hi Pradeep,
I had reported many scam jobs that I think were inappropriate. But we didn't know what had been done after that. There is need of anotification to the informer from Upwork that they had noted it or taking some action on this.
Thank you
Saima
Feb 1, 2022 04:49:19 AM by Phyllis G
D C wrote:I've already received two requests like this. It's disappointing that so far I've only received scam invites.
Welcome to Upwork! You have joined a global platform where thousands, if not tens of thousands, of freelancers are competing for work in just about every category. Until you establish a track record here, assume any unsolicited invitations you receive are from scammers. They prey on newbies, esp those based in the US, counting on you to be unfamiliar with the rules and eager to land a project.
Feb 9, 2022 07:31:22 PM by Don L
I can relate to this. It seems like every posting is a scam. Every one I've applied for has requested off site interview. I think I'll try another site.
Feb 9, 2022 09:18:44 PM by Pradeep H
Hi Don,
Thank you for your message. I am sorry to hear about your experience and how you feel about the same. We are working hard to monitor our marketplace and remove these inappropriate jobs as soon as possible. We encourage you to use the “Flag as Inappropriate” option to report these jobs so that our team can review and take action on them. You can learn more about user reporting here. Check out the tips in this post to make sure you stay safe and protected while working on Upwork.
Thank you
Pradeep
Nov 2, 2023 09:39:48 AM by Nikki C
What would be cool is if Upwork would refund all connects wasted on these scams instead of just one. That way, we wouldn't feel like we're getting scammed twice instead of just once.
Nov 2, 2023 11:39:55 AM by Arjay M
Hi Nikki,
We understand your concern about these scam jobs and their impact on your Connects. Rest assured that we return Connects when we find a job post has violated our Terms of Service. Also, all suspicious activities flagged by users throughout the platform are being thoroughly reviewed. You can find more information about the process here.
Apr 19, 2022 03:35:06 PM by Stephanie F
This is disappointing because every reply I've gotten has requested to interview on skype as well.
Oct 6, 2022 03:16:42 PM by Ryan G
Same, I had two people want to contact me. One I did actualy interview on Skype, but I reporting both.
Oct 6, 2022 06:33:10 PM by Avery O
Hi Ryan,
It's good that you reported these clients already. It would be best to visit these articles for more information on how you can keep in line with Upwork's Terms of Service when engaging on the website:
You may also want to read up on the "Safety First!" section of the freelancer resources we have compiled, these tips for avoiding questionable jobs, this Community article, and these articles for more information about working safely through Upwork.
Oct 28, 2023 04:32:33 PM by Brinkley M
Hi Avery, this just happened to me! Please help! I cannot find on Upwork where to file a complaint?? I need to get my money back on tokens, I am so upset! Please help!
Oct 28, 2023 10:35:10 PM by Pradeep H
Hi Brinkley,
I checked the job post you were referring to and it appears that it's already been taken down because it was in violation of Upwork TOS.
Please check out this course for more tips on staying safe on Upwork and please use the flag option found on each job post or message anytime you’d like to report a violation.
- Pradeep
Oct 6, 2022 07:06:47 PM by Deig A S
Hi Danielle!
No, that is not normal. Upwork has been pretty good about having communication applications within the platform. I would recommend to steer clear of any invitations off the platform.
Oct 7, 2022 12:27:38 AM by Leonardo M
Don't apply when the posted job is not 101% verified, it's a scam and you will just lose your fuel (connects). And be careful also who verified in payment cause probably they are just keep spamming the newsfeed. You should check also the feedback on how much they spent on the project. Cheers!
Oct 29, 2023 06:58:02 AM by Luce N
Here are other tips I use to detect scams:
https://community.upwork.com/t5/New-to-Upwork/Sunday-Spam-day-BEWARE/m-p/1453050#M226240