Newbie Mistake?

[danamansfield]

I accepted a contract that in hindsight I wonder if it’s legit. The client asked me to buy two items from Amazon (which I did) that I would be reimbursed for (money is already in escrow). He then asked me for my personal email address which I said no to. I know have a weird feeling about this and wonder if I should end the contract. Would it effect me negatively?

Dana

[prestonhunter]

He already funded escrow and you see the money when you go to Upwork -> Reports?

Scammers don't fund escrow.

I don't know exactly what is going on... Maybe he's trying to scam Amazon or something... But it doesn't sound like he is trying to scam you.

And if you actually ARE BUYING the products from Amazon... and the client IS PAYING you through Upwork to make the purchase...

If this is a review thing... If you buy a product on Amazon and review it... That's a legitimate use of the Amazon.com website. You're not supposed to review things you didn't actually buy. But you're not being asked to do that....

I'm not seeing where the scam is.

Maybe somebody else has some ideas?

[mwiggenhorn]

He can use the bonus feature to pay you.  Upwork will still take its fee, so make sure you get reimbursed the cost plus 20%.

[prestonhunter · Accepted solution]

As for the email address... Lots of legitimate clients ask for email addresses.

Many freelancers provide them with a disposable email adress or an email address they set up specifically for the project. Then there's no risk to you all, really, in providing an email address.

[danamansfield]

Thank you! I figured with the money in escrow I was safe. I just wanted to make sure as I continue to gain my UpWork bearings!

Dana

[r2streu]

Since you've purchased the items, just make sure you mark the milestone and request your payment.