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8fc783d3
Community Member

Possible Scam - How to avoid?

I'm new to Upwork so, I'm still trying to understand how all these things work. I applied for a few positions online here - some specifically being virtual assistant positions. I got an email back from a client about setting up a Skype meeting. When I did, I had to answer a series of questions. They looked over it and told me I received the position. The position online stated $25 an hour, and the person I was speaking to on Skype said $30 no biggie, whatever. The representative stated that I needed to provide my name, address, phone number, and email address so HR can draft me up an employment letter. When I mentioned this conversation should be on Upwork (with my information especially), the response wasn't as quick as prior. I sent three messages and never got a reply back.

 

Has that ever happened to anybody? Any tips on how to avoid situations like these. 

3 REPLIES 3
AndreaG
Moderator
Moderator

Hi Sara,

 

We find that when users communicate outside of Upwork there is an increased risk of fraud, scam, and other harmful behaviors. When communications (and work) stay on our platform we can better track, verify, and help address any issues that emerge, and as a result the potential for these behaviors to cause harm decreases dramatically. For example, the vast majority of scammers that successfully take advantage of talent do so by going off the platform. To learn more about staying safe on Upwork, click here.
 
~Andrea
Upwork
wescowley
Community Member


Sara F wrote:

I'm new to Upwork so, I'm still trying to understand how all these things work. I applied for a few positions online here - some specifically being virtual assistant positions. I got an email back from a client about setting up a Skype meeting. When I did, I had to answer a series of questions. They looked over it and told me I received the position. The position online stated $25 an hour, and the person I was speaking to on Skype said $30 no biggie, whatever. The representative stated that I needed to provide my name, address, phone number, and email address so HR can draft me up an employment letter. When I mentioned this conversation should be on Upwork (with my information especially), the response wasn't as quick as prior. I sent three messages and never got a reply back.

 

Has that ever happened to anybody? Any tips on how to avoid situations like these. 


This is a very common start to scams, and you avoided it by insisting the conversation continue on Upwork. The "HR drafting an employment letter" is a red flag because that's not something that happens with freelance work. Immediately taking the conversation off Upwork is another red flag, and is against Upwork's terms of service: until a contract is in place, we aren't allowed to communicate with clients using tools other than Upwork's messenger and Zoom integrations.

 

You did well putting the brakes on this one. 

martina_plaschka
Community Member

Yes, that happened to a lot of people. This is typically how scammers operate. You are not allowed to communicate outside of upwork before hire specifically to avoid this. I hope you didn't send any personal information. 

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