Possible Scam

[fd3b8a5f]

Hi everyone. 

I feel I'm still new on Upwork, so I just wanted to run through a few things with you guys. I just recently gotten an invite for a Grapic Design job. I was excited because the clients budget is around $2000,00. But then I got a message from Upwork, regarding Terms Of Service and the basic guidelines, which Thank God I have read. The client now wants communication  outside Upwork channels. He sent his Telegram contact numbers, I honestly felt I had to communicate how Things work here. I texted him back and this was the conversation. Please Help!! 

"Hi Arthur. We spoke on Upwork about your job proposal."

Arthur Morrison:

"Hello👋I’m Mr Arthur Morris welcome to Sharethrough inc.
We are currently hiring work-from-home employees handle projects and get paid as remote employees of Sharethrough.
Welcome to the application desk. What is full name country of origin and email address please?

Me:

"Hi. Before I give you my personal details, I just wanted to explain a few things to you and How Upwork, works in terms of Terms Of Service. I'm not sure if you are aware, but you are supposed to have conversations about the job spec on Upwork. The reason for this, is because its important for the both of us to be protected against possible scams and illegal operations that might go against Upwork Terms Of Service. As much as I would love to work with you on this project, I want to make sure I'm following Upwork's guidelines. Its not only proffessional, but its safety aspects that I'm concerned about. I hope you understand. If you still wish for us to continue with a possible work relationship, please communicate with me through Upwork channels and within their guidelines."

Arthur Morrison, NOW Arthur Morris: "NO RESPONSE"

Should I be concerned, and did I do the right thing here, because I'm still new, and I want to be sure that I am abiding by your Terms Of Service. I would really appreciate your advice.

Regards

Lebo

[renata101 · Accepted solution]

Hi Lebo,

Absolutely wonderful. You did everything right. Your response was well worded and a client who was not a scammer would have probably responded to it well. You explained the terms of service and the ways you could communicate to establish a contract on the platfrom.

The "no response" is a really good sign from this client. Plus you got 10 connects for responding for an interview, so you didn't lose anything on your application.

Great job! And you saved yourself a lot of time and money by not getting scammed!
(Sorry, as Jennifer mentions below, you only get the free connects if you're responding to an interview from a job you applied to.)

[fd3b8a5f]

Hi Renata.

Thank you so much for getting back to me. For a split moment I froze with excitement and then something kicked in, I suppose It was intuition. This helps so many of us that are new on Upwork. I really appreciate your feedback. God Bless you. 🙂

[renata101]

Lebo,

I'm so happy you read the Terms of Service and basic guidelines. Just for the sake of intererst, you could type "scam" in the search box to see what you missed. It's really tough out there right now for new freelancers on this platform. Scams have always existed in one form or another on the platform, but the volume of scam posts in the last two months has been insane.

Good for you for doing some homework before you started!

This is a good article to read as well:
https://community.upwork.com/t5/Community-Blog/Top-Red-Flags-for-Scams-From-Community-Member-Wes-C/b...

If you're ever in doubt, please always try to check things out with someone else. And you can always post here to ask someone what they think.

[fd3b8a5f]

Hi Renata.

I will definately read the article. I think as new Freelancers, we just get so ecxited and forget. I'm greatful for this community, and all of you guys for always getting back to us. You are doing great work, and Thank You again 🙂

[feed_my_eyes]

It's worth knowing that new freelancers rarely receive invitations from legitimate clients; you need to establish a track record first. And it would be rarer still for a new freelancer to get invited to a graphic design project with a $2,000 budget - like, unicorn-level rare. So if that happens again, it's pretty safe to assume that it's a scam and not waste your time writing a proposal.

I think it would be easier for you to land your first job if you put together at least one specialised profile, maybe editorial design in your case. That would be a better niche than image editing, which is crammed with low-cost freelancers. I also recommend uploading one portfolio piece at a time (unless it's something like different pages from the same publication), that way clients can scroll through all of the thumbnail images without having to click on them to see more. Currently, someone who only glances at your profile might mistakenly think that you only have 4 portfolio pieces. Hope this helps.

[jr-translation]

---

Renata S wrote:

The "no response" is a really good sign from this client. Plus you got 10 connects for responding for an interview, so you didn't lose anything on your application.

---

There are no free connects for an invite.

[fd3b8a5f]

Its Okay. I understand how the Connets work I think. Thanks for clarifying. Still appreciate your advice. 🙂

[gilbert-phyllis]

Nice save! As long as you keep all pre-contract communications on the platform, you'll avoid most scams. Still, you will find this useful, too. 

[fd3b8a5f]

Hi Phyllis.

This is literally the second time someone tries to scam me. It would have happened, if you guys on this community didnt step in to advice. So I truly appreciate this. I will always come back here, to check in. Thank you for all you do. God Bless 🙂

[renata101]

I posted some quick tips for spotting scams on Upwork on a different thread. I'll post them again here. And I'm also going to post a link to some instructions about how to use the Advanced Search feature to filter jobs with contact information. This won't filter for all scam posts, so you'll still have to stay alert for things that sound fishy.

A few simple ways to assess scam potential:

1) The client refuses to talk to you on Upwork. You may need to explain the terms of service, but if they still refuse, end the discussion.

2) The client doesn't answer direct questions about the specifics of the job. If you feel like you're talking to a wall, that's a good sign to end the communication (and even if the person is a real client, feeling like you're talking to a wall is a good sign that you should end the communication).

3) The client suggests something other than an hourly or fixed-rate contract (for instance paying you through bonuses rather than milestones).

4) The client asks you for money (for either a registration fee or some other purpose) or the client offers to send you money outside of Upwork (usually a check for something you're supposed to purchase for them). 

This has some instructions about using the Advanced Search to look through job posts. Just post on that thread if you have any trouble.
https://community.upwork.com/t5/New-to-Upwork/Filtering-Scam-Posts-How-to-use-the-Upwork-Advanced-Se...

[fd3b8a5f]

Thank you so much 🙂