Refundable Insurance Deposit

[#1]

Hi. I'm new to Upwork.  I received a job offer through Upwork. I didn't apply for it. They just found me.

I passed the test they asked for and apparently have been given work.

BUT.....to get work, I have to give them a refundable insurance deposit.

Is this legitimate? Sounds like a scam to me.

[#2]

This is one billion % scam. Obviously you never pay a client under any circumstances. They pay you to do work. You must report them to Upwork.

[#3]

Agreed to what Steven said, also check out this post: 
https://community.upwork.com/t5/Community-Blog/Top-Red-Flags-for-Scams-From-Community-Member-Wes-C/b...

[#4]

Hi Rekha,

As a gentle reminder, users cannot communicate off Upwork until a contract has been set up on their account (the client sent an offer, and you accepted it). Users cannot offer and accept payments outside of Upwork. Both are violations of the Upwork Terms of Service. Also, real clients will never ask for money upfront for you to start a job.

You may read our Community member Wes's post regarding top red flags for scams to protect yourself. You can also check this help article for more information on how to stay safe on Upwork.