Scams and Fake Clients/Projects

[#1]

Hi All,

I am new to Upwork, so please pardon me for my dumb question. I see threads about scams and the steps that freelancers need to take to ensure we're not scammed, etc. I fully understand and agree that we should have some responsibility in this regard.

My question is what steps or procedures does Upwork have in place to prevent these scams and fake projects?  I get the sense that a lof of the responsibility is being pushed to the freelancers, perhaps Upwork can do more in this regard?  

A little context from my experience in this first week. I received a few responses/invites, asking me to set up account on external messaging app or communicate via text. I read through some of the threads here in the community forum and figured out that 1) that is not allowed and 2) it's likely a scam. Therefore I ignored them and reported a few, unfortunately I deleted a few others before realizing I should have reported it first. 

Just my thoughts. Look forward to any engaging feedback from Upwork or the community. 

Thank you!

Michael

[#2]

Hi Michael, 

I understand where you are coming from and appreciate your participation in the Community. I want to note that we have teams and systems that help identify red flags if a user or a job post is fraudulent.
However, I would like to clarify that there are cases where we cannot foresee a violation based on a client's job post itself or their initial communications with the freelancer. We usually receive flags when the interview stage has already commenced, where the client explicitly communicates this (ToS violation) with a freelancer. In cases like these, the teams involved take action immediately against the client's job post and account based on the report.

Since you are new, it would be best to read up on the "Safety First!" section of the freelancer resources we have compiled, these tips for avoiding questionable jobs, and this article for more information about working safely through Upwork. 

[#3]

Hello Upwork community,

please check this client profile on upwork, he is scam working on upwork, freelancer i am facing so i can't face another freelancer so please check

When i am click this link redirect this whatapp number , see screenshot below..

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[#4]

Hi Hiren,

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I've forwarded your report for the team to review.