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luqman_mak
Community Member

We need 'typical scams' PINNED on this - New to Upwork - page

Why dont we have some good article on common scams pinned at the top of this page in addition to the three we currently have:

15 REPLIES 15
martina_plaschka
Community Member

We did. I agree this is more important than anything else. 

Now you only have to get freelancers to read it before they come to the forum to complain that upwork stole their money. 

For some unknowable reason, it's always upwork's fault, and never the person's who scammed them. Go figure. 

https://community.upwork.com/t5/New-to-Upwork/List-of-red-flags-for-scams/m-p/1017044#M158742

I agree that it should be pinned to the top of the "New to Upwork" thread, but people rarely even come to the forum until they're already been scammed. Wes's link ought to be sent to new freelancers as soon as they sign up. Then there should be a box they have to check saying, "I have read and understood this information." Then below the checkbox, it should say, "But have you really, REALLY read the information?" with another checkbox. And below that, it should say, "C'mon - you didn't actually read it, did you. Go back and read it. It's for your own good" with another checkbox. Then below THAT, it should say, "Okay, we know you still didn't read this, but we're done here. We tried to warn you. Don't come crying to us if you get scammed."

 

I think that ought to do the trick.

The last box to tick should say: I promise when I've been scammed that I will not complain on the forum and accuse upwork of stealing my money. I will also not open a support ticket. 

I know, it does get old. But it also gets old scrolling through our feeds and constantly seeing posts that are so obviously scams that it makes you go, "Come on, guys, really? You really let this get posted?"

I think at least part of the reason, and who can really blame them, that that isn't done (and no readiness test, either) is that Upwork doesn't want to advertise or highlight that there are lots of scams here so as not to scare new freelancers and clients away by admitting they can't stop them (at least not a great many of them. Duh, right? No company wants to make themselves look bad. I agree with everything you said, and while we might disagree on how, I think we all agree that more needs to done to both lessen the number of scam posts, and to help people avoid them.

Yes, I'm sure that's the reason. Also, for better or for worse, they don't seem to want any barriers to entry for either freelancers or clients. IMO, the scamming problem got worse as soon as Upwork started allowing absolutely all freelancers to sign up; before that, they were turning away new freelancers in saturated categories like data entry and VA. Now those categories are overrun with desperate, unskilled people who are eager to grasp at any opportunity, which makes them easy marks for scammers. No matter what Upwork does to try and get rid of scammers, as long as they can make easy money here, they're not going to go away, which is why I keep saying that it would be better to put restrictions on freelancers, not clients. Attempts to regulate the job posts would take time and money and undoubtedly result in some clients being put off and not using Upwork at all; I don't see why freelancers like me should have to suffer any consequences just because other freelancers don't know what they're doing.

luqman_mak
Community Member

😊^
How do we get it back? 

Don't know. It's buried in the community blog now...

I just figured what you meant by this

AveryO
Community Manager
Community Manager

Thanks for sharing your suggestion with us, Luqman. 

This section of the Upwork Community also highlights Upwork's Trust & Safety Policies. However, I'll make sure to share your suggestion to our team for their consideration. 


~ Avery
Upwork

And thank you Avery.
I have a question, while you are reviewing the suggestion, would i be breaking any rule if i, say post the contents of the scam thread into a new thread here - then keep it alive everyday manually by posting on it?

Don't do it, however tempting, because it would amount to spamming, and people would stop reading.  Nevertheless, Upwork needs to start acting on some of the endless good suggestions made by irritated freelancers to reduce the number of scammers.  

pgiambalvo
Community Member

Great idea.

kochubei_valeria
Community Member

Hi Luqman and others, 

 

Thanks for your suggestion. We have been working on better ways to bring the information about most important Upwork policies and avoiding scam while working online to the attention of new Upwork users. That includes highlighting that information during signup process and in interview rooms, before a new user even arrives to the Community, as well as creating more personalised experience and highlighting relevant content in the Community. 

Update: articles about staying safe while working online should now be showing on the right hand side on New to Upwork Board.

~ Valeria
Upwork


Valeria K wrote:


Update: articles about staying safe while working online should now be showing on the right hand side on New to Upwork Board.


Thanks, Valeria.

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