is this a scam?

sedec · ‎02-28-2019

hi, I'm new to upwork I only landed a job less than a week ago though my account was created almost 3 years ago. anyway my question is I received an offer for work I was surprised and flattered at first, so I proposed then I got a response and he asked me for my previous work but I don't yet have a very nice portfolio so when we are chatting in skype he asked me for a video call and then told me that he is going to send me some test to do and then that will be the deciding factor for me to get the job. My question is why me when I don't even have a JSS yet or a very nice portfolio..

martina_plaschka · ‎02-28-2019

Melquisedec I wrote:
hi, I'm new to upwork I only landed a job less than a week ago though my account was created almost 3 years ago. anyway my question is I received an offer for work I was surprised and flattered at first, so I proposed then I got a response and he asked me for my previous work but I don't yet have a very nice portfolio so when we are chatting in skype he asked me for a video call and then told me that he is going to send me some test to do and then that will be the deciding factor for me to get the job. My question is why me when I don't even have a JSS yet or a very nice portfolio..

Who knows. He might be looking for free work, or for very cheap work. Don't give out personal information, and don't do any work without a contract, then you should be safe.

g_vasilevski · ‎02-28-2019

Hi Melquisedec,

Unfortunately I can`t answer your question as each client has their own recruiting process and preference.
I would like to confirm if you`re referring to the same contract that you were hired on February 27? If yes, there's nothing to worry about as I can see that you have tracked your time with our desktop app.

Keep in mind that asking for free work is a violation of our TOS and you can flag the job from the job posting or sending the link to us (Moderators).

To learn more how you`re protected on Hourly contracts check out our guide Here.

To learn more how to protect yourself check out the Safety First section on this thread, thank you.

~ Goran

prestonhunter · ‎02-28-2019

Melquisedec:
It is probably a scam or somebody trying to get free work.

But based on what you told us, we can't say for sure.

Because you are SO NEW, it would be useful for you to learn as much about how Upwork by DOING. But don't do this alone. Talk to us here in this thread and ask lots of questions. We can guide you through this.

The key thing at this point is that the client has asked you to do a test, and he did not immediately offer to pay you for that test. A good Upwork client knows he should hire a freelancer and pay for the test. So either this client is very new and inexperienced, or a scammer, or the test is very simple and won't take long, and is something we can accept as part of the interview process, rather than something that constitutes free work.

My suggest is to move forward, accept the test that he sends you, and then come talk to us and describe the test... what it is, how long it will take, etc. We can let you know if the test is a reasonable request or is just a client trying to trick you into working for free.