Job application taken to telegram

[e364ff88]

I just applied for a job with a company called **Edited for Community Guidelines** through someone called **Edited for Community Guidelines**. After few minutes, I got an immediate response from this person and was accepted to work with them. I was directed to Telegram to communicate with **Edited for Community Guidelines**. Even though I withdrawn from the application on Upwork, I still forward my CV to her, and she shared her terms via Telegram. I kindly appreciate your assistance regarding this matter. Here are some attachments for reference. 

Many thanks 

**Edited for Community Guidelines**

[NikolaS]

Hi Jude,

Thank you for reaching out to us. Please know that sharing contact information before a contract has started is against Upwork's Terms of Service and that all communications prior to the contract starting must take place on Upwork.

I also encourage you to let us know if a TOS violation has happened by using the Flag as Inappropriate option throughout the platform. You can learn more about user reporting here.

Additionally, I encourage you to check this help article and this thread to help you stay safe on Upwork. 

[9fa081da]

Hi Same thing is happning with me what shoutd i do plz help me

[9fa081da]

hi same thing is happning with me

i am doubt fullof reciving my payment from them?

Please help me

**Edited for community guidelines**

[JoanneP]

Hi Owaiz,

I want to confirm the information that Nikola has shared on this thread. Please know that communication outside of Upwork before a contract has been established is against the Upwork TOS. Please check out the information Nikola shared for more details. 

[e364ff88]

Hello Nikola,

Many thanks for your kind reply. I do hope that I did not get into any sort of trouble whatsoever because the application really confused me. And thus, I had to share what happened right here if that's fine. 

[luce-neidert]

Jude, the job you applied to was a scam. Usually, you are given some sort job to do (typying, translating...). When you're done, the scammers tell you that you need to pay some amount in order for them to release the payment for the job you've done. Obviously, when you pay, the scammers just disappear.

Upwork does not work like that. That's why you must not contact new clients outside of Upwork, it's not in your interest to get scammed!

Here's how to tell a scam:

. the client has not spent any money on Upwork or may have spent 5 or 10 dollars paid to an accomplice.

. the client's offer doesn't make much sense or includes spelling/English mistakes.

. sometimes, the client has copied another job offer to sound more professional. In this case, check whether he's using a VPN.

. the client is using a VPN. When you check the real time in the time zone he's pretending to be in and the real time there, it doesn't mach.

. if you are naive enough to send a proposal, the client will likely ask you to contact him directly, which is NOT ALLOWED on Upwork AND COULD GET YOU IN TROUBLE.

[nesdem]

Hey Luce,

Many thanks for the response above, I found it helpful. I am pretty much aware of all these indications but VPN. You wrote: "the client is using a VPN. When you check the real time in the time zone he's pretending to be in and the real time there, it doesn't mach."

There's only one time on the job ad and it shows let's say Switzerland and the time seems to be correct. What is the other time for comparison? When they use VPN, doesn't system show the time of the VPN's set location?

Thank you!

[luce-neidert]

Hi Nesli, the VPN shows the time where the user is. I live in France. Most of the scammers operate from a country that is one hour behind France. So it's easy for me to figure that they are not in the US, or in Australia, as the job offer says. You should find out more about the time zones in other countries. But mind you, real clients too use VPN's. When I ask them where exactly they are, in order to know when to contact them, sometimes they refuse to answer my question. Stupid useless games 🙄