How to AVOID SCAMS on Upwork in 2024
Are you a freelancer looking to protect yourself from scams on Upwork? Today Adam Palmer, the Freelance King, shares his expert advice on identifying and avoiding scammers on Upwork. Learn the red flags to watch out for and the best practices to ensure you get paid for your hard work.
The bad thing about freelancing is that you might end up having to work and not get paid or get paid less than you expect. It happens to a lot of freelancers that’s why we are here to help you avoid scams on upwork. Here are some of the red flags that you need to care about.
Communication outside of Upwork
People who ask you to communicate outside of upwork are actually scammers. They might give their telegram, whatsapp, email or any other contact that’s out of the upwork platform. In the majority of cases (99%) these people are scammers.
They use this method to get you to do work with the promise that they’ll pay you outside of the platform and both you and them will avoid upwork fees, which sounds tempting. Sometimes they may even pay a small amount of money upfront and once you finish the whole work, they disappear. In the end they don’t pay you.
So, keep in mind that upwork is not there just to take your money. It protects you from scammers and assures you’ll get paid if you don’t violate their terms of services. Communication outside of upwork is a violation of upwork’s terms of services. They have the right to block both your and your client’s profiles forever.
Clients who Ask you do Free Work
There are fake clients on Upwork that may ask you to do free sample work. They say that they want to test you and understand whether you are a good fit for their project. First of all, be aware that upwork is against you doing work for free. They actually say on their website that if you do that type of work it should be paid. A lot of people on Upwork will ask you to do free stuff and won’t hire you. That's why you should value your time and your effort and never waste it on scammers.
In fact, when you try to find info about a company or a client who asks you to work for free from the start, you soon realize that you can find no info or at least too little info about them, which is usually fake. And when you look at their profile you see that they have never hired anyone. So, be careful with people who ask you to do free sample work.
Minimum Wage + Revisions
The third scam on upwork is when you apply to legit jobs and the client offers a minimum wage with too many revisions. Some clients are not willing to pay extra for revisions. They just come and say that they are not happy with the result and they expect you to do revisions. They may ask you to do it several times, until it looks perfect from their side.
That’s why our advice is to discuss every detail upfront. When you apply to a job just ask the client if they are going to pay for revisions. If they are not going to pay you for extra hours and effort, then either stay away from such people or set a higher rate to make sure you’ll get paid for revisions too.
Otherwise, they are going to ask you for updates and changes. Then you’ll realize that you actually spent more hours finishing the project than you expected. In the end, no one pays you more and you end up making less money. On the other hand, besides losing your time you also waste energy, nerves, and your precious health on such jobs.
Key Takeaways
Now, follow these guidelines to protect yourself from scams and make the most of your freelancing experience on Upwork.
Never communicate with clients off-platform, especially on Telegram or other unofficial channels. Always set up hourly contracts to utilize Upwork's payment protection and ensure you get paid for your work.
Be vigilant for any red flags such as clients avoiding proper contract setup or trying to move communication off-platform.
Trust your gut feelings about potential clients and don't hesitate to move on if something feels off.
Focus on finding and securing legitimate contracts to build a stable and successful freelancing career.
Conclusion
Check the video below as it is essential for anyone looking to navigate the freelancing world safely and successfully.
