Don’t Scam and Don’t Get Scammed on Upwork
Working on Upwork means that you come across bad job postings all the time — “clients” looking for free work, “companies” looking for free credentials, and fronts for MLMs if you’re particularly unlucky.
I’ve had my fair share of strange and unusual propositions and conversations — my favorite of which I wrote about recently — but if you’re brand new to the field, you might not know what you’re looking for when it comes to weeding out false listings. I’m not saying that I’m an expert on navigating false listings. I’m just saying that I’ve been there. I’ve fallen for it. Don’t be me.
On the flip side of this, the clients on Upwork can be extremely picky. Especially when you’re starting, building credibility with potential clients is everything; one false step, and you might accidentally convince your future client that they’re talking to a bot, or that you’re going to take their payment and run. This is, of course, not an ideal situation for a business, and is an excellent way of never getting hired. There are a few things you can do to avoid looking suspicious, though.
Here are five tips for avoiding scams and freeloaders, and avoiding looking like a scammer or freeloader, on Upwork.
