After enduring a two-month shadowban on Upwork, the third invitation I received turned out to be from a scammer. These fraudsters are rampant on the platform, exploiting the e-commerce space to prey on unsuspecting freelancers.
A moment of distraction is all it takes to fall victim to their schemes. What makes it worse is that the Upwork app provides minimal information about clients when they reach out via inbox, leaving freelancers vulnerable.
I reported this particular scammer early this morning, yet he remains active on the platform, having already swindled people out of $26,000. (When he first contacted me, his account showed only $6.) How is Upwork not complicit in enabling these scammers!
They’re aware of the issue, but their lack of action speaks volumes. If it were up to me, Upwork would be facing legal consequences.
I reached out to Upwork’s customer service to clarify what "Payment Method Verified" actually means (see attached screenshot), yet these verified accounts are the same ones scamming freelancers.
Some people here might downplay being scammed, comparing it to email spam, while others might blame freelancers for lacking common sense. But until it happens to you, you won’t understand the frustration. (When it comes to handling scammers, Fiverr is doing a far better job than the so-called "almighty" Upwork)
Without morals, what's stopping the scammed from joining in!
