Freelancing is the new trend of the hour. Especially, fit by the worldwide pandemic situation, most people have opted for freelancing as a career in various fields.

However, the traditional method of finding a job and finding a legit job as a freelancer are two different concepts in totality.

Since freelancing jobs are mostly operational on the online mode, the aspect of job security and several other similar aspects are put into question.

Nevertheless, the search for an ideal job as a freelancer must go on, keeping aside the drawbacks that the freelance marketplace has to offer.

Several freelance marketplaces such as Fiverr, Upwork, etc. are the most sought-after solutions for freelancers.

However, even before beginning your freelancing journey, the context of today’s blog post is to look for some genuine Upwork reviews.

Thus, if you too have been in a dilemma about is Upwork legit? You have landed just at the right place seeking the right information.

Brief Description Of The Upwork Platform

In simple words, Upwork is one such platform that enables freelancers and clients to meet and sort their requirements. Where on the one hand, the clients are looking for some freelancers to hire, on the other hand, the freelancers are looking forward to getting hired.

It is a virtual marketplace where these two categories of people, from all across the globe come to one place to get their needs sorted. From beginners to expert level freelancers come and join hands with the platform by creating their best work profiles.

The platform facilitates the ease of hiring eligible candidates by the clients. As a freelancer, all one needs to do is select the job requirement that suits their skillsets and send in a proposal to the client for the same.

Next up, it is on the respective clients to accept or reject your proposal. It is only when your bid stands out, you are most likely to get yourself hired.

Does Upwork Work? A Few Things You Need To Know

Now that you are aware of the platform and how it rightly facilitates both clients and freelancers, next up comes the most important question, Is Upwork a scam? It has been widely noted that several questions have been raised by people on the same issue.

On the contrary, surveys from real users prove that Upwork is a legit platform that has helped many earn their daily pieces of bread. However, contradictions have been made up by some other users too, saying that they could never seek themselves a job through the platform.

Well, there is no trick that the website allows. It is just a matter of how cautious you can be and yet get your job done easily. Several claims of users losing out on their money and getting scammed by clients too have been an issue.

However, before jumping to proper conclusions, one needs to figure out, who are scammers on the website and who are getting scammed. To get answers to such questions, keep reading along to discover.

What Is The Talk About Upwork Scam?

When talking about internet activities, one cannot do without talking about scams. Similar is the case with Upwork too. Several scammers engage themselves with the Upwork platform as clients offering jobs, or as freelancers offering service in return for some compensation.

Yes, you read that right. Scammers exist on the internet both ways. Either way, the ultimate motive of these people is to extract money from genuine users without offering service or compensation.

They target genuine users through messages or emails. Most of the time, the sign of fraud is that the client offers you high compensation for a particular job and you would find the same client vanishing once you submit your task and wait for the payments to be cleared.

Similarly, as a client too, you have high chances of losing out on your money and still not getting your job done.

Who Are Most Likely To Get Scammed?

Though Upwork is a genuine platform as discovered so far, there is a certain category of people who are most likely to get scammed. The very fact that finding a legit project on Upwork is not easy, makes beginners, or newbies prone to such fraudulent activities.

As a beginner, the desperation of looking for a job as a freelancer is at its peak. Thus, it is simple to understand how vulnerable you might be as a beginner in the field of freelancing.

Any job offer that comes to you as a beginner seems to be a one-time opportunity and hence, a newbie is willing to give up anything possible to get the project at hand. A very close concept works in the case of clients who newly join the Upwork platform.

The hourly rate offered to the freelancers is a good scheme but, as a new client, you might even witness your hired person vanishing without completing the tenure of service.

That is exactly how the scamming activities keep taking place in online marketplaces as such, where people look for opportunities in terms of career perspective.

Read Also: Best Easy Online Jobs For Teens

Signs To Detect Fraud On Upwork

Detecting fraud on Upwork is not much of a tough job if you are conscious of the activities taking place and analyze them under critical lenses. Thus, here are a few signs enlisted to make your job easier in detecting scammers:

• Clients offering high compensation rates compared to the job profile
• Freelancers coming up with fancy and fabricated proposals that look plagiarized
• Clients with zero histories of past recruitment
• Clients with payment methods not verified
• Clients or freelancers trying to initiate conversation outside of Upwork
• Clients and freelancers with an unprofessional method of conversation
• Last but not the least, clients or freelancers asking for depository or security money for a particular project

Hence, if you are here to get holds on some signs to track scammers on genuine platforms such as Upwork, this subhead is all you need.

Tips And Tricks to Avoid Scams In Upwork (Freelancer’s Perspective)

The question is Upwork Legit or not comes to a clear understanding when you have certain tips and tricks to safely use the platform. Thus, here are a few legitimate tips and tricks that are a must-know for all users:

• As a newbie or beginner, utmost care needs to be taken while accepting offers from clients that approach you. A hasty decision is only going to put you in a situation of loss.
• Before accepting clients’ offers, ensure that the milestone for the project is paid and the client’s payment is verified.
• The most important point would be to undergo thorough client research along with appropriate details of the project to be considered.
• opt for clients that have all relevant details shared clearly without any sense of doubt. Clients with all features mentioned are mostly genuine.
• Check the client’s reviews and previous employment history to have a clear idea of what you would be involving yourself with.
• Communication is the key and thus, ensure that any queries you have about the project are clarified before you take up the project.
• Do not pay any sort of security deposit just to ensure you are awarded a project on Upwork
• Say no to free samples asked by clients. Upwork’s policy strictly restricts such actions as mostly it has been noted that clients vanish after you submit your work sample.

Tips And Tricks To Avoid Scams In Upwork (Client’s Perspective)

It is not just the freelancers that are put to risk while using Upwork, the clients too face equal levels of harassment if proper precautions are not taken. Thus, to avoid scams, these are a few measures that clients can take:

• As clients, one must take utmost care of the person they are hiring for a particular project to ensure the quality of your desired project is maintained at its best.
• Many freelancers are seen making plagiarized submissions and thus, ensure to check the submissions before you pay for the same.
• Scam cases concerning identity proof are a major concern and to ensure security, one can set up location or any other identity preferences.

Concluding Verdict

Now that we have come to the end of this blog post, it is pretty clear that Upwork as a freelance service marketplace is not in itself a scam. However, the fact that the users behind the internet commit fraud in its name cannot be avoided.

The amount of freelance success stories through Upwork also needs to be considered, as, it wouldn’t have ideally been the case if Upwork was a fake platform. That’s where the legitimacy of the platform gets proven in totality.

Several users today, seeking freelancing as a career option, prefer Upwork as their source of securing genuine jobs. Thus, it is completely on one’s usage that determines the utility of the platform Upwork.

Thus, if you too have been willing to start with your freelancing career, Upwork is one source you can look into without a sense of doubt.

Rohit Lohia

Hey there! I’m Rohit Lohia, a passionate SEO enthusiast and the proud founder of Branded Bucks. I’m all about helping small business owners achieve success online through my blog. Join me on this exciting journey as we explore ways to make money online and build a thriving digital presence.