A Popular Scam, or as I like to call this post: Scam-a-lam-a-ding-dong

  As a freelancer, I'm vulnerable to scams and cons. I had an idea that it would be an issue only when I had to put so much information about myself on my website. But I didn't expect the lengths scammers would go to for a small amount of money from an insignificant person like me. And it had nothing to do with my website.

Here are the details:

1.       There is a website I go through called Upwork to get jobs. I haven't gotten any jobs from them yet, but it's set up for freelancers like me. The freelancer will put information on the website as you do on LinkedIn. Such as your business name, your credentials, your picture, etc.

2.       When a freelancer finds a job that they would like to do, they bid on it with what Upwork calls "Connects." Some jobs require more Connects than others, and if there's a job that the freelancer really really wants, they can try to outbid anyone else by adding extra Connects. To give you an idea, I have 50 Connects, and I bid 12 Connects to get the job I will talk about. (This means I outbid everyone else and basically begged these scammers to scam me.)

3.       Then I got an email saying that they would like to interview me. And wasn't I excited?

4.       The rule that everyone must abide by when working with Upwork is to keep all conversations through the Upwork website. This protects me the freelancer and the employer. But mainly the freelancer because any business can put a job on Upwork. (Apparently)

5.       But these people wanted to interview me face to face on Skype. Upwork doesn't have a face-to-face platform (that I know of), so how can we keep everything on Upwork if the employer wants to interview you face-to-face? I don't have an answer to that. (I guess the employer just needs to understand that they won't be able to do a face-to-face interview.)

6.       So, I agree to an interview on Skyward. (My first mistake)

7.       And the face-to-face interview on Skype ended up being a typed-out interview on Skype (Can someone say "red flag?) which should have been done on the Upwork platform.

8.       They were so happy with my answers they wanted to hire me. I signed a contract. The next step would be to get me a computer and special proprietary software.

9.       They sent me a check for it, attached to our Skype conversation, and then, once it clears, they will direct me to purchase the computer.

10.   They never seemed hurried, but they spent all day Friday with me on Skype (never face-to-face). They urged me to make a mobile deposit on my phone. (My second mistake) Throughout this process I was going through, I took the time to call and talk with my bank, I called the business that they claimed to be from (they never got back to me), and I spoke to Mark to ask what he thought. No red flags seemed to be slapping us in the face, just little things nagging at our minds here and there.

11.   I left the Skype meeting Friday believing that the check I deposited was real, it would clear the next day or the next week, and then I'd be buying a computer online with it. Plus, I'd have a great copywriting and editing job.

12.   At this point these were the things nagging at us: (Nag #1) Why was I buying the computer? Why were they not sending it to me? Wouldn't their IT department want to get it ready with their important proprietary software before sending it to me? (But this could be explained away very easily). (Nag #2) Why did the Skype interview turn into just something we could have done on the Upwork platform? (Nag #3) The picture and name of the interviewer were close to the person working at the actual business they were supposedly from, but not 100% the same (the name was a little different but could be a nickname, and the picture was different but could be a more recent photo).

13.   So, before doing anything else, I talked with my son Adam because he's very computer savvy and has freelanced before. As we talked it out, I realized three things I needed to do. So I made a plan. (1) I will make sure the money is actually in my account, not just sitting there hoping that it's real. I would get an okay from the bank. (2) I will make my own contract that includes ensuring that the account's money is real. It would include language that lays out the processes to take if the job doesn't work out. Such as where the computer goes, etc. (3) I will call the actual business and do nothing until I confirm that the job is real.

14.   With these safeguards in place, I will move forward with the job. But be wary.

15.    And then, I got an email from Upwork saying they took the job and the company off their platform because they didn't follow their Terms of Service. Meaning: this was a big scam. Meaning: that my instincts were accurate. Meaning: I now have (but not really) $2400 in my bank that isn't "money" but looks like it is. Because the check shows that it has cleared.

16.   I then called my bank (again), and at this point, they told me that this is a popular scam. And thank you for calling, they said, because depositing a bad check is a bad thing and can cost you. But because I called, they will put a note in my account so that they won't charge me a fine when it eventually (in 2 weeks' time) gets kicked out.

17.   It happens all the time. Really? Which begs the question: Why didn't the bank tell me that the first time I called them?

I feel even more vulnerable than I have ever felt with this business. But, I guess I also feel informed and cautious, and smart but stupid. All at the same time.

To be clear. They did not get anything from me, just my time (taking all day Friday for the interview, depositing the check, etc.) Thank God. I never gave them any information they couldn't have already gotten elsewhere. No bank numbers. No Social Security information. Nothing like that. And I feel like I was cautious throughout the exchange. However, I still feel like I should have known. I should have listened to the voice that was trying to caution me.

And I guess I did listen to it. Otherwise, they would have taken a lot more than they did.

And I'll be darned if I'm going to give them any more of my time or worry.

God bless you all, and be careful out there!