Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash

My first experience with Upwork was an employment scam.

Times are tight. I've got projects in the pipeline, but none of them are paying yet, so I figured I'd try Upwork for something that could actually cover bills.

Paid to register. Paid to bid. Got a bite.

This one moved fast, and the red flags showed up early. Chat-only interview. I scheduled a call — no-show. And the client's messaging was stiff and overly formal, which is a strange contrast to my laid-back, borderline-used-car-salesman charm. I couldn't find an opening anywhere.

Less than 24 hours later: an offer.

I accepted. Then they asked for my name (they had it), my email (they didn't), and my phone number (they didn't) — to be sent as a PDF. I didn't bother. I sent trackable fake info instead.

They emailed back a PDF with every hallmark of the classic buy-your-own-equipment scam.

Some other details: the HR contact's LinkedIn was empty. They'd "hired" three people before me. And they never once looked at my actual proposal.

Lesson one: don't get so desperate that you drop your guard on identity security.

Lesson two: Upwork isn't a place to find meaningful work, it's a pay-to-get-scammed scam. You pay to register, you pay to bid, and the "opportunity" on the other end is a con.