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Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem
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Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem
#32Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem
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Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem
#34One simple way would be require video submission where you have to speak your name and mention that you have joined upwork as a freelancer. But then upwork would have to spend more money on validations. They probably don't care as much. I sometimes hire from upwork. My litmus test is simple. I want to talk to you for 5-10 mins on video. If you cannot show up or have issues doing a video meeting, I won't proceed. It m…
According to Upwork support, they do something like this before a contract is actually signed. But in my opinion that's way too late in the process - someone impersonating me could completely ruin my reputation before any contract is handed out
Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem
#35I'm not sure what triggers it, but they do identity validation at some point (probably tied to receiving funds) - I recently had to do this. They ask for an ID scan, and then do a video call with a staff member. Once you're in the validation needed phase, you cannot take on more projects or withdraw funds.
According to Upwork support when I spoke to them
> Please know that as soon as the freelancer applies or is offered a contract, we would run an identity verification process which would have them submit a Government-issued ID and have a quick video chat or send us a selfie to prove their identity.
However, this is way too late in the process for my liking...and who knows how strict they actually are?
Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem
#36What’s the best course of action for you/the person being impersonated, if the platform doesn’t fix the (systemic) problem? Put up a big notice on LinkedIn declaring that you are not on these platforms?
Yea that's pretty much what I did...I added a note to my "headline" on LinkedIn saying if you found me on Upwork, it's not actually me
Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem
#37I've been on the other side of this, hiring fake people. I'm actually going to stop using Upwork after almost 10 years. It's such a cesspool of fraud now that I can't figure out how to find the honest people. As an example, I recently hired someone who showed his face on video and had great communication skills. Next time we did a call, he had no video and sounded totally different. It turned out to be a subcontracto…
> It's such a cesspool of fraud now that I can't figure out how to find the honest people.
now? I've heard similar horror stories going back years. Perhaps you were lucky in that you got more positive than negative out of it earlier?
Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem
#38Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem
#39I've had the inversion of this occur, when I've been obviously talking to an impersonator working out of China. They always push for a Zoom call. The video is extremely dark. They lie about their location. It's maddening. Even for direct hire, I had two candidates send in resumes with the same avatar, but with the image mirrored. And it was still a resume with an Asian name! And an Asian-featured person! Why would they even bother at that point??
We had a specific project that required hardware to be shipped to the vendor, and required it to be in the US, and people would just lie, openly, as if when the time comes to ship the hardware to them I'm not going to notice it's going to China or a reshipper.
Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem
#40I ran into this a few years ago and wrote about my experience: https://mtlynch.io/upwork-scammer/ tl; dr - I caught an Upwork freelancer blatantly copying other freelancers profiles. I reported it to Upwork, who said they'd handle it but couldn't tell me the details I reached out to the freelancer's other clients to tell them the freelancer was a fraud, and they said Upwork had never notified them.
yea, Upwork said they can't disclose to me what action(s) they took "due to account privacy"
You mean...the account privacy of someone pretending to be me?