Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem • Hacker News Board

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#61

Post by gumby » Thu, Jul 14, 2022, 7:57 PM UTC

f17 wrote: post #16

I got burned by something like this. I hired an editor (not on Upwork) who had worked for a number of very famous authors (people you've heard of, people who've sold millions of copies). They did a fantastic sample edit, and the quality of the work dropped off precipitously by about the 20% point of the manuscript. The best-case scenario is that they just didn't care, because I'm a nobody and because of the novel's l…

> However, there's a lot of forensic evidence suggesting that they farmed the edit out to more than one person (which would explain the inconsistent apparent level of skill and care).

I'm sorry about your experience.

But you might be interested in knowing that that phenomenon goes way back -- a lot of the "old masters" paintings were done by apprentice artists working under some level of supervision from the "named" painters. And I'm talking about really famous painters like Rembrandt or Reubens.

Also quite a few of the most prolific contemporary mass market authors have "assistants.

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#62

Post by throwawaysleep » Thu, Jul 14, 2022, 8:01 PM UTC

bberenberg wrote: post #54

throwawaysleep wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quoted post unavailable.

Congrats, you're the problem.

I fully agree. But society sends no signal that I am a problem beyond outrage when I admit it. Nobody would admonish me for being exactly the same without me mentioning it to them.

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#63

Post by vorpalhex » Thu, Jul 14, 2022, 8:07 PM UTC

impersonated wrote: post #18

I'm looking for advice on a similar issue. Somebody is impersonating me on dating sites and blackmailing women. They convince their victims to send nude photos, and then they threaten to send the photos to their families. The scammer (or scammers) use photos of me that used to be publicly available on social media. They also use my real name, presumably so that the victims see a legitimate LinkedIn profile when they…

Watermark your photos. Indicate anywhere and everywhere anyone using your photos is probably an imposter.

As others have said, you probably need to start the legal train rolling so you can subpeona OkCupid and co.

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#64

Post by SheinhardtWigCo » Thu, Jul 14, 2022, 8:07 PM UTC

throwawaysleep wrote: post #48

a_simm wrote: post #42

Just wanted chime in with second a second anecdote that I was going to post. We needed a Django developer. Put an ad on Upwork at the high end of the recommended salary range. The ad specified US Eligible worker for legal reasons. Of the 10 or so applicants, seven flat out refused to appear on webcam so I decided to talk to the eighth. This person claim to be in Seattle. Having lived there I asked them two relatively…

Quoted post unavailable.

> Eh, a lot of it is simply that society doesn't really punish non violent bad behaviour and gives you nothing for integrity.

I assume you're not religious, then? The prevailing view seems to be that the punishment for an amoral life will come when it's too late for apologies or take-backs.

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#65

Post by refulgentis » Thu, Jul 14, 2022, 8:09 PM UTC

throwawaysleep wrote: post #62

bberenberg wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Congrats, you're the problem.

I fully agree. But society sends no signal that I am a problem beyond outrage when I admit it. Nobody would admonish me for being exactly the same without me mentioning it to them.

Sure, but, frankly? That is a form of psychopathy.

Please don't take that offensively. I'm not throwing the word around. I don't mean "evil". I don't think it's "evil", I'm even jealous. Not just of money. Of the rationality.

The rest of us don't do this stuff because we'd feel horribly bad for doing it, to the point benefits would outweigh the costs.

I'd hazard a guess that most people would also say it was fine given a sufficient trolley problem set up "is it okay to take 3 jobs and not do the work I can't be held accountable towards given...I have a trust fund...versus...my kids wont have food"

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#66

Post by impersonated » Thu, Jul 14, 2022, 8:14 PM UTC

lolpython wrote: post #22

impersonated wrote: post #18

I'm looking for advice on a similar issue. Somebody is impersonating me on dating sites and blackmailing women. They convince their victims to send nude photos, and then they threaten to send the photos to their families. The scammer (or scammers) use photos of me that used to be publicly available on social media. They also use my real name, presumably so that the victims see a legitimate LinkedIn profile when they…

Sorry to hear about that problem. Maybe you could put a warning about the impersonator on your LinkedIn bio.

Thank you for the recommendation! I'm having trouble phrasing a warning in a way that's clear to a scam victim, without seeming weird or off-putting to business contacts. It's somewhat upsetting to think about this too much, which may be why I'm struggling.

Would you mind suggesting how to word it?

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#67

Post by marviel » Thu, Jul 14, 2022, 8:21 PM UTC

throwawaysleep wrote: post #48

a_simm wrote: post #42

Just wanted chime in with second a second anecdote that I was going to post. We needed a Django developer. Put an ad on Upwork at the high end of the recommended salary range. The ad specified US Eligible worker for legal reasons. Of the 10 or so applicants, seven flat out refused to appear on webcam so I decided to talk to the eighth. This person claim to be in Seattle. Having lived there I asked them two relatively…

Quoted post unavailable.

How do you justify the morality of this action to yourself?

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#68

Post by impersonated » Thu, Jul 14, 2022, 8:21 PM UTC

vorpalhex wrote: post #63

impersonated wrote: post #18

I'm looking for advice on a similar issue. Somebody is impersonating me on dating sites and blackmailing women. They convince their victims to send nude photos, and then they threaten to send the photos to their families. The scammer (or scammers) use photos of me that used to be publicly available on social media. They also use my real name, presumably so that the victims see a legitimate LinkedIn profile when they…

Watermark your photos. Indicate anywhere and everywhere anyone using your photos is probably an imposter. As others have said, you probably need to start the legal train rolling so you can subpeona OkCupid and co.

The horse is out of the barn, unfortunately. The recent victim's screenshots had the same photos as the first incident (HR showed them to me).

I no longer have any public photos available except on LinkedIn. I will consider taking that down.

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#69

Post by throwawaysleep » Thu, Jul 14, 2022, 8:26 PM UTC

marviel wrote: post #67

throwawaysleep wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quoted post unavailable.

How do you justify the morality of this action to yourself?

I don't view it as a moral question. My employer doesn't view hiring or firing me or rewarding me as a moral one. I just treat myself like top shareholder of my own company.

Re: Tell HN: Upwork has an impersonation problem

#70

Post by vorpalhex » Thu, Jul 14, 2022, 8:33 PM UTC

impersonated wrote: post #68

vorpalhex wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Watermark your photos. Indicate anywhere and everywhere anyone using your photos is probably an imposter. As others have said, you probably need to start the legal train rolling so you can subpeona OkCupid and co.

The horse is out of the barn, unfortunately. The recent victim's screenshots had the same photos as the first incident (HR showed them to me). I no longer have any public photos available except on LinkedIn. I will consider taking that down.

You may be able to spoiler the photos by posting them to several stock photo sites and meme sites. Basically flood them so they are obviously random internet finds.

This does come with obvious downsides.