How To Identify and Report Scams on Upwork in 2026

Understanding how to spot people trying to run scams on Upwork with fake job postings or phishing for sensitive information starts with knowing the protections already built into the platform. Upwork has many features to help you work safely, build your professional reputation, and protect your hard-earned income. 

These protections include project funds, hourly payment protection, in-app messaging, client payment verification, and freelancer profiles that have undergone identity verification.

What to know about Upwork scams

• Upwork is a legitimate platform with built-in protections like escrowed payments, identity verification, and a dedicated Trust and Safety team.
• Common Upwork scam tactics include requests to move work or payment off-platform, upfront payment demands, phishing messages, and gift card fraud.
• Never share personal financial information or start work before a contract is in place.
• Use the "Flag as inappropriate" feature to report suspicious activity or scams on Upwork.

As Experian and others have noted, online fraud has increased in recent years — a trend that is expected to continue in 2026. This is largely driven by advances in AI, deepfake technology, and the increased use by consumers of vulnerable smart devices.. This guide walks you through how Upwork keeps both clients and freelancers safe, the most common scam tactics to watch for, and what to do if you encounter suspicious activity.

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Are there scams on Upwork?

Scams are an unfortunate reality of the digital world — including on Upwork. Freelancers, businesses, and consumers need to be aware of their risks, even on legitimate platforms like ours. People who try to run scams on Upwork are always working to circumvent our protections, so knowing how to spot scams and use the right tools to protect yourself is a key line of defense.

Our platform has many features to help you work safely, build your professional reputation, and protect your hard-earned income. These protections include project funds, hourly payment protection, in-app messaging, client payment verification, and identity-verified freelancer profiles.

Upwork has also partnered with Incognia in 2026, a cross-device risk intelligence platform, to strengthen identity verification and fraud prevention across its marketplace.

How does Upwork keep clients safe?

Small and large businesses alike trust Upwork in 2026 as a source of reliable freelance talent, and we continually invest in always-on defenses — our 2025 Transparency Report showed that work proposals from bad actor talent dropped more than 80% year-over-year.

We also have several policies, procedures, and tools that reduce scams and help companies work safely when hiring freelancers including:

• Identity verification
• Vetted talent profiles (visible to Business Plus members)
• Curated shortlists of qualified, experienced freelancers (available to Business Plus members upon request) 
• Milestone payments
• Hourly work diaries
• Automatic screenshots of freelancers’ work via our desktop app
• Reviews from other clients evaluating what it’s like to work with a freelancer
• Job Success Scores (JSS)
• Talent badges

“I love the platform and the amount of talent I have access to,” said Matt See, CEO and co-founder at Lighthouse. “We really couldn’t be this far along without help from the talent on Upwork.”

How does Upwork keep freelancers safe?

A large pool of professional, experienced freelancers use Upwork because they know our platform is a safe place to find work. Our 2025 Transparency Report also showed that job offers from bad actor clients dropped more than 90% year-over-year, thanks to expanded machine learning detections and proactive enforcement.

The most successful freelancers leverage the tools available to help them as well to stay safe from scams on Upwork including: 

• Upwork profiles and portfolios
• Upwork Messages
• Client reviews left by other freelancers 
• Client payment verification badges
• Reports of suspicious job posts or messages 

Redditor u/LumarHealth said, “... you can get clients with a good profile, good experience, and the willingness to get past the rejection to land a client. Oftentimes, clients will continue to come back to you for months or years — which is why the money you spend upfront on Connects is well worth it in the long run.”

Unfortunately, there are bad actors who try to take advantage of internet users everywhere. We work around the clock to catch scammers on Upwork before they can target our customers, but scams are always evolving. As a result, some scams may slip through and make it to our users before we can catch them. 

By remaining alert for suspicious activity and following these steps to report scams that target Upwork accounts, you can help us keep everyone safe on Upwork.

Avoid scams by conducting business safely on Upwork

These three steps will help you stay safe when using the Upwork platform.

1. Never accept payment off the Upwork platform

When you send and receive payment through the Upwork platform, you’re protected by our Payment Protection program for eligible transactions. Upwork Payment Protection uses milestones, project funds, and a desktop time tracker to ensure that freelancers are paid for their hard work — and that Upwork clients are only billed for hours completed or projects delivered. 

Requesting to move payment off the Upwork platform is a tactic frequently used by scammers targeting Upwork users. If you take payment off of the Upwork platform, we cannot offer Payment Protection or help resolve any invoice disputes. To maintain payment protection, freelancers should refuse offers or requests for off-platform payment through PayPal, Stripe, CashApp, cryptocurrency wallets, and other systems.

2. Communicate through Upwork messaging

Keep all communication with potential clients and freelancers on the Upwork platform before starting a contract. (Keeping your communication on the platform after a contract is in place is a good idea, too!) This way, there’s a record of all of your communications and we can help resolve any issues. You can also flag suspicious messages for Upwork's Trust and Safety team to review.

If you move your conversation to a different app like Whatsapp or Telegram, we won’t be able to offer the same level of support. Declining to offer your personal phone number is advised so the freelancer or client you’re talking to won’t be able to add you on external messaging apps as easily.

3. Never share your Upwork account with others

Don’t let anyone else access your Upwork account through the browser, desktop app, or mobile app. Additionally, never send your Upwork login credentials to anyone else via email or message. If an Upwork staff member gets in touch with you for any reason, they may ask you to confirm your account details but won’t ask for your account password. Similarly, we won’t ask you to send us money — or your bank account number — via email or message. 

If you aren’t sure about the legitimacy of an email that claims to be from Upwork, reach out to our support team. And if you receive a message from Upwork that you think is fraudulent, you can flag it for our review. 

How to avoid scams on Upwork

By familiarizing yourself with common online scams and markers of potential scam activity, you can help keep yourself safe on Upwork and other websites. A legitimate Upwork user should not:

• Ask you to start work before a contract is in place.
• Ask you to pay them up front, before they begin work (placing funds in Upwork’s project funds for fixed-price projects is fine).
• Request that you receive money, buy gift cards, or send packages on their behalf.
• Require that you pay a fee in order to apply for a job.
• Ask for sensitive information such as your social security number, banking account numbers, credit card numbers, or government ID. Upwork collects this personal information in order to verify your identity, pay you, and provide you with necessary financial and tax documents. There is no need for someone you’re working with through the Upwork platform to request this information.

You should flag these instances or contact Customer Support if any of this happens to you.

Known Upwork scams in 2026

Many of the following scams can occur not only on Upwork, but on any digital platform that enables an exchange of money, goods, or services. In fact, the FBI has identified scam activity on job boards, often involving cryptocurrency. Keep an eye out for these common scams when working with clients online:

• AI-generated fake profiles. Scammers on Upwork and other platforms are increasingly using AI to create convincing client or freelancer profiles using generated headshots, fabricated work histories, and polished bios. If a profile looks too perfect but has no reviews or verified payment history, proceed with caution.
• Fake AI training jobs. Some scams on Upwork involve job posts that ask freelancers to train an AI model by completing simple tasks, then requiring an upfront fee to access the tool or dashboard. Legitimate clients will never ask you to pay to start working.
• Interview traps off-platform. Some remote work scams ask talent to move the conversation to Telegram, WhatsApp, or external video call before a contract is in place. This removes Upwork’s ability  to monitor for fraud and leaves you without Payment Protection.
• Phishing. Phishing is an attempt to gather personal information through fraudulent emails and messages that appear to be from a legitimate sender. Phishing can lead to identity theft, compromised accounts, and more. If a member of the Upwork team emails you directly, the message will come from an @upwork.com or @cloud.upwork.com email address. 

• Promised reimbursement. This scam involves the other party asking you to purchase supplies for a project with the promise of paying you back — in excess. For example, they may ask you to buy $1,000 worth of goods and promise a $1,500 repayment. The scammer usually starts the process by asking you to send them a few hundred dollars to confirm your banking details. As soon as you do, they’ll cut off contact and you won’t get your money back. 
• Check-cashing fraud. This scam is similar to promised reimbursement, but involves the scammer seemingly paying you first. Let’s say you quote the scammer for a $500 project. They’ll say they are going to mail you a check for $800, and all you need to do is wire back the extra $300. Here’s the catch, though: The check is fake, or will bounce. It can take a day or two for this discovery to happen, whereas wire transfers are instant. When all is said and done, you’re out the $300 you wired the scammer, and you’ll never get any funds from their bad check. This scam is also a form of money laundering. 
• Paid or leased account fraud. If someone offers to pay you money in exchange for the use of your Upwork profile, say no. This is not only against Upwork’s Terms of Service, but it can also be illegal. Furthermore, you can be responsible for any taxes owed or crimes committed through your account.
• Gift card fraud. Someone running a gift card scam may ask their victims to either purchase gift cards on their behalf, or share the number on the back of an existing gift card — ultimately taking the balance for themselves. Nobody should ask you to pay them in gift cards or state that they will pay you with gift cards in lieu of using Upwork project funds.
• Digital currency fraud. Fraudsters may ask you to purchase tokens or other virtual currency in a mobile or video game. Sometimes, this request will come as part of a “job description” — but remember, a legitimate client should never ask you to pay money in order to work with them. If a game developer needs help testing a product, they’ll give you the necessary access to conduct testing once a contract is in place. 

Remember, scams are constantly evolving, and anyone can be targeted and fall victim — not just first-time Upwork users. Trust your gut. If you come across something that feels suspicious but isn’t on this list, take it seriously and follow the reporting steps in this guide.

Other red flags of Upwork scammers

Experienced scammers may be more subtle in their actions and harder to spot. If you see any of the red flags below, think twice about engaging in work with the client or freelancer on Upwork — these can all be signs of scam jobs or fraudulent users:

• Clients with multiple open jobs and no money spent
• Clients with unverified payment methods 
• Messages from people purporting to be from a well-known company, with no verifiable information to back up their claims
• Messages asking you to join a social media group or subscribe to a YouTube channel in order to receive a contract 
• Profiles using the name or picture of a famous celebrity or other public figure 
• Job posts with suspiciously high budgets
• Requests for free work

Reporting scams on Upwork

When you see potentially suspicious activity on Upwork, look for a green flag icon with the words “Flag as inappropriate.”

You can find the suspicious activity flag in the following places:

• Freelancer profiles
• Freelancer portfolios
• Job postings
• Upwork Message Center

After clicking the flag, you’ll be directed to select a reason for reporting the content. The options presented will vary based on the type of content you’re reporting, and may include:

• Requests for or offers of payment outside of the Upwork platform
• Requests to purchase access to your Upwork account
• Suspected false or misrepresented identity 
• Suspicious links in job posts
• Contact information in job posts, messages, or freelancer profiles and portfolios
• Copyright violations and suspected plagiarism
• Inappropriate content
• Threats and harassment 
• Demands for five-star ratings

If you think something violates Upwork’s Terms of Service, such as a client or freelancer requesting to take work off the platform without going through the appropriate channels, you can contact Customer Support directly. 

You’ll need to document the situation clearly and share any proof you have (such as screenshots of messages or a chat transcript) with the Customer Support team.

What happens when you report a scam on Upwork? 

When you flag content for review, the Upwork team will receive a confidential report. We won’t let the person you flagged know that you reported them. 

While our team may reach out to you via email for more information, we won’t be able to share the results of our confidential investigation. Regardless, you can be assured that the Upwork Trust and Safety team takes every flag seriously and will investigate the content you’ve reported.

What to do if you think your Upwork account was compromised by a scam

If you realize you’ve engaged with a scam, suspect you’re the victim of a phishing attack, or think your Upwork account may be compromised, stolen, or hacked, you can take these steps to help:

1. Report suspicious activity on your account or loss of account access by contacting Upwork Support as soon as possible. Include your name, account email address, and an explanation of what you believe is happening.
2. Immediately change your Upwork account password and security question. Be advised that we may put a hold on your account when you report it as compromised. We do this to stop scammers from using your account while we investigate the matter. If Upwork has placed a hold on your account, you won’t be able to change the password until we release the account back to you.

Protecting yourself from scams online

In addition to the steps above to keep you safe from Upwork scams, you can practice these 10 electronic security habits to help you stay safe when you’re using Upwork or any other website!

1. Use secure passwords that are hard to guess

Password managers like BitWarden, LastPass, and Dashlane make password security easy. These apps generate and save unique passwords for you, so you don’t have to worry about remembering a long string of numbers, letters, and symbols. You should also consider changing your passwords every 90 days.

2. Turn on Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Two-Factor Authentication adds another layer of security to your passwords. When you turn on 2FA in your Upwork account, you’ll be prompted to verify that you’d like to log in to an account each time you enter the password. You can choose to conduct verification by text message, an authenticator app like Google Authenticator, or our mobile app.

3. Log out of your accounts

Log out of your Upwork account (or any other online service that you’re using) when you’re done working. This is doubly important if you’re using a shared computer, such as in a library.

4. Never leave your computer unattended

When using a laptop or tablet in public, you’ll want to be sure to lock the device and take it with you when you get up and walk around. 

5. Only connect to secure Wi-Fi networks

Public Wi-Fi networks, like those in hotels and coffee shops, can be either secured or unsecured.

• Secured networks require you to log in with a password
• Unsecured networks require no password or verification steps in order to access the Wi-Fi connection

Unsecured networks open your device to risk, as scammers may be able to access it. Some scammers even set up fake Wi-Fi networks that appear to be legitimate hotspots. This allows the scammers to steal data that you send over the Wi-Fi connection. You may want to avoid connecting to unsecured networks.

6. Consider using a VPN if needed

When using any public Wi-Fi connection — even if it’s secured — you should consider using a virtual private network (VPN) like NordVPN or ProtonVPN. These services redirect your online activity through their secure servers and help prevent third parties from intercepting your data. 

7. Secure your home Wi-Fi network

You can also safeguard your internet activity at home by securing your Wi-Fi network. This can include changing your router’s default network name to something unique, setting a strong Wi-Fi password, and installing a firewall on your system.

8. Install an antivirus program

Install an antivirus program on your computer — even Apple MacOS devices. Scammers are continually developing new virus and malware programs disguised as regular messages, ads, and files. If you accidentally open the virus or malware file on your computer, scammers could get control of your system.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on an antivirus program, either. If you have a Windows PC, your computer may already have Microsoft Defender installed. If not, or if you use a different operating system, there are several free or low-cost programs on the market including:

• Avira
• Bitdefender
• Avast
• AVG AntiVirus

9. Click carefully

In addition to installing and using an antivirus program on your computer, remember to never open links or download files if you can’t verify where they’re from. You’ll also only want to visit websites that load with a secure connection (the URL will begin with https://). If you use Chrome and don’t see this by default, you can right click in the URL bar and select “always show URL.”

10. Regularly back up your computer

Make sure to regularly back up your computer data to a secure location. This can include an external hard drive as well as cloud services like Google Drive for Desktop or Apple iCloud. If you lose access to your device, you can re-download all of your important work on a new computer or tablet. 

Together, all of these steps can help minimize your risk of malware and keep your personal data safe.

How Upwork helps freelancers stop scams in 2026

By working on the Upwork platform, you can add several layers of scam protection to your everyday workflow — from secure messages and contract workrooms to escrowed payments and access to a dedicated Trust and Safety team. 

Working to keep you safe, together

Most Upwork users conduct business on our platform without ever encountering a scammer or problem. Because scams are a known issue across all online platforms, though, you’ll want to remain diligent and let us know if you suspect something is amiss. 

Always remember these tips to protect yourself from scams:

• Practice good online safety habits 
• Keep your computers, phones, and tablets safe
• Never pay or receive payment for Upwork projects off our platform
• Never share personal financial information with other users
• Keep all work and communication on the Upwork platform
• Safeguard your Upwork account information
• Report suspicious activity or suspected scams on Upwork with the flag feature
• Familiarize yourself with Upwork’s Terms of Service and Trust and Safety policies
• Let us know immediately if your account is compromised

Finally, remember that while you’re keeping an eye out for scams on Upwork, so are we. Our Trust and Safety team is hard at work to keep bad actors off of the platform. Together, we can keep Upwork a safe place to conduct business online. 

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Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this article. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.