How to report suspicious user activity

Learn how to report suspicious behavior, flag violations, and block or unblock users safely on Upwork to keep your account secure.

In this article

• When should I report something?
• How do I report suspicious or inappropriate behavior on Upwork?
• Do you let the person know I reported them?
• Can I report a Zoom call or meeting within Upwork Messages?
• How do I block someone from contacting me on Upwork?
• How do I unblock someone I blocked before?

When should I report something?

We encourage you to flag anything that violates the Upwork Terms of Service or seems suspicious and inappropriate. Watch for these common violations:

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    • Sharing or requesting external contact information before a contract has started. This could be an email address, phone number, or app ID (WhatsApp/Skype). Learn more. 
    • Requests or offers to pay outside of Upwork
    • Requests or offers to pay for access to your password or account information
    • A profile picture or name that seems fake, like the use of a celebrity picture or name
    • Content protected by copyright, such as a known logo or phrase
    • A project that’s offering services that aren’t allowed on the platform under our Terms of Service
    • Anything that looks like it could be a scam or fraud
    • Anyone threatening or harassing you
    • Clients asking you to pay them
    • Freelancers asking for payment upfront before a contract has started
    • Demands to receive good feedback

We take every report of suspicious or inappropriate activity seriously, and every report goes directly to our Trust and Safety team for investigation.

How do I report suspicious or inappropriate behavior on Upwork?

You’ll see links to report suspicious or inappropriate behavior throughout our platform. When you flag something, you’ll see options to describe your reason for flagging.

 

• Flag a freelancer profile. Choose the (…) options menu on the freelancer’s profile and select Flag as inappropriate to submit a report.
   
• Flag a freelancer portfolio. Choose Report on the portfolio item.
   
• Flag a job posting. Choose the flag button on the job posting to submit a report.
   
• Flag a project on Project Catalog. Choose the flag button on the project to submit a report.
   
• Flag a message in Upwork Messages. Messages don’t have a flag, but you can find the link to report suspicious or inappropriate activity with these steps:

On desktop:

1. Hover over the message that you need to report, and an options menu (…) will appear
2. Select the (…) options menu and choose Report message

In mobile app:

1. Press down on the message for a few seconds for the menu to appear
2. Choose Report message in menu

Do you let the person know I reported them?

All reports are confidential. We will not share your identity with the user you flagged. After we receive your report, we may contact you through email for more information.

Because of security and privacy concerns, we also may not be able to share the results or findings of our investigations with you. We take all reports seriously, and please be assured that we will take action as provided for in our Terms of Service.

Can I report a Zoom call or meeting within Upwork Messages?

Yes. To do so:

1. Hover over the message that you need to report, and an options menu (…) will appear
2. Select the (…) options menu and choose Report call
3. Select a reason why you think the call was inappropriate. This person:
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     • Asked me to spend money to submit a proposal, like purchasing gift cards, background checks, or equipment
     • Asked me to share my contact information such as an email address or phone number before starting a contract
     • Asked me to accept a payment upfront or outside Upwork
     • Wants to purchase my Upwork account
     • Is misrepresenting their skills or skill level
     • Was threatening or abusive
     • Something else
4. Choose Submit

How do I block someone from contacting me on Upwork?

1. Go to Messages and find a conversation with the user you’d like to block
2. Select their profile icon in the module on the right, then select Block
    

Important notes about blocking:

• When you block someone, you won't be able to send each other messages in conversations where you are the only participants. However, you will still be able to send each other messages in group conversations
• You can’t block anybody you have an active contract with
• After you block someone, you will still be able to see the conversation, in case you need to report something
• As a freelancer, you can block future invitations from a client while declining an invitation or withdrawing your proposal. Check the box that reads Block future invitations from this client
• As a client, you can block spam proposals

How do I unblock someone I blocked before?

1. Go to Messages and find a conversation with the user you’d like to unblock
2. Select their profile icon in the module on the right, then select Unblock

As a freelancer, if you blocked future invitations from a client, you can undo this by submitting a proposal to any public job that the client has posted.