# oDesk SCAM WARNING - Link: https://leoviotti.com/blog/odesk-scam-warning/ - Published: 2014-07-16T02:14:53+08:00 - Author: LeoViotti Below I reproduce a dispute between me and one (actually two) oDesk “freelancers” who are scam artists. They bait you with one article and, if you’re not locked in a very restrictive contract, they will bill hundreds of hours per week. The moment you see the charges, you will either freak out, or complain, but it’s all extremely well done. I will format this article decently later on, but for now I just want to ensure it’s published and logged, available for research. **Resolve a Dispute** Contract Music Blog Writter Needed (ID # 14222656) Company In-Tech Technology Freelancer Ronald Wartford Disputed Hours 50:00 Amount $555.50 Previous Messages When User ID Comment Jul 15, 2014 7:05pm UTC ff21587e The “content” you created is useless. All fluff. You are a non-person. https://www.seologies.com/blog/invaluable-keywords-research-different-fields/ You say you don’t know “how is software used for that”, the “article” above says otherwise. All your initial qualifications give you “five stars for being great as ALWAYS” – since your first work on oDesk. I’m sure those rankings where given by accounts within the same “team”. I know how you work. Regardless of this dispute You do not exist online. Your account and that of Amara Sophie are both managed by the same person/team which pays to itself to create ranking and SCAM other users out of their money. My account on oDesk is new but I’ve been using the tool from client’s accounts for 2-3 years now. I have unfortunately delegated the hiring process to someone not as experienced. What you are doing is theft, and damaging oDesk’s ecosystem. oDesk can check for themselves, on the files attached to the message you sent me. The user who created all files for Amara Sophie is “Eddy”, all files created and edited in times with zero seconds. The users who created the files for Ronald Wartford, BESIDES “Eddy” (yes, same Eddy from Amara Sophie! – check file The Fusion of Music and Art.docx) are midigo, Ronny, “New universal writer”, USER and NICK. They have all been created AND edited in times at ZERO seconds. Elaborate scam, but not enough on the details. There must be dozens of users, if not hundreds, collaborating for the ALWAYS FIVE STAR ranking, ALWAYS lots of hours logged, ALWAYS* non recomended oDesk users*. oDesk must – and will – take an attitude on this matter, and I’ll make sure the information is spread. Jul 15, 2014 4:48pm UTC ronaldwatford You should complain about quality of work, I don’t understand the dispute on excessive hours logged. I have the output for the hours logged. Also, I’ve never used any software, I don’t even understand how the software’s work. If you could please highlight some articles I sent you that are auto-generated, useless and too much of a fluff. I understand you’re are new client, FYI odesk doesn’t allow interaction outside odesk workplace, at least not for solving disputes, I not could accept the meeting since that’s not within odesk policy. A meeting with your lawyer is not the way to solve this, odesk is workplace not avenue for connecting with lawyers on the event that you feel disappointed. I could not understand your motive of asking for personal info such as phone number, such stuff are confidential, going too personal while working here is not something I’ve ever done, you’ll forgive me if that makes you feel am a SCAM. Kindly, take time and check my reviews for all the past work, I’ve done. Having 1700 + hours in odesk communicates a lot, and I believe that might be one of the reasons why you choose me. At my level, doing test articles in not always my cup of tea, but after reviewing your account, I realized that you were a new client whom we could build with a good relationship going forward. Now, I’m afraid, I was highly mistaken. Jul 15, 2014 2:22pm UTC ff21587e I am happy to get you paid for the “work” you’ve done if you prove you are a real person. I requested a phone to call you, and to meet with a lawyer of my choosing locally. I believe this account, as well as the other Dispute I opened, are managed by the same team, producing computer generated, SEO based content, unique but utterly useless, as they talk much, and say little. If I’m wrong, and a phone call and a lawyer contact would suffice, I remove my Dispute. But I’m not wrong. Both dispute accounts provided me similar contents and moreover, gave me the SAME REPLY when I asked for ID/verification, same “template answer”. Simple like that. Jul 15, 2014 5:59am UTC ronaldwatford The client asked for music articles in his job posting, I applied and was interviewed, he asked me to do a test sample, which I willingly did after he went silent when asked to hire me for the test sample. He liked the test article and sent me an offer with terms of work. I worked for 50 hrs and delivered 25 articles, highly researched and unique. My work was well spaced out, and he was silent, on submitting the articles, he’s disputing all the hours, calling them excessive hours, I don’t understand why? Jul 14, 2014 7:41pm UTC ronaldwatford We Jul 14, 2014 6:09pm UTC ff21587e This account belongs to a SCAM artist. When asked to contact my lawyers in Kenya, she sent me a “default reply” with a few ridicule articles to “shut me up”. The reply was using the exact same works as “Amara Sophie”, who handles work exactly the same way. Follows his reply: ====================== === Message from Ronald Wartford Hey Viotti, Kindly no need of going that extent, we agreed on terms with Fernanda, I did a test article and the contract got rolling. Going by your job posting, I have been working on articles and below is the batch I have been toiling over day and night. ========================= I am not concerned by the 800+ dollars this has costed me, but I will pursue the matter further is this is not deal with seriously.