**Client IDV at Registration

Any client accounts identified as “high risk” will receive this restriction on their company account under “Own Companies”:  “Scam Registration - IDV Required”.

Once this suspension is put in place, automatically the following will happen:

• They’ll receive a ZD ticket/email (to both My Messages & registered email on file) telling them that they must verify their identity. This message will include a link redirecting them into our identity verification flow.
• They’ll see an SMF at the top of every page, also directing them to verify their identity.
• They’ll be unable to post jobs, send invitations, and create Messages rooms or be able to send messages until they pass IDV

Clients required to complete IDV will need to complete the following:

• Realness aka document IDV
• Location Verification (only if they have a different country on their ID vs. profile)
• Liveness aka selfie verification (CLs will still have the option to choose to speak to an agent and complete a Video Verification interview, and CL located in Illinois, will need to go through the video verification interview by default)

What Customers See

Zendesk/email Message the User Will See

 

Subject: Action required: verify your identity

Verify your identity to begin working with freelancers

 

Hi {{User: First Name}}, 

 

Thanks for joining Upwork! 

 

As part of our ongoing efforts to promote trust and protect your security, we now require clients to verify their identity.

 

This step is required in order to post jobs and work with freelancers on Upwork. 

 

Verify your identity

You will need to complete a two-step process by: 

1. Providing us with a valid, government-issued photo ID
2. Meeting with us for a selfie or quick video call 

Get Started (CTA button)

 

Thanks for helping to keep Upwork secure! If you have any questions, reply to this email and we’ll be in touch. Learn more about ID verification here.

 

Regards, 

The Upwork Team

 

SMF Client Will See

 

If Account Owner:

• Action required: Verify your identity to build trust and connect with freelancers. Get started.

 

If co-worker aka someone with permissions to client company account:

• Important: Access to this company account will be limited until the owner verifies their identity. We’ve reached out to them directly––no action is needed on your part. 

 

 

How the inability to post jobs, send invites, and use Messages looks:

 

 

Realness (Document Verification):

• Client enters the flow and uploads a copy of their government issued document
• The document is then validated by our 3rd party vendor

 

Location Verification (only if they have a different countries on their ID vs. profile)

 

• If client provides an ID that is from a country different than what is listed on their profile, they will see this additional check for location verification
• Client must provide supplemental documents to prove their location

 

Liveness (Selfie Verification):

• The last step is the client providing a selfie capture
• Perform scoring is completed in the backend to confirm all the documents have a matching photo and are legitimate before passing/rejecting the identity verification workflow.

 

Important Reminder: Please use ZD ticket categories Recent Launches > CL Registration IDV on all CL IDV cases.

Explanation of IDV Results

If clients successfully PASS both IDV steps:

Under ‘IDV Status’ in OBO, “Realness” and “Liveness” will show Passed. “Location” will show Passed or Unknown (“unknown” if not needed and “Passed” if needed/approved).

• The restriction blocking all actions will automatically be removed
• The SMF will automatically be removed
• A ZD ticket will automatically be sent to the client’s My Messages inbox and email address on file, notifying them of their IDV outcome informing them of the actions they are now free to resume

If clients FAIL either IDV step:

Under ‘IDV Status’ in OBO, “Realness” and/or “Liveness” and/or “Location will show Rejected. 

A case will automatically be created for manual review for our Identity Verification Operations team. This can typically take up to 48 hours for IDV to complete (externally to customers we state 1-3 days).

• If manual review results in IDV PASS, IDV will remove the “Scam Registration - IDV Required” restriction under “Own Companies”, resulting in the full resumption experience described above.
• If manual review results in IDV FAIL, agents will treat the account as a “verified scam account”, and apply the additional suspension “Scam Registration IDV Failed - Lockout” in order to lock the account out. This will show up in the Identity section of OBO, but UBO will need to be used to see the suspension itself (click the suspension icon in OBO > click “UBO Suspensions” button)
  • This IDV Fail results in a permanent suspension. This is not appealable. We should reiterate what’s shared in the permanent suspension ticket. IF customers insist, we can reassign case to Client_IDV_Reviews_ID_Doc_TS425 queue in Zendesk. 
  • Important: This queue is only for these specific CL IDV cases and should not be used for other IDV-related cases.

CS Handling Process Map

CS internal use only FAQs (not customers):

How do we identify if a client has one of these restrictions / suspensions?

If a “Scam Registration - IDV Required” restriction - 

• "Restricted" will show under the Own Companies section on the specific client company account. There will not be a “Suspended” flag under Identity.
• Click "Restricted" > click on "UBO Suspensions" > then the “Scam Registration - IDV Required” suspension flag should be visible

If a “Scam Registration IDV Failed - Lockout” suspension - 

• "Suspended" will show under the Identity section of the account
• Click "Suspended" > click on "UBO Suspensions" > then the “Scam Registration IDV Failed - Lockout” suspension flag should be visible

What will OBO show us if clients fail the automated review and are in manual review?

The status can be observed in OBOs IDV Status section. The screenshot below shows the status for the following:

• Realness: ID Document Submission
• Location: Location Verification
• Liveness: Selfie or Webcam results

If any show as “Rejected”, that means IDV failed. If there are no CSS Notes, this likely means it was the automated version that failed and this has now moved into manual review. If there are CSS notes in relation to the failed IDV, that means it’s been processed through manual review.

Is a CSS Note added when someone fails automated verification and moves into manual verification? If so, what's that note?

There is no CSS note added when the user failed automated verification, but there will be a CSS note after IDV manual review for the failed automated cases.

CSS notes will be added when they fail manual verification only. The notes will vary depending on the case. The note formats may look like:

"ID Approved" CSS Note

[ACTION] ID Approved

[DEPARTMENT] Identity Operations

[CAUSE] Manual Review - Badge

[NEXT STEP] None

[VERIFIED NAME]

[ID HEADSHOT]

"ID Denied - Soft" CSS Note (user will be allowed to re-upload)

[ACTION] ID Denied

[DEPARTMENT] Identity Operations

[CAUSE] Manual Review - Badge

[NEXT STEP] CL needs to submit an alternate side of the ID

[REASON] ID Missing Info

[ID HEADSHOT]

[VERIFIED NAME]

"ID Denied - Hard" CSS Note (Permanent suspension no appeal)

[ACTION] Permanent Suspension ID Denied

[DEPARTMENT] Identity Operations

[CAUSE] Manual Review - Badge

[NEXT STEP] Client is no longer allowed to continue on Upwork.

[REASON]

[SCREENSHOT]

[CONFIRMATION]

[ADDITIONAL NOTES]

Under "IDV Status", does it say something different when failing automated vs. manual verification? Or, it'll simply show "rejected" either way?

It'll show rejected either way. It’s important to keep an eye on the CSS Note section, as well, to help determine where in the manual review process the contact is in. 

If rejected and NO CSS Notes - they failed automated IDV and have moved into manual IDV.

If rejected and there IS CSS Notes - they have gone through manual IDV and the note displays the status of that outcome.

Once in manual review mode, how long until the client hears from us on passing vs. failing their IDV?

Once the client is subjected to undergo a manual review process, the IDV team has a typical turnaround time between 24-48 hours. For customers, we externally share the process can take up to 1-3 days.

If the client goes through manual review and IDV deems "fail" and the account is locked out - can the client appeal? 

• Once clients have been permanently suspended, they will not be allowed to appeal.
  Clients that fail IDV and are permanently suspended will result in account lockout. The lockout reason will be "Scam Registration IDV Failed - Lockout" and will be shown in the Identity section of OBO, but will need UBO to view the actual suspension reason.
• These will also show a “ID Denied - Hard” in CSS Notes 
• If a user who is permanently suspended is locked out, it’s best for CS to reiterate the permanent suspension and the info provided in the email from the IDV team
• In cases where the client insists on a re-review, tickets can be reassigned to the Client_IDV_Reviews_ID_Doc_TS425 queue in Zendesk
• Important Note: The use of this Zendesk group is exclusive to the CL IDV process. All other IDV-related requests should follow their flows and not use this queue.

Why am I being asked to verify my identity?

We are working to keep Upwork secure and safe for everyone, and that includes making sure that people are who they say they are. 

How does Upwork verify my identity?

We use a third-party vendor to verify your government ID. Then we’ll ask you to submit a selfie or meet with you in a video call.  We may also ask for additional confirmation about your location if needed.

What happens if I do not pass the verification process?

Your account will be placed on hold, and you may not be able to post a job, message, or work with freelancers. 

If you think that this was an error, you can appeal. Learn more about the appeal process.

Can I work with freelancers while Upwork is verifying my identity?

Thank you for asking. No, you will not be able to work with freelancers or send messages until after the identity verification process is complete.

How long will it take to complete the verification process on Upwork?

We know you’re busy, so we try to make it quick. For most, the process takes a few minutes. In some cases, we may need more time to review the submitted information — 1 to 3 days — but rest assured we will work as fast as we can.

Will my verification be displayed on my client profile with a badge?

No, at this time we are not displaying verification badges on client accounts. That may be something we consider doing in the future.

How are you keeping the information I share safe?

Upwork takes the protection of your personal information seriously. We do not sell any of the identity verification information you share with us, and we process and retain your information according to Upwork’s Privacy Policy.

I live in the EU, and I want my info deleted, per the GDPR.

Thanks for reaching out. Any resident of the European Union can request that we delete their information under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Once you request this, Upwork has 30 days to respond to your request. Learn how to make a GDPR request to Upwork here.