I decided to recommenton this thread because my first job on here in May involved a scammer. I was literally on this site 30 minutes and was sent a zoom link and a contract and the company "US Magazine" wanted access to my checking account. I had not been familiar with Upwork or it's TOS to realize I was being scammed. I saw the company was verified and that was it.
Needless to say I was not giving out banking info and the whole thing seemed shady and I was emailing Upwork and realized I was in something bad. Since then I have gotten much smarter about where I send proposals, and who I accept from. I get steady work when I want it and have no complaints. You can tell some scams right off, but others build up trust as a verified client. In the end it's up to you to use you gut instinct and when your not comfortable ask customer service. Things like telegrams are a giveaway, or asking for SSN or other personal info. Keep communication on this site. Report direct TOS violations and if people ask you to do things outside o what you were hired to do say "No."