Unauthorized £200 Payment Request During Upwork Withdrawal

While trying to withdraw my payment through Upwork’s payment system, I was informed that my payment had been sent, but that I needed to pay an additional £200 due to a currency exchange difference. I was told that this payment was mandatory for the transfer to be completed.

The person who contacted me asked me to communicate via WhatsApp and claimed the transaction was being processed through an account based in the United Kingdom. They also mentioned that I needed to contact a local intermediary agency in Turkey to complete the process.

I have not made any payment yet, and I don’t have a reference number for the transaction. This incident occurred yesterday and has not yet been resolved.

I find it completely unacceptable to be asked to pay an additional fee due to a supposed “exchange rate difference,” as such a charge should not apply in a standard transfer. I request that my payment be released and that this suspicious situation be investigated immediately.