I was scammed by a dishonest agent and paid $500 for nothing. After 2 months of waiting, the freelancer I hired finally declared that he wasn't able to deliver the work and didn't want to issue a refund. I asked for Upwork's help, and after 3 week of back and forth Upwork finally told me: Due to no agreement reached within the timeline given, the dispute and ticket is closed. You have the option to pursue the case independently outside Upwork"
This is basically called a robbery. Please all be aware that your payments are absolutely NOT protected on Upwork.