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SCAM: translation of a 11,643-word document (various email addresses, payment with a check)
Thread poster: Thomas Szabo, MD, MS
Thomas Szabo, MD, MS
Thomas Szabo, MD, MS  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 18:25
Member (2002)
Hungarian to English
+ ...
Apr 3, 2018

Request came in to translate a document. Someone named Linda Dale sent a Word document and claimed she would send the check to my bank even before the document was translated. The computer's IP address showed location in Kansas. She provided a phone number (678-249-9063, listed in Atlanta) and insisted that any communication must be via only text. The email used was [email protected]. Please do not waste your time responding to thi... See more
Request came in to translate a document. Someone named Linda Dale sent a Word document and claimed she would send the check to my bank even before the document was translated. The computer's IP address showed location in Kansas. She provided a phone number (678-249-9063, listed in Atlanta) and insisted that any communication must be via only text. The email used was [email protected]. Please do not waste your time responding to this, it is a FRAUD. best, ThomasCollapse


Vova Mosiakin
Andi Manurung (X)
Chantal Credoson (X)
Luis Rodriguez
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 23:25
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Thanks, Thomas! Apr 4, 2018

I've checked and the same email address is mentioned in other scams (https://www.google.pt/search?q="[email protected]"&client=firefox-b&dcr=0&filter=0&biw=1366&bih=654)

 
Melanie Meyer
Melanie Meyer  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 19:25
Member (2010)
English to German
+ ...
Nancy Bill - Same scam Apr 10, 2018

Thank you for the warning, Thomas and Teresa! I received the same email from Linda Dale via ProZ.

A day later, I received a message through another portal (TM Town) with the exact same text from a Nancy Bill ([email protected]):

"Hello, My Name is Nancy Bill, I got your contact from online directory and I'm contacting you in regard to an English content document with 11,643 words (44 Pages). I need this document translated to German. I would
like to know if
... See more
Thank you for the warning, Thomas and Teresa! I received the same email from Linda Dale via ProZ.

A day later, I received a message through another portal (TM Town) with the exact same text from a Nancy Bill ([email protected]):

"Hello, My Name is Nancy Bill, I got your contact from online directory and I'm contacting you in regard to an English content document with 11,643 words (44 Pages). I need this document translated to German. I would
like to know if you are interested and available to get this done for me. Please get back to me([email protected]) as soon as you can.
Thank you.
Best regards
Nancy B."
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Pablo García Lafón
Marisa Cores
Patricia Rivera
 
Nozomi Kugita
Nozomi Kugita
United States
Local time: 19:25
Member (2007)
English to Japanese
+ ...
Scammer: [email protected]/(678) 249-9063 Apr 13, 2018

I've received an email from this person, asking for my service. I identified the name and email address as a known scammer at Translators Scanner Directory. To go a little further to see this scammer's modus operendi, I interacted with it. The followings are the email messages I received so far. I share them with you here, hoping this could help warn other translators.

First email from the scammer:
---------------------------------------------
Hello, I g
... See more
I've received an email from this person, asking for my service. I identified the name and email address as a known scammer at Translators Scanner Directory. To go a little further to see this scammer's modus operendi, I interacted with it. The followings are the email messages I received so far. I share them with you here, hoping this could help warn other translators.

First email from the scammer:
---------------------------------------------
Hello, I got your contact from an on-line directory and I'm contacting you in regard to an English content document with
11,643 words (44
Pages). I need this document translated to Japanese. I would like to know if you are interested and available to get this done for me.
Please get back to me([email protected]) as soon as you can.
Thank you.
Best regards
---------------------------------------------

My reply:
---------------------------------------------
Thank you for your email.
If that's ok, please send me the files you need translated so that I can give you more accurate quote.
Please also share with me more detailed information regarding your requirements, e.g. expected delivery date/time (timezone), only document translation or require DTP work, and other requirements.

Do you represent a language service provider or other company/ individual?

Thank you,
---------------------------------------------

2nd email from the scammer:
---------------------------------------------
Thanks so much for getting back to me.I'm pleased to know you are interested in handling this project.However, I will require your service to translate the attached English document. In the meantime, could you also confirm your charges per page, per source word or for the entire translation? The deadline for this Project is 1 month starting from 05/28/2018.


Finally,I don't operate with PayPal,Debit or Credit Card,I'm proposing to pay you via Cashier Check. Payment will be received and clear at your Bank before you send the document. Please do not hesitate to confirm if this is okay with you? I look forward to read from you soon.

Regard,
---------------------------------------------

The above email had an attachment (document to be translated).
I sent back a fake quote (as I already knew that it was a scam)
My reply with my quote:
---------------------------------------------
Attached please find a quote for the translation service of the provided document.
Please confirm receipt and please do not hesitate to ask any questions or concerns.

Thank you,
---------------------------------------------

3rd email from the scammer:
---------------------------------------------
Thank you for getting back to me.I quite agree with your price quote and I am willing to pay for your service. But what would be your full price for the job? This project is a research paper being sponsored for a seminar coming up soon, so I would like to make an advance payment or make the full payment so you know you have my job with you. In the mean time, do get back to me with the following payment information in the format below.

1. Full Name to be written on the Check
2. Full Physical Address:
3. Mobile Cell Number

Your payment will be prepared once I have the requested details. Payment will be received and clear at your bank before you send the document. Get back to me asap and you can send text to me here (678) 249-9063 (Please only Text) when you send the details.
Best Regards
---------------------------------------------

My response:
---------------------------------------------
Thank you very much for accepting the quote for this order.
In order to proceed, please confirm that the supplied document is the final, and please send me your billing information (name, address, phone number linked to the address).
I also need to verify your identity before proceeding. Please supply a phone number that I can reach you directly.
Thank you,
---------------------------------------------

I asked for the scammer's ID, and, as of now, I haven't heard from it.
The email address ([email protected]) is listed under scammers list at http://www.translator-scammers.com/translator-scammers-emails.htm.


Nozomi
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Liviu-Lee Roth
Gretchen Delfin
 
Christiane Fabbri
Christiane Fabbri  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 19:25
Member (2016)
French to English
+ ...
Scammed? May 12, 2018

Hello all,

I received the same message via Proz on May 7:

"Hello, I got your contact from an on-line directory and I'm
contacting you in regard to an German content document with
11,643 words (44 Pages). I need this document translated to English. I would
like to know if you are interested and available to get this
done for me. Please get back to me([email protected]) as soon as you can.
Thank you.
Best regards
Linda"
... See more
Hello all,

I received the same message via Proz on May 7:

"Hello, I got your contact from an on-line directory and I'm
contacting you in regard to an German content document with
11,643 words (44 Pages). I need this document translated to English. I would
like to know if you are interested and available to get this
done for me. Please get back to me([email protected]) as soon as you can.
Thank you.
Best regards
Linda"

I responded with a quote, upon which no CV was requested, only name, address, and phone number.

What are the best profile settings to avoid this sort of thing?
TIA!
Collapse


En-Ru
 
Natalie
Natalie  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 00:25
Member (2002)
English to Russian
+ ...

MODERATOR
SITE LOCALIZER
Hi Christiane May 12, 2018

Christiane Fabbri wrote:
What are the best profile settings to avoid this sort of thing?


In your profile, go to the Settings tab > Email preferences > tick the "Allow only logged-in ProZ.com members to send me email via my profile page" option. This will exclude at least not logged in users.

There are also other options to choose from.

Natalia


Marcia Lopez
Adam Warren
En-Ru
Pat Aguiló Pérez
 
AndreasZim
AndreasZim
English to German
Nancy Bill Scam Nov 19, 2018

yup - def's a scam. 44 pages of a publicly posted research paper? really? no Copyright, no sender address/details, promise to pay ahead... scamming back now

Walter Landesman
CCC1986
Adam Warren
 
Monika Sommerfeld
Monika Sommerfeld  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 18:25
Member (2009)
English to German
Same scam, new name May 7, 2019

The same thing was sent to me today, this time under the name "Mariana Ledesma". The email was almost identical to the ones mentioned above:

"I'm contacting you in regard to an German content document with
11,643 words (46 Pages). I need this document translated to, English i
would like to know if you are interested and available to get this
done for me. Please get back to me as soon as you can.
Thank you.
Best regards"

The email was sent
... See more
The same thing was sent to me today, this time under the name "Mariana Ledesma". The email was almost identical to the ones mentioned above:

"I'm contacting you in regard to an German content document with
11,643 words (46 Pages). I need this document translated to, English i
would like to know if you are interested and available to get this
done for me. Please get back to me as soon as you can.
Thank you.
Best regards"

The email was sent to me directly, not through ProZ.com, although that is probably where they got my address from.

I asked them to verify their identity and that payment must be made through PayPal. I do not expect to hear from them again.
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Daryo
Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:25
Serbian to English
+ ...
The original real proto-scam May 8, 2019

was done by whoever introduced this "modern" idea to do any kind of business just based on emails (talking to live people gone out of fashion?), and the even sillier idea that it's "normal" for a translator to deliver services without being paid first to someone in another country, possible at the other end of the world, so far away that even if you know who to sue (to state the (not so?) blindingly obvious: you can't sue an "email" for non-payment), it's simply not feasible in practical ... See more
was done by whoever introduced this "modern" idea to do any kind of business just based on emails (talking to live people gone out of fashion?), and the even sillier idea that it's "normal" for a translator to deliver services without being paid first to someone in another country, possible at the other end of the world, so far away that even if you know who to sue (to state the (not so?) blindingly obvious: you can't sue an "email" for non-payment), it's simply not feasible in practical terms.Collapse


Colleen Roach, PhD
 
Monika Sommerfeld
Monika Sommerfeld  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 18:25
Member (2009)
English to German
Payment first no problem for these types of scammers May 9, 2019

"the even sillier idea that it's "normal" for a translator to deliver services without being paid first"

Beware, though, that these types of scammers don't have a problem paying you first. That is, after all, where their actual scam happens. They overpay you and ask you to forward the remainder to someone else. It is only after you have deposited their checks into your account and forwarded money to their account that your bank realizes those checks were fake, revokes the dep
... See more
"the even sillier idea that it's "normal" for a translator to deliver services without being paid first"

Beware, though, that these types of scammers don't have a problem paying you first. That is, after all, where their actual scam happens. They overpay you and ask you to forward the remainder to someone else. It is only after you have deposited their checks into your account and forwarded money to their account that your bank realizes those checks were fake, revokes the deposit, and you are left footing the bill.
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Katarzyna Slowikova
Liviu-Lee Roth
Julie Barber
Adam Warren
Olavo Nogueira
Stephanie de Icaza
En-Ru
 
Katarzyna Slowikova
Katarzyna Slowikova  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 00:25
English to Czech
+ ...
Learn to check those "emails" May 9, 2019

Daryo wrote:

was done by whoever introduced this "modern" idea to do any kind of business just based on emails (talking to live people gone out of fashion?),


So what do you suggest? Inviting every prospective client into your town first, have a beer together and then deciding if you want to work for them?
Just as there're digital tools of communication, there're ways to verify somebody's identity online, to a reasonable degree. Asking for a pre-payment is not one of them, as writeaway pointed out.


Liviu-Lee Roth
Olavo Nogueira
En-Ru
Diana Obermeyer
Laura Kingdon
 
Erica Huttner
Erica Huttner  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 18:25
Member (2016)
Spanish to English
Mariana Ledesma again! May 9, 2019

Monika Sommerfeld wrote:

The same thing was sent to me today, this time under the name "Mariana Ledesma". The email was almost identical to the ones mentioned above:

"I'm contacting you in regard to an German content document with
11,643 words (46 Pages). I need this document translated to, English i
would like to know if you are interested and available to get this
done for me. Please get back to me as soon as you can.
Thank you.
Best regards"

The email was sent to me directly, not through ProZ.com, although that is probably where they got my address from.

I asked them to verify their identity and that payment must be made through PayPal. I do not expect to hear from them again.


I just got a nearly identical email from Mariana Ledesma, except for Spanish to English. I exchanged a few emails with her trying to get more information, and the responses almost exactly match Nozomi's email chain above. I asked her where she had gotten my contact information from, and she said translationdirectory.com (where I do have a profile, although it has never come to much use - perhaps it's finally time to delete it!). I'm glad to have found this thread to confirm my suspicions that it was a scam!


Hilda Herrera
 
Colleen Roach, PhD
Colleen Roach, PhD  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 16:25
French to English
+ ...
I wouldn't "interact" May 10, 2019

[quote]Nozomi Kugita wrote:

I've received an email from this person, asking for my service. I identified the name and email address as a known scammer at Translators Scanner Directory. To go a little further to see this scammer's modus operendi, I interacted with it.

This may be a personal decision based on one's risk aversion/tolerance, etc. but my advice would be NOT to interact. I'd hit the delete button and maybe save a copy somewhere in your personal scammer file. so you can alert PROZ translators. This wasn't my own conclusion on the increasingly sophisticated efforts of scammers, but that of Liviu-Lee Roth here on PROZ who also posted recently on this or another scam. I remember him as he seems pretty knowledgeable about these things and I thought his suggestion was the best advice (for me, at least) on these situations: don't get involved at all with these people "unless you really know what you're doing..." he said once (to paraphrase).

Here's his recent post: https://www.proz.com/forum/scams/334585-cool_new_scam.html

Someone else on this thread also had good advice and his/her reasoning sounded solid:

writeaway
French to English
Dutch to English
+ ...
Sitting duck syndrome 06:44

Scams seem to be a dime a dozen now. Anyone with a Proz profile is just a sitting duck.
Nothing to be done except block them from future contact. Just don't reply whatever you do, because then they will have your actual email address.







[Edited at 2019-05-10 00:42 GMT]


Liviu-Lee Roth
 
Daryo
Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:25
Serbian to English
+ ...
No, they don't pay you first May 10, 2019

Monika Sommerfeld wrote:

"the even sillier idea that it's "normal" for a translator to deliver services without being paid first"

Beware, though, that these types of scammers don't have a problem paying you first. That is, after all, where their actual scam happens. They overpay you and ask you to forward the remainder to someone else. It is only after you have deposited their checks into your account and forwarded money to their account that your bank realizes those checks were fake, revokes the deposit, and you are left footing the bill.


they only make you believe that they have paid you, which you realise only weeks later when the transaction gets cancelled. If you are conducting your own business - which is another way of saying your are independent translator - you have to learn what is real/final payment, and what is in reality a "potential payment yet to be confirmed" - no ways ignoring these "boring" details if you don't want to be a sitting duck for scammers.

Any real client you never heard of, especially from another country, [be it an individual, a company, whatever] in any normal business if ordering anything "custom made" would be required to pay fully in advance. It seems that only translators can be convinced that doing otherwise is "normal".

[Edited at 2019-05-10 01:22 GMT]


 
IrinaN
IrinaN
United States
Local time: 18:25
English to Russian
+ ...
Just another name and IP address for the collection May 10, 2019

This "farmer" appeared in my mail for the second time. As it turned out, Dead on Arrival was not enough on the first try...

A ProZ.com user visited your ProZ.com profile and sent the following message.

Author: Marcus Clair
[NOTE: The author is not a registered ProZ.com user or was not logged in when sending this message.]
Author's IP address: 45.56.160.153

-----------

Hello,

Can i submit my document for translation fro
... See more
This "farmer" appeared in my mail for the second time. As it turned out, Dead on Arrival was not enough on the first try...

A ProZ.com user visited your ProZ.com profile and sent the following message.

Author: Marcus Clair
[NOTE: The author is not a registered ProZ.com user or was not logged in when sending this message.]
Author's IP address: 45.56.160.153

-----------

Hello,

Can i submit my document for translation from English to
Russian? And are you free to handle it right now? Its a
community development lecture On Organic Farming which i
organize to support the youth going into farming and animal
production as a business and i want it translated/submitted
before July 4th. Please respond back if you can meet up with
this deadline.

Thanks
Marcus
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Liviu-Lee Roth
 
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SCAM: translation of a 11,643-word document (various email addresses, payment with a check)







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