potential sсam Thread poster: Danielle Blanchet
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Hello everybody,
I've been contacted two days ago with the following message
Hello, I'm contacting you in regard to an English content
document worth 11,643 words (44 Pages). I need this document
translated into
French. 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 via email
([email protected]). Thank you.
Best regards
I had answe... See more Hello everybody,
I've been contacted two days ago with the following message
Hello, I'm contacting you in regard to an English content
document worth 11,643 words (44 Pages). I need this document
translated into
French. 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 via email
([email protected]). Thank you.
Best regards
I had answered that I'm not feeling comfortable with that, asking for which company she's working, the subject of translation, rates that she offers and many other questions. She never answered, so I think we need to be careful.
Best regards to all of you, ▲ Collapse
| | | | Liviu-Lee Roth
United States
Local time: 02:25
Romanian to English
+ ...
| old, old scam. | May 28, 2019 |
has been around for, at least, 5-6 years.
| | | | Kevin Fulton 
United States
Local time: 02:25
German to English
| Due diligence! | May 29, 2019 |
Danielle Blanchet wrote:
I had answered that I'm not feeling comfortable with that, asking for which company she's working, the subject of translation, rates that she offers and many other questions. She never answered, so I think we need to be careful.
You were wise to be cautious. Not *all* offers like this are scams, but this one smells suspiciously like one.
| | | | Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 02:25
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Most surely a scam | May 29, 2019 |
You were wise to be suspicious here Danielle.
Two other ideas for future reference, in case you have any lingering doubt about an offer’s legitimacy:
1.
Offer to do the work in question at double your usual rate (a legitimate potential client would balk at such an offer; a phony one will often readily agree).
2.
Insist on payment in advance by Western Union or MoneyGram (since the scam being run depends on passing a phony check, a scammer will never agree t... See more You were wise to be suspicious here Danielle.
Two other ideas for future reference, in case you have any lingering doubt about an offer’s legitimacy:
1.
Offer to do the work in question at double your usual rate (a legitimate potential client would balk at such an offer; a phony one will often readily agree).
2.
Insist on payment in advance by Western Union or MoneyGram (since the scam being run depends on passing a phony check, a scammer will never agree to do this; but watch out for an initial agreement to wire the money, followed by an email a few hours later informing you that “the client” insists on payment via check).
Best of luck! ▲ Collapse
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Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 07:25
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Not an auspicious start, certainly, but maybe not suspicious either | May 29, 2019 |
Danielle Blanchet wrote: Hello, I'm contacting you in regard to an English content document worth 11,643 words (44 Pages). I need this document translated into French. 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 via email ( [email protected]). Thank you. Best regards
It certainly isn't a great start. However:
I had answered that I'm not feeling comfortable with that, asking for which company she's working, the subject of translation, rates that she offers and many other questions.
Why are you assuming she's representing a company? If all you have to go on is the text you've shared, she could well be a private individual (maybe running an association?) or a student. She certainly doesn't have to be representing a translation agency as there are many direct business clients out there who use the approach of an email via our profiles. Very often, people who know nothing about translation seem to think that the pair is enough information -- they don't even stop to think about variant, or maybe they don't even know such things exist. And why on earth ask her what rate she's offering? Please, please, please -- you're selling here, so you get to set the rate!
She never answered, so I think we need to be careful.
You could be right; it could be a scam. Although I'd expect a scammer to jump at the chance of another round, where they'd offer you loads of money, up-front. Whereupon you bin the response. But potential clients also have the right to withdraw if they aren't happy with the way an email exchange is going.
| | | | Paweł Hamerski (X)
Local time: 08:25
English to Polish
+ ...
| If it has 11,643 words it is a spam. | May 29, 2019 |
Simple
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I agree with everything that has been said, but I must say that I was taken aback by the fact that in your answer to her you say “rates that she offers”. It’s not up to the buyer to set the price; it's up to the seller, you in this instance.
| | | | Danielle Blanchet
Canada
Local time: 02:25
Member (2018)
English to French
TOPIC STARTER | thanks to everybody | May 29, 2019 |
Hi,
When I have posted this thread it was simply to aware others translators about that. And I thanks all of you for your very helpful information, I'm a new at a freelance translator since I've always worked for an agency. I made a mistake, I've not asked her rate but her budget for the project. But I will remember all your advice.
Thank you very much,
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