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Beware of 'Riham' Language Met (Languagemet)
Thread poster: Anna Mattsson
Anna Mattsson
Anna Mattsson  Identity Verified
Sweden
Local time: 11:17
Member (2003)
French to Swedish
+ ...
Mar 15, 2013

I just got the following email from [email protected], signed "Riham":

"Hello
Nice to meet you and it is a pleasure to deal with you.
I am a project manager in Language Met company for
translation, we have many projects in your language pair
andI have seen your profile and
will be glad if you accept to work with each other in the
nearly future .
I wait for your swift respond so I
... See more
I just got the following email from [email protected], signed "Riham":

"Hello
Nice to meet you and it is a pleasure to deal with you.
I am a project manager in Language Met company for
translation, we have many projects in your language pair
andI have seen your profile and
will be glad if you accept to work with each other in the
nearly future .
I wait for your swift respond so I can give you more details
and I
hope to be positive .
Thank you and be blessed ,,,
Regards
Riham"

This company has already been banned from Proz.com, so beware!
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Greatservice00
 
Apurva Barve
Apurva Barve
German to English
Yes Mar 15, 2013

Yeah I get his mails every week. Very annoying.

 
Apurva Barve
Apurva Barve
German to English
Funny Mar 15, 2013

This week he was offering me $20 for 87 words.

 
Woodstock (X)
Woodstock (X)  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 11:17
German to English
+ ...
One way to stop being bothered Mar 15, 2013

Report abuse to the respective email services. I reported a spam/scam using a hotmail address to hotmail the other day, and the company (Microsoft/hotmail) even replied to ask for more details, which I then supplied. Seriously, these crooks must be stopped, and the freemail companies like yahoo and gmail all have departments to deal with scam/fraud/abuse. I assume they actually act, as it does affect their reputation with the users. Forward the original e-mail with header information to the resp... See more
Report abuse to the respective email services. I reported a spam/scam using a hotmail address to hotmail the other day, and the company (Microsoft/hotmail) even replied to ask for more details, which I then supplied. Seriously, these crooks must be stopped, and the freemail companies like yahoo and gmail all have departments to deal with scam/fraud/abuse. I assume they actually act, as it does affect their reputation with the users. Forward the original e-mail with header information to the respective address in the list linked below.

http://spamlinks.net/track-report-addresses.htm

It's not going to stop unless we do our part, too. One person may not put an end to it, but if we act as a group and all do it, we may actually be able to change things.
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Monique Hamon
Monique Hamon  Identity Verified
Local time: 11:17
English to French
Overpaid check (forged 2,500 euros check) Mar 15, 2013

Today, I received a 2,500 euros check for a translation (whereas the amount should have been about 800 euros). The "client" then sent me a mail to ask me to pay him back the amount which was overpaid...Hopefully my bank advised me not to cash that check (when you cash a forged check you can be accused of forgery...).
A few more details about it : the client gave me an address in Amsterdam then he told me he was in South Africa for a week because he had to undergo some surgery for a cancer,
... See more
Today, I received a 2,500 euros check for a translation (whereas the amount should have been about 800 euros). The "client" then sent me a mail to ask me to pay him back the amount which was overpaid...Hopefully my bank advised me not to cash that check (when you cash a forged check you can be accused of forgery...).
A few more details about it : the client gave me an address in Amsterdam then he told me he was in South Africa for a week because he had to undergo some surgery for a cancer, the check was (supposedly) from a German bank and it had been posted in Belgium...
I have been working a whole week on the project...just for nothing. Some people are just so dishonest!
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Steven Segaert
Steven Segaert
Estonia
Local time: 12:17
Member (2012)
English to Dutch
+ ...
Monique Mar 16, 2013

I'm sorry to hear that, Monique.

Please do share the details with the Proz support staff. It might at least stop that person from finding more victims on this site ...


 
Woodstock (X)
Woodstock (X)  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 11:17
German to English
+ ...
Overpayment scam Mar 16, 2013

Monique Hamon wrote:

I have been working a whole week on the project...just for nothing. Some people are just so dishonest!


I'm also sorry to hear that, Monique. It's always unpleasant to be taken "for a ride", and translators have become a favored target. Education is key, and there are a number of fraud schemes to watch out for. The ProZ Scam Alert Center is a good place to start: http://www.proz.com/about/translator-scam-alerts/
Another Proz feature that helps: My email settings don't allow people not registered or logged in to ProZ to contact me, and that has been the single most effective action I've taken so far. I haven't received any dubious offers since then, knock on wood. The only disadvantage is that I may miss some offers, but it seems to me that reputable outsourcers should have nothing to hide, and if they don't register, which is free, and log in, then I probably don't want to work with them. Others feel differently, so it really depends on your personal tastes.

To change your settings go to your Login info (your user name in the small white field at the top of the page), mouse over your name and a menu pops up. The third category is "My email settings", and you can set your preferences there.

Thankfully, it was "only" your time that was wasted - which is bad enough - but being cheated out of your hard-earned money, too, would have been worse.


 
Anna Mattsson
Anna Mattsson  Identity Verified
Sweden
Local time: 11:17
Member (2003)
French to Swedish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Blue board Mar 16, 2013

I find the blue board to be very effective against fraudulent companies. It is updated regularly and when contacted by a new client I always check there first. You should get suspicious when a company that has good grades in the beginning suddenly gets loads of bad comments. When questioned about this, most companies tend to get defensive and say "oh there are some people trying to harm us", or, "the quality of the translation was very bad, that's why we didn't pay", etc.
I'd say this is
... See more
I find the blue board to be very effective against fraudulent companies. It is updated regularly and when contacted by a new client I always check there first. You should get suspicious when a company that has good grades in the beginning suddenly gets loads of bad comments. When questioned about this, most companies tend to get defensive and say "oh there are some people trying to harm us", or, "the quality of the translation was very bad, that's why we didn't pay", etc.
I'd say this is a good sign to back off for good. Another good idea is to contact several translators having worked for this company and ask them for more details. All this BEFORE starting to work on a project of course.

Stay safe and have a good weekend all of you!
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Tony M
Tony M
France
Local time: 11:17
Member
French to English
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
Commiserations, Monique Mar 16, 2013

Woodstock wrote:

My email settings don't allow people not registered or logged in to ProZ to contact me, and that has been the single most effective action I've taken so far. I haven't received any dubious offers since then, knock on wood. The only disadvantage is that I may miss some offers, but it seems to me that reputable outsourcers should have nothing to hide, and if they don't register, which is free, and log in, then I probably don't want to work with them. Others feel differently, so it really depends on your personal tastes.


As our colleague says, this is a handy feature, but not one that I personally choose to use; although in an ideal world outsourcers ought to register and log-in, in actual practice, there are many reasons why even a reputable outsourcer may not want to take the time and trouble to do so.

In my particular case, I have received quite a bit of lucrative work from 'direct' customers who had come to ProZ.com looking for a translator, probably for a one-off project, and not being involved in our industry, might not see any point in registering for just one job.

I think a big part of the problem comes from the way we react emotionally to job requests: if we are resentful of scammers and spammers who waste our time, or compassionate towards the sob-stories that only dishonest people are likely to send us, then we render ourselves more vulnerable to this sort of operation. I try to remain detached, so I can take a cold business decision on the basis of the facts available to me; and I don't mind, I am not "bothered", by receiving many mails, some of which may be timewasters — I receive over 250 e-mails a day, so they all have to receive a few seconds of my attention; but I consider that a fairly small and painless investment in order not to miss out on possible work.


[Edited at 2013-03-16 07:44 GMT]


 
Matteo Ippoliti
Matteo Ippoliti
United Arab Emirates
Local time: 14:17
English to Italian
+ ...
I was contacted today as well Apr 27, 2013

I was surprised there was no entry in the Blueboard and I had to do a Google search to get to this thread. Should we create an entry on the BB as well?
I've been in this business for 11 years but in the last year I experied an increase in such scam attempts (two times they got me - non paying agencies which I reported on the BB).



[Edited at 2013-04-27 08:14 GMT]


 
Natalie
Natalie  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 11:17
Member (2002)
English to Russian
+ ...

MODERATOR
SITE LOCALIZER
The BB record exists Apr 27, 2013

Matteo Ippoliti wrote:
I was surprised there was no entry in the Blueboard and I had to do a Google search to get to this thread. Should we create an entry on the BB as well?


Hi Matteo,

The BB record exists, please look for "Languagemet", not "Language Met". I'll add "Language Met" to their BB - thank you for noticing the different spelling.


 
Yuko Fujita
Yuko Fujita  Identity Verified
United States
Member (2010)
English to Japanese
+ ...
I got scam today, too. The location of the website if Eifle Tower, Paris. Jun 8, 2013

I got the scam email from Mohammed A. Eissa of Languagemet company in Gaza.
But the website map says it is located in Eifle Tower, Paris.

This is for your info.


 
Sian Cooper
Sian Cooper  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 11:17
French to English
+ ...
In memoriam
More on Languagemet Jun 13, 2013

Just in case you havn't, do go and have a look at their web site (languagemet.com) - it is a scream, to be honest. Especially the testimonials (which rather prove the scammer point). And they are VERY upset with ProZ!!

I have received mails from them, or someone purporting to work for them (there may be two aspects to the scam), from t
... See more
Just in case you havn't, do go and have a look at their web site (languagemet.com) - it is a scream, to be honest. Especially the testimonials (which rather prove the scammer point). And they are VERY upset with ProZ!!

I have received mails from them, or someone purporting to work for them (there may be two aspects to the scam), from the following:

Leila Mohamed, [email protected]
Evelyn Salt, [email protected]
Hala Ismail, [email protected]
Languagemet, [email protected], signed Nehal Mahmoud

The first three have all sent me rush-rush small file job requests in the past, none of which I have accepted (all in the wrong language pairs, duh). Leila Mohamed had a non-professional looking signature, whereas the others looked OK - she may be scamming Languagemet! She also did not bcc her list of translators.

The one I received today almost got me. Nehal sent me what looked like a genuine response to my recent job seeking activities, saying

Thank you very much for your CV. We have reviewed your profile, would like to invite you to complete our test translation. It has two parts: a small technical text and a small marketing text. The total word count of both pieces together is under 600 words. You may decide if you would like to test in both areas or only one, if you feel more comfortable in a specific area.



I’m attaching a zip file to this e-mail which contains:

1) Technical test

2) Marketing test (includes special instructions regarding register)

3) Small document with general guidelines

4) Small questionnaire



You may use Trados and send the translations in bilingual format or as a clean file. Either way is fine for us.



Deliverables

1) Please return the completed translation/s to me together with the filled out questionnaire at your earliest convenience.



If you do not normally use Trados, please let me know as we are currently only looking for additional resources that work in Trados.


The test, though, was not in my language pairs, i.e. from English only. I got suspicious and here I am (again). I do not believe I have actually sent them my CV (I research agencies before I do that!).

So, there you are, more on them and keep your eyes peeled!
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Robert Ćwik
Robert Ćwik  Identity Verified
Local time: 11:17
English to Polish
+ ...
Another Languagemet "Project Manager" Jul 20, 2013

How glad I am I've found that thread and a few others regarding languagemet and their practices.

Here are just another "Project Manager's" details:

e-mail: [email protected]
Name: Asef Nasser

I have contacted Languagemet directly asking for verification.
They answered that they used only their own domain for e-mails.
The reply came from their legit e-mail address.

... See more
How glad I am I've found that thread and a few others regarding languagemet and their practices.

Here are just another "Project Manager's" details:

e-mail: [email protected]
Name: Asef Nasser

I have contacted Languagemet directly asking for verification.
They answered that they used only their own domain for e-mails.
The reply came from their legit e-mail address.

Stay alerted,
Robert
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ThaisTasaka
ThaisTasaka
Local time: 07:17
English to Portuguese
Job for Languagemet Jul 23, 2013

I got a proofreading job from them and since the beginning the woman who contacted me said the company was from Palestine.
It was a very small proofreading job, the only problem I had was the timezone difference (I had to do this job at 3 am - São Paulo time).
The rate was a little low, but I've got paid in the time stablished.


 
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Beware of 'Riham' Language Met (Languagemet)







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