Pervasive requests for Sex Ed translations Thread poster: tsnewberry
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tsnewberry
United States
Local time: 05:35
English to Arabic
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I'm an relative new translator to the 'on-line' community, yet I receive weekly requests for translation of sex education materials from English to Arabic. The reasons stated by the requesting parties and the texts have varied slightly, yet the topic is the same. When I have followed up with these clients, they become evasive, give false information or credentials and refuse to sign a contract.
Notably, I've not put in my profile that I'm a specialist in this area. Seems to me like... See more I'm an relative new translator to the 'on-line' community, yet I receive weekly requests for translation of sex education materials from English to Arabic. The reasons stated by the requesting parties and the texts have varied slightly, yet the topic is the same. When I have followed up with these clients, they become evasive, give false information or credentials and refuse to sign a contract.
Notably, I've not put in my profile that I'm a specialist in this area. Seems to me like phishing scams.
Has anyone else had a similar situation? Kindly advise. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Thayenga 
Germany
Local time: 12:35
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Welcome to the community Tami.
These emails most probably come from scammers, usually using free email addresses. Now, not all gmail & co. addresses are scams!
You can check out the senders' email addresses here: http://www.translator-scammers.com/
Evasiveness, differing locations, the refusal to sign a contract or provide a PO number, all are warning signs. Inst... See more Welcome to the community Tami.
These emails most probably come from scammers, usually using free email addresses. Now, not all gmail & co. addresses are scams!
You can check out the senders' email addresses here: http://www.translator-scammers.com/
Evasiveness, differing locations, the refusal to sign a contract or provide a PO number, all are warning signs. Instead of wasting your time, just delete this type of emails. And be prepared that they might use you as a "reference" for future scams.
[Edited at 2014-08-30 07:39 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | tsnewberry
United States
Local time: 05:35
English to Arabic
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Thanks Thayenga | Aug 29, 2014 |
This is a good resources. I've cross-checked some of the addresses and they are not listed.
I understand that the scamming business is like trying to nail jell-o to a wall. Just trying to make sense of nonsense.
| | | | Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 06:35
German to English
| No way to prevent them from coming in | Aug 29, 2014 |
I've been very fortunate; very few scams have come my way in recent years. Basically all unsolicited offers get junked unless the potential customer has been referred by a colleague. If your name and email address are posted on the Internet, eventually you will receive all sorts of offers (and not just job-related), almost all of which are bogus. I've even had spam arrive at an email address I've used only for personal testing purposes. There are email address generators that produce and send sp... See more I've been very fortunate; very few scams have come my way in recent years. Basically all unsolicited offers get junked unless the potential customer has been referred by a colleague. If your name and email address are posted on the Internet, eventually you will receive all sorts of offers (and not just job-related), almost all of which are bogus. I've even had spam arrive at an email address I've used only for personal testing purposes. There are email address generators that produce and send spam to random recipients.
If you follow the messages in this site, you will notice that a lot of translators don't follow elementary business practices that would help them keep their books in order and avoid risk. Translators are particularly vulnerable to scams since many are desperate for work, due to inexperience, lack of qualification or incompetence, and will jump at any offer.
Don't rush to take a job – check out the offer and potential customer. Delay may cost you an opportunity, but haste can have more unpleasant consequences.
If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is! ▲ Collapse
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tsnewberry
United States
Local time: 05:35
English to Arabic
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | sound advice | Aug 29, 2014 |
Thanks Kevin.
I hope that many people benefit from the good advice I've been given here.
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 11:35
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Another factor that makes us easy targets | Aug 30, 2014 |
We're alone among small businesses in not being terribly suspicious of work offered by people who neither live in our country nor master our language. I know some people here limit the countries they'll work with, and some say that poor English (say) is a sure sign of a scammer. But as a specialist in polishing non-native English, I personally can't have such limits. I have to develop other ways to avoid being scammed.
If you're reasonably sure about your offers being a scam, would ... See more We're alone among small businesses in not being terribly suspicious of work offered by people who neither live in our country nor master our language. I know some people here limit the countries they'll work with, and some say that poor English (say) is a sure sign of a scammer. But as a specialist in polishing non-native English, I personally can't have such limits. I have to develop other ways to avoid being scammed.
If you're reasonably sure about your offers being a scam, would you please report them to the Scam Centre here. Thatway, the rest of us can be forewarned. ▲ Collapse
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