| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Newbie - detecting scams? Thread poster: Claire Ziamandanis
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Claire Ziamandanis 
United States
Local time: 23:48
Member (2016)
Spanish to English
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TOPIC STARTER | Yes, the very same one! | Mar 4, 2016 |
Carolina Garrido wrote: ziamandc wrote:
Second request is from a Vicente Aviles, a substantial job on terrorism. When I googled the reply email, one result links to a service that writes term papers for students. This person says he will pay with a cashier's check, again causing concern.
Claire I got a message from someone with a Spanish name as well, not from Proz but directly from my webpage. The subject was TRANSLATION JOB!!!!! and immediately got my alarm bells ringing, and the text, though correct, is too vague: Hello, I have two documents to be translated from ENGLISH > SPANISH, total word for both documents is 43,102 words. 13,988 words for the first document and 31,700 words for the second document, if interested you can get back to me on ([email protected]) for more details.
To me it sounded strange that someone would decide to offer me a job that size without any questions or giving any details. I wrote to Proz, however, and they said it didn't look like a scam. So I wrote back to the guy and asked for more information and this is what I got:
Hello Carolina, Thanks for your response and availability. I have two documents to be translated as part of my project and I am been instructed to translate the articles into Spanish. I have one of the article ready while the other one is still under review.
Below are the details for the first document that is ready for translation while the second document is still under review and it will be sent to you as soon as its ready but i want quote for the 2 documents which has 45,688 words as the payment will be issued together to avoid delay when the document is ready.
DOCUMENT 1:
Title: Terrorism
Number of words: 13,988
Deadline: 28th April 2016.
Mode of Payment: Cashiers Check
Audience : General Public
A copy of the Terrorism document is attached,
Kindly email me with the quote per word and the total charges for both documents using 13,988 words for the first document and 31,700 words for the second document. Also attach your C.V for review.
Remember i want your quote to be based on 45,688 words.
The document is copied and pasted from some Terrorism pages. To me it still sounds like a scam.
Now that I see your message I was wondering if the one you received is similar.
Sorry about all the edits and the bold type, I can't seem to make the HTML work for me today!
[Edited at 2016-03-03 22:44 GMT]
[Edited at 2016-03-03 22:44 GMT]
[Edited at 2016-03-03 22:44 GMT]
[Edited at 2016-03-03 22:48 GMT]
That's the second contact I mentioned, and the very same documents and word counts. My first reaction was also suspicious of the subject line and the payment via cashiers check. My current full time job is teaching at the Undergraduate and Masters level, so my second reaction to this was "I will be translating someone's thesis, which has been written for them probably in Nigeria!" Both rotten eggs.
| | | | Claire Ziamandanis
United States
Local time: 23:48
Member (2016)
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | I've saved my kids from similar scams | Mar 4, 2016 |
That we're still having discussions about this old trick, 20 years after the rise of Internet, never ceases to amaze me.
Obviously, it's still lucrative!
Philippe
Philippe, I have saved my own kids from similar scams, with the horrible "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true!" In my own zeal to re-establish myself in translation, I wanted to believe jobs were beginning to trickle in. I did have enough concern, fortunately, so that I came here to this forum before even considering getting started on the work. The feedback here has been fantastic - quick and responsive. I'm glad to be re-entering this community of professionals.
| | | | melorose (X)
United States
Local time: 23:48
English to Spanish
+ ...
| I got the same email... | Mar 4, 2016 |
I got the same email from Vicente Aviles with the exact same translation request. I also got one from Andrew Beaton with a very similar request. They both want a tranlsation from English to Spanish, but both emails are from "mx.google.com". I am also a new translator, and I have no idea where they got my information from.... but I'm glad I read this message board!
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ziamandc wrote:
Interesting too that CV online are not a good thing.
Actually, I think if you uploaded a scan or made it ineditable in some other way, it could be safe... I haven't tried it since after removing my CVs I found out I don't need them at all, having the same info in my profile and on my website.
As to the dangers of providing you CV for download, see here:
http://www.translator-scammers.com/translator-scammers-info.htm#scam
Anti-scam commando
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| Run from an opponent who praises you | Mar 6, 2016 |
If I may add something to the discussion on how to detect scams. always distrust anybody who praises you and is all eager to pay you immediately and even in advance.
In a business environment, a genuine customer is always some sort of opponent: they want you to convince them that your goods and services are genuine and excellent, and will always try to pay as little as possible or at least will try to negotiate. A freelance translator's typical potential customer already thinks that... See more If I may add something to the discussion on how to detect scams. always distrust anybody who praises you and is all eager to pay you immediately and even in advance.
In a business environment, a genuine customer is always some sort of opponent: they want you to convince them that your goods and services are genuine and excellent, and will always try to pay as little as possible or at least will try to negotiate. A freelance translator's typical potential customer already thinks that you are possibly what they need -- or they wouldn't have contacted you in the first place -- but expect you to reassure them of your capabilities. Therefore, they will very very rarely indeed praise you for your excellent qualification or quality.
When a potential customer openly praises you and shows prodigality with the money, run for your life! There is surely some bad consequence lurking in the dark.
[Edited at 2016-03-06 07:57 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Claire Ziamandanis
United States
Local time: 23:48
Member (2016)
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Sincere thanks | Mar 7, 2016 |
ziamandc wrote:
Thank you for any and all advice.
Claire
I appreciate all the quick responses to this post. Thank you one and all. My first scammer just sent the email about "the check is in the mail, but you will never believe the mistake they made, and please cash it but send me back...." I have stopped interacting with the second scammer.
Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
| | | | | Why not catch them...? | Mar 8, 2016 |
ziamandc wrote:
My first scammer just sent the email about "the check is in the mail, but you will never believe the mistake they made, and please cash it but send me back...."
He's right, you won't, never.
But if it already got so far, wouldn't it be possible to play this game further and get the real details of the scammer? Frankly, I never sent or received a check myself, so I don't know what details it requires... address, account #, name of the account holder...?
Though of course, I'm aware there must me some flaw in my thinking, otherwise they'd all be rotting in jail now... but can somebody explain why is it not possible to catch them in this way??
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