Probable Scam Thread poster: Paul Dixon
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Paul Dixon 
Brazil
Local time: 07:21
Portuguese to English
+ ...
Received a very strange e-mail today. I smell a rat, and a Twitter message suggests it's a scam but would like to confirm it. A BB search links to another agency, but I don't have access to the descriptive comments, just to the point scores (all 1s except for one person who somehow gave 5). Can anyone shed some light on this?
What I find odd:
1. The e-mail was not addressed to me specifically
2. No mention of my name or even generic 'Dear Translator' or anything l... See more Received a very strange e-mail today. I smell a rat, and a Twitter message suggests it's a scam but would like to confirm it. A BB search links to another agency, but I don't have access to the descriptive comments, just to the point scores (all 1s except for one person who somehow gave 5). Can anyone shed some light on this?
What I find odd:
1. The e-mail was not addressed to me specifically
2. No mention of my name or even generic 'Dear Translator' or anything like that, just To: followed by a blank space, also 'Hi' without name.
3. She (I guess it's 'she' as a woman's name is used) uses a free e-mail and does not sign the letter (A free e-mail itself would not be a red flag,but why doesn't she sign the letter?
The e-mail:
Hi, [no mention of my name]
I hope this email finds you well.
Are you available to translate the attached Into English please by the latest Thursday before 12.00
Please confirm ASAP
Kind Regards,
[No sign-off]
[Text supplied as attachment - pages of medical test reports and similar materials]
Please inform asap, due to the tight deadline involved. As the crisis is very very bad in Brazil, If I am sure this job is legit, I would take the job, but as mentioned I smell a BIG rat). It is strange that the text was sent. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Yes a scam. Seems to be the scam time of the year on Proz | Dec 19, 2018 |
Maybe Proz should offer a scam-spotting training given the many 'scam queries' being posted daily. If it smells like a scam, looks like a scam, feels like a scam, then perhaps one should just draw the obvious conclusions.
| | | | | Looks more like bottom fishing | Dec 19, 2018 |
At least they seem to be interested in a translation and not in the payment process. Probably a low payer and more trouble that it's worth, but not necessarily a scammer.
| | | | | Or it's just the bait | Dec 19, 2018 |
Kay-Viktor Stegemann wrote:
At least they seem to be interested in a translation and not in the payment process. Probably a low payer and more trouble that it's worth, but not necessarily a scammer.
to hook someone and then follow up with a scam when it comes to payment and the rest.
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| Definitely a scam | Dec 19, 2018 |
Don´t waste your time. They always come like this:
1) No company´s name in the signature
2) Urgent reply demands, so that you don´t have time to think
3) Original text can be found on the Internet (have you checked?)
4) After your first response, she/he will talk about payment
Just as an example, I received the following on Nov 22:
"Hello,how long will it take you to translate a large document from English to Portuguese, the document co... See more Don´t waste your time. They always come like this:
1) No company´s name in the signature
2) Urgent reply demands, so that you don´t have time to think
3) Original text can be found on the Internet (have you checked?)
4) After your first response, she/he will talk about payment
Just as an example, I received the following on Nov 22:
"Hello,how long will it take you to translate a large document from English to Portuguese, the document consist of 11,668 words(44 pages). Are you available at the moment? I would be glad to read back from you as soon as possible. Thanks and God Bless. HAPPY THANKSGIVING"
After answering that I was available, she replied:
"Thanks for your response, i am glad you are interested in handling this project. However, I will require your service to translate the attached the document. In the mean time, 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 November 30,2018. I am proposing the rate of USD 0.19($2,216.92) for this project. What would be your preferred mode of payment? Though I'm proposing a certified bank draft,a cashier check or bank certified check. Please do not hesitate to confirm if this is okay with you? I look forward to reading from you soon. Regards"
After learning that it could be a scam, I wrote back saying that I couldn´t do the work and that she shouldn´t send the check, to which she answered: "The check has been processed and being mailed out". I wrote back: "You can cancel it, no problem".
After 2 days, she wrote back: "The check has been delivered to your address, I would really appreciate it if you can get the check deposited today, you can make it deposited online because of time and stress. I want you to have your payment as soon as possible. I will compensate you accordingly and i will also need to look out urgently for a translator who will do this job. Thanks and God bless"
The check did come to my address, but I rejected it and it was sent back to the sender´s address. I blocked her email and changed my profile settings at Proz.com to be contacted only by connected users and/or members. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sheila Wilson
Spain
Local time: 11:21
Member (2007)
English
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| A scammer with a BB entry? | Dec 19, 2018 |
I think the fact that this comes from someone with a BB entry related to them means this isn't the normal overpayment scam. However, a BB record full of 1s should immediately make you want to hit delete. Why would they pay you when they've been such lousy clients for so many others? Remember that for every entry there will be many other dissatisfied suppliers.
| | | | B D Finch
France
Local time: 12:21
French to English
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Sheila Wilson wrote:
I think the fact that this comes from someone with a BB entry related to them means this isn't the normal overpayment scam. However, a BB record full of 1s should immediately make you want to hit delete. Why would they pay you when they've been such lousy clients for so many others? Remember that for every entry there will be many other dissatisfied suppliers.
Paul wrote "A BB search links to another agency". Also, I've just had a series of scam emails apparently from my brother, until I looked carefully at the source address. Fortunately, I wasn't scammed because it was obvious from the message that they weren't from my brother.
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