| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Should I accept this job? (Large project, 25% payment up front, unable to verify client online) Thread poster: L Astrup
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| I just received the same scam email | Jan 6, 2023 |
Just to say that I received the same scam email today. The text was:
"Good day, I would like to know if you will be able to translate a document (The Conservation Social Sciences) which is very straightforward, I am to use for a presentation in 9 weeks. English to German. It's about 90 pages (33,890 words to be exact). Let me know maybe I can fit in your busy schedule. Thanks"
An Italian translator colleague of mine received a version of this from an Italian-sounding n... See more Just to say that I received the same scam email today. The text was:
"Good day, I would like to know if you will be able to translate a document (The Conservation Social Sciences) which is very straightforward, I am to use for a presentation in 9 weeks. English to German. It's about 90 pages (33,890 words to be exact). Let me know maybe I can fit in your busy schedule. Thanks"
An Italian translator colleague of mine received a version of this from an Italian-sounding name/email address in November 2022. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | This is worrying... | Jan 6, 2023 |
Claudia Kozeny-Pelling wrote:
Just to say that I received the same scam email today. The text was:
"Good day, I would like to know if you will be able to translate a document (The Conservation Social Sciences) which is very straightforward, I am to use for a presentation in 9 weeks. English to German. It's about 90 pages (33,890 words to be exact). Let me know maybe I can fit in your busy schedule. Thanks"
An Italian translator colleague of mine received a version of this from an Italian-sounding name/email address in November 2022.
As an outsourcer, I sometimes approach Proz-colleagues asking about their availability and interest in taking on a translation task, often involving an "exotic" language.
Are all such approaches automatically considered scam?
If so, oh dear.
Something's gotta change.
| | | | Baran Keki 
Türkiye
Local time: 18:35
Member
English to Turkish
| No worries mate | Jan 6, 2023 |
Cilian O'Tuama wrote:
As an outsourcer, I sometimes approach Proz-colleagues asking about their availability and interest in taking on a translation task, often involving an "exotic" language.
Are all such approaches automatically considered scam?
If so, oh dear.
Something's gotta change.
If you approach me about a job in my exotic language pair, I promise I'll not expose you here as a scammer, you can be sure of that. I'll work with you if the money is right.
| | | | CMedberg
United States
English to Swedish
| Mr Livingstone seems very active today! | Jan 6, 2023 |
6/1 2022 - received the same message as several others today, only with my target language (Swedish).
I'm so glad I found this thread, thanks everyone!
Does anyone know, or would like to speculate on, what the nature of this scam would be? Would it be one of those where they will request personal details in order to send you the money, or how could it work?
It doesn't really matter I guess, but it's interesting to try to understand how these people operate.
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CMedberg
United States
English to Swedish
| Overpayment scam | Jan 6, 2023 |
Actually I just found another thread discussing this where unfortunately someone has become a victim of this scam or something very similar, and apparently it's an overpayment scam.
That is, on of those where you receive a payment that is too large and are asked to send the overpaid amount to someone else, but then the original payment bounces.
| | | | Liviu-Lee Roth
United States
Local time: 11:35
Romanian to English
+ ...
| check "overpayment scam" | Jan 7, 2023 |
CMedberg wrote:
Actually I just found another thread discussing this where unfortunately someone has become a victim of this scam or something very similar, and apparently it's an overpayment scam.
That is, on of those where you receive a payment that is too large and are asked to send the overpaid amount to someone else, but then the original payment bounces.
I have a collection of three (3) fake checks after I played along and made the scammer pay for urgent FedEx. It was fun afterwards when they begged me to send them the money.
Stay safe,
Lee
| | | | | Ivan Livingstone | Jan 9, 2023 |
Thanks everyone for sharing this. I got the exact email request - "Good day, I would like to know if you will be able to translate a document (The Conservation Social Sciences) which is very straightforward, I am to use for a presentation in 9 weeks. English to Portuguese. It's about 90 pages (33,890 words to be exact). Let me know maybe I can fit in your busy schedule. Thanks"
Moni
| | | | | Ivan Livingstone | Jan 16, 2023 |
Hi everyone,
Thank your for sharing this. I received the same email a couple of days ago. 😣
What a waste of time...
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Michael Newton
United States
Local time: 11:35
Japanese to English
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My favorite way of dealing with obvious scams like this is to play along with them, make them pay the high FEDEX charges, and then leave them at the altar.
| | | | Russell Santana
United States
Local time: 11:35
Member (2019)
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Translation Inquiry (<b>SCAM</b> from "Ivan Livingstone") | Mar 3, 2023 |
Hello colleagues,
I just wanted post an update to this thread. Today is Friday, March 3, 2023. And I too have received the same "Translation Inquiry" from a person claiming to be a student, needing translation services. I decided to do some research before moving forward with him since, many years ago, I got burned from a scammer (I didn't do my due diligence), and came across this thread. As follows are some details from this person's latest social engineering scam attempts:
... See more Hello colleagues,
I just wanted post an update to this thread. Today is Friday, March 3, 2023. And I too have received the same "Translation Inquiry" from a person claiming to be a student, needing translation services. I decided to do some research before moving forward with him since, many years ago, I got burned from a scammer (I didn't do my due diligence), and came across this thread. As follows are some details from this person's latest social engineering scam attempts:
Scammer name: Ivan Livingstone
Email address: [email protected]
Original email request:
Good day, I would like to know if you will be able to translate a document (The Conservation Social Sciences) which is very straightforward, I am to use it for a presentation in 9 weeks. English to Spanish. It's about 90 pages (33,890 words to be exact). Let me know maybe I can fit into your busy schedule. Thanks
Ivan
Our response:
Hello Ivan,
Thank you for contacting us. In order for us to better help you, can you please kindly give us more information regarding this project:
What business are you in? This will help us to gauge your typical clients/audience.
What is your estimated time frame/deadline for completing the translation?
Are there any specific formatting requirements for the translated document, such as font or layout?
What is the purpose of the project? (You mentioned using if for a presentation; are the source files in Word, or another file format type?)
I apologize if this seems tedious, but it will help us in better providing you with a quote as well as assigning the best translator to this project.
Thanks so much, I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours truly,
Scammer response:
Hello,
Thanks for getting back to me. Please, send me your proforma through Quickbook invoice/charges. I already attached the document so you can view it for your perusal, I'm willing to pay 50% upfront since we've never worked together and I want to use the document for a project seminar and it's not a copyright. In addition, the reference in the following pages ( 5; 10-11; 15-16; 19-20; 24-25; 29-30; 34; 42-43; 47-49; 54-55; 60-62)shouldn't be translated because I just need the body of the text. FYI, my name is Ivan Livingstone- an individual,Via in Arcione, 98, 00187 Roma RM, Italy for the invoice. I’m studying at John Cabot University in the Department of Economics and Social Sciences. I’m also willing to pay for your service through a Quickbook ACH payment but not via PayPal because I've had some absurd experiences with it in the past through eBay so I had to shut it down, I hope you understand. I'm ready to pay 50% upfront and make the full payment in the middle of the job. The deadline is in 9 weeks. Please get back to me. Thanks once again.
Ivan
At this point, I decided to hold off from responding, do some more detailed research and, if needed, share our experience with colleauges so they are also forewarned. Also, the title of the document supposedly needing translation is indeed "The Conservation Social Sciences: What?, How? and Why" edited by Nathan J. Bennett and Robin Roth, as many have already pointed out.
I hope this information is of use to you all. We must always do our due diligence and be safe.
Cheers!
Russell Santana
E4 Editorial Services LLC ▲ Collapse
| | | | MMW translations
Italy
Local time: 17:35
Member (2003)
Italian to Portuguese
+ ...
| same email received many times over the last 4 months | Jun 8, 2023 |
Last email received yesterday
Good day, I would like to know if you will be able to translate a document (The Conservation Social Sciences) which is very straightforward, I am to use for a presentation in 9 weeks. English to Italian. It's about 90 pages (33,890 words to be exact). Let me know maybe I can fit in your busy schedule. Thanks
Ivan.
Hello,
Thanks for getting back to me. Send me your proforma invoice/charges. ... See more Last email received yesterday
Good day, I would like to know if you will be able to translate a document (The Conservation Social Sciences) which is very straightforward, I am to use for a presentation in 9 weeks. English to Italian. It's about 90 pages (33,890 words to be exact). Let me know maybe I can fit in your busy schedule. Thanks
Ivan.
Hello,
Thanks for getting back to me. Send me your proforma invoice/charges. I already attached the document so you can view it for your perusal, I'm willing to pay 50% upfront since we've never worked together and I want to use the document for a project seminar and it's not a copyright. In addition, the reference in the following pages ( 5; 10-11; 15-16; 19-20; 24-25; 29-30; 34; 42-43; 47-49; 54-55; 60-62)shouldn't be translated because I just need the body of the text. FYI, my name is Ivan Livingstone- an individual,Via in Arcione, 98, 00187 Roma RM, Italy for the invoice. I’m studying at John Cabot University in the Department of Economics and Social Sciences. I’m also willing to pay for your service through a bank deposit but not via PayPal because I've had some absurd experiences with it in the past through eBay so I had to shut it down, I hope you understand. I'm ready to pay 50% upfront and make the full payment in the middle of the job. Please get back to me. Thanks once again.
Ivan
Good morning Michela,
Thanks for the reconsideration. I’m happy you are still able to offer your services and I'm confirming that. Please forward me the new invoice and payment details, though I have the payment details. Thanks once again.
With kind regards,
Ivan ▲ Collapse
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