Phone scam? Initiator des Themas: M. Sitling
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M. Sitling
Deutschland
Local time: 13:50
Englisch > Deutsch
+ ...
Dear all,
What would you make of this?
I'm a freelance translator working in Germany. Phone rings on a Saturday, 7:30pm, suppressed caller ID, man with heavy accent but fairly OK German, not stating his name, claims he sent a text to be translated through my website and never received it.
Then he stated he already paid for it via credit card, which is when I know for a fact that can't be true,
since I don't take credit card payments and do not of... See more Dear all,
What would you make of this?
I'm a freelance translator working in Germany. Phone rings on a Saturday, 7:30pm, suppressed caller ID, man with heavy accent but fairly OK German, not stating his name, claims he sent a text to be translated through my website and never received it.
Then he stated he already paid for it via credit card, which is when I know for a fact that can't be true,
since I don't take credit card payments and do not offer this option on my site. So I told him nice try, buddy, and hung up.
Now I'm wondering, though, how this scam would work. Did he think he would get my voicemail this late on a weekend and leave a fee number?
Or is there a chance that he was legitimate and got scammed by someone who impersonated me? ▲ Collapse
| | | | Thayenga 
Deutschland
Local time: 13:50
Mitglied (2009)
Englisch > Deutsch
+ ...
| Apparently a scammer | Mar 10, 2014 |
Hi M.
the only thing I'd recommend is that you try to find out if someone impersonates you.
Other than that you can be fairly sure that this person was a scammer. If he was a customer, even one having fallen for an impersonator, he would have at least stated his name and contact details, when he had sent the document in question and how to proceed now regarding the allegedly made advanced payment, aside from not having used a suppressed caller ID.
If you do... See more Hi M.
the only thing I'd recommend is that you try to find out if someone impersonates you.
Other than that you can be fairly sure that this person was a scammer. If he was a customer, even one having fallen for an impersonator, he would have at least stated his name and contact details, when he had sent the document in question and how to proceed now regarding the allegedly made advanced payment, aside from not having used a suppressed caller ID.
If you don't require advanced payment on your website, then that person is obviously a scammer, especially since he didn't ask for a quote. For your own safety, stay clear of that person.
Best,
Thayenga ▲ Collapse
| | | | M. Sitling
Deutschland
Local time: 13:50
Englisch > Deutsch
+ ...
THEMENSTARTER
Hi Thayenga,
Thank you very much for your reply - I think you're right. There are too many things not adding up.
As for the possibility that someone is impersonating me - neither my e-mail nor my website contact form seem to be hacked, a Google search didn't turn up any doppelgangers, and neither did the Translation Scammers Directory. Is there anything else I can check?
Best,
M.
| | | | Thayenga
Deutschland
Local time: 13:50
Mitglied (2009)
Englisch > Deutsch
+ ...
| You're very welcome. | Mar 10, 2014 |
Hi M.
well, I wouldn't know where else you could check or what you might need to do. Perhaps our colleagues have an idea.
Stay safe!
Best,
Thayenga
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Wow, that's a Frechheit!
As to the question how it may work, the only thing that comes to my mind is that he hoped to trick you into getting a refund of his "early payment" or some humble part of it. Those guys tend to be quite repetitive, which is kind of disappointing (says a person with no landline ).
Maybe if they stopped believing everybody's a retard they'd get more creative.
Cheers and death t... See more Wow, that's a Frechheit!
As to the question how it may work, the only thing that comes to my mind is that he hoped to trick you into getting a refund of his "early payment" or some humble part of it. Those guys tend to be quite repetitive, which is kind of disappointing (says a person with no landline).
Maybe if they stopped believing everybody's a retard they'd get more creative.
Cheers and death to scammers! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Let's hope... | Mar 10, 2014 |
that (for our own good) they will not get more creative
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