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Scammed
Thread poster: Kévin Brock
IrinaN
IrinaN
United States
Local time: 03:28
English to Russian
+ ...
One more time Apr 1, 2019

Sheila Wilson wrote:

Do please sign up for notifications from the ProZ.com Scam Centre, and read all its current warnings before accepting another new client. Keep in mind that most translation clients aren't scammers; in fact, the majority are totally honest and reliable.


Hi Sheila,

Once I suggested that there should be either a continuously flashing warning on the Home page, or some kind of a referral to the Scam Centre in the process of signing up. In response, one of the esteemed colleagues suggested that I can not read. Oh well:-) This is beside the point.

The scale of trouble is growing exponentially reaching the skies, and it is becoming apparent that the existence of such Centre somewhere in the depths of many Pros fora and links is not enough for the beginners because they are not being warned soon enough. There are so many various links on Proz, how would they know where to go first? It takes time to learn how and where to navigate within the new website and what should be the first order of business. Otherwise, why so many are getting in trouble; why are we having new Scam posts on a daily basis?

In the meantime - bang, victory, money right away, Miracle on the 31st Street!!!

I've noticed that those scam offers are sent almost immediately to the people who'd just registered, literally days or weeks ago, often with no or little experience, at least a shown one. The scammers are shooting them on the fly way before the newcomers take care of a thorough self-familiarization with all the faucets of Proz community life and business. The scammers knock their breath out with the totals, which some may have never seen in one piece as a payment for translation, and destroy whatever measure of logical thinking the newcomers might possess under the normal circumstances.

This brings me to the point I was trying to get across for ages.

Upon receiving a job offer or "a job offer":

Question #1 - Why me? Who is that Santa willing to pay me top rates upfront without any tests/samples on the subject matter, experience, at least a shown one, history with Proz/Kudos, just out of the blue while proven top professionals are available here for the same high rates?

Question #2 - What would I do after learning that I overpaid 2000 euros to a stranger? Maybe, just maybe I would rush to the bank burning my soles and leaving skid marks behind in an attempt to stop the payment instead of asking for kindly sending a bit to someone else and sleep tight?? How would a legitimate payer reflect this three-ring money circus in his accounting books?

If I made someone mad or upset, I don't mind for as long as all that lateral heat will finally be used to cook up some common sense for the greater good. Shock therapy seems to be long overdue.

Respectfully,
Irina


Liviu-Lee Roth
Colleen Roach, PhD
Yolanda Broad
Monika Helmes
Roxanne M.
 
Kévin Brock
Kévin Brock
France
Local time: 09:28
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks for all the support and answers Apr 2, 2019

Yes I agree, when you you have the whole picture it sounds fishy.
Since the initial IP adress was matching with the country on the initial mail, I didn't doubt the adress (well, not made a thorough check on the internet)
And as some people asked, I was told that I would receive the money by wire transfer, however since "there was a mixup" I received the check that was meant for the funeral from a so called "affiliate". That's when I became suspicious and asked my bank if it was alrig
... See more
Yes I agree, when you you have the whole picture it sounds fishy.
Since the initial IP adress was matching with the country on the initial mail, I didn't doubt the adress (well, not made a thorough check on the internet)
And as some people asked, I was told that I would receive the money by wire transfer, however since "there was a mixup" I received the check that was meant for the funeral from a so called "affiliate". That's when I became suspicious and asked my bank if it was alright to send the difference back. By the way, I never saw that check, it mysteriously appeared in my bank, wasn't signed or anything. That's mainly why I hope my bank will at least refund the loss, they simply saw a huge amount and took it no questions asked and had the gall to tell me "no issues, you can make the transfer".
I can't blame them fully since I gave the final order, but the very point to consult a bank advisor is to avoid those kind of situations right?
So yes in the end it was a check with nothing to back it up.
Thanks for the support, and as some people said, newcomers are easy targets, it might be good when registering for the first time to have either a link to the scam section or a warning for them.
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Liviu-Lee Roth
Monika Helmes
Roxanne M.
 
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Germany
Local time: 09:28
English to German
In memoriam
Weird bank behaviour Apr 2, 2019

Kévin Brock wrote:
...
By the way, I never saw that check, it mysteriously appeared in my bank, wasn't signed or anything. That's mainly why I hope my bank will at least refund the loss, they simply saw a huge amount and took it no questions asked and had the gall to tell me "no issues, you can make the transfer".
I can't blame them fully since I gave the final order, but the very point to consult a bank advisor is to avoid those kind of situations right?
So yes in the end it was a check with nothing to back it up.


This is really weird. First of all, is it really possible that a third party has a paper check credited to your account without your participation? Did they fake your signature on the check deposit form? And then of course it is weird that the bank tells you that the check is okay and that you can send money back? Even the greenest newbie at a bank should know that it can take weeks to clear a check and that checks can easily bounce for different reasons, and apart from that, this kind of scam should be well known to any banker by now, so that the idea to "send money back" should ring all alarm bells with any bank.

To have the full picture here, can you tell us the payment method you used to "return" the money? I presume it was some anonymous money service like Western Union, where the money cannot be tracked? (Which is always another red flag.)

And many thanks for your openness, your report about this experience might at least prevent others from falling into similar traps.


Katarzyna Slowikova
Liviu-Lee Roth
Yvonne Gallagher
Roxanne M.
 
Kévin Brock
Kévin Brock
France
Local time: 09:28
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Payment Method Apr 2, 2019

The "return" method was a SEPA transfer directly made with the "blessing" of my bank advisor. And yes many of my friends told me that it was too big for someone working in a bank to not say anything on the matter.
And it can be tracked, my bank just told me the following in a paper :
"... We inform you that the bank of the recipient didn't return the fund for the following reason : Client's decision
The way I understand it, they managed to get in touch with t
... See more
The "return" method was a SEPA transfer directly made with the "blessing" of my bank advisor. And yes many of my friends told me that it was too big for someone working in a bank to not say anything on the matter.
And it can be tracked, my bank just told me the following in a paper :
"... We inform you that the bank of the recipient didn't return the fund for the following reason : Client's decision
The way I understand it, they managed to get in touch with the scammer or his bank at least, but they are unwilling to take actions themselves. At this point I'm unsure what to do, against whom should I make a complaint, my bank or the benefactor? I already made one against unknown the initial client, but as you can guess that Patricia is nowhere to be found
As for my openness, I think it is only natural, more people aware mean less successful scams overall.
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Kaspars Melkis
Kaspars Melkis  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:28
English to Latvian
+ ...
it is expected Apr 2, 2019

Kay-Viktor Stegemann wrote:
This is really weird. First of all, is it really possible that a third party has a paper check credited to your account without your participation? Did they fake your signature on the check deposit form? And then of course it is weird that the bank tells you that the check is okay and that you can send money back? Even the greenest newbie at a bank should know that it can take weeks to clear a check and that checks can easily bounce for different reasons, and apart from that, this kind of scam should be well known to any banker by now, so that the idea to "send money back" should ring all alarm bells with any bank.


They wouldn't check the signature very carefully. I think you overestimate the quality of the front line support provided by most companies nowadays, including big banks. Until very recently I used to receive paper cheques from the US clients and deposit them in the local Barclays branch. While I didn't mind occasional stroll to the bank, the person serving me was often clueless how to actually fill the deposit form and I had to explain them how to do it properly. Nevertheless, they often made mistakes that caused me extra fees and delays when their back office returned those cheques and had to go to the bank again.

I have now switched to Transferwise which is much more convenient.


 
Thomas T. Frost
Thomas T. Frost  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 08:28
Danish to English
+ ...
File a police report Apr 2, 2019

Kévin Brock wrote:

The "return" method was a SEPA transfer directly made with the "blessing" of my bank advisor. And yes many of my friends told me that it was too big for someone working in a bank to not say anything on the matter.
And it can be tracked, my bank just told me the following in a paper :
"... We inform you that the bank of the recipient didn't return the fund for the following reason : Client's decision
The way I understand it, they managed to get in touch with the scammer or his bank at least, but they are unwilling to take actions themselves. At this point I'm unsure what to do, against whom should I make a complaint, my bank or the benefactor? I already made one against unknown the initial client, but as you can guess that Patricia is nowhere to be found


Since it is identified who received the money, I would definitely suggest that you file a police report, as a crime has been committed. You can either do it at your local gendarmerie or write directly to your local procureur de la République. I did the latter once I had been scammed via PayPal. Enclose every scrap of information and documentation, if needed translated to French. In my case, the gendarmerie later took a statement, but it was not possible to locate the criminal. Since you have a SEPA account number, the chances of identifying the criminal are much higher.

Don't expect any help from your bank, although you could still send a formal complaint in accordance with their official complaint procedures. If you don't receive a satisfactory reply, you can send a complaint to the relevant médiateur. The bank would have to explain to the médiateur why they gave you such advice.

You could also ask a solicitor if they think there is any realistic chance of taking either the bank or the criminal to court with success. I'm sceptical, but a solicitor can give you a better idea.

In my own case of having been scammed through PayPal, I ended up getting my money back from PayPal after I had identified lack of compliance with the Financial Services Directive in their practices, as they had failed to preserve previous versions of their T&Cs, which prevented me from analysing if they had applied their T&Cs when the fraud took place. Even though it may seem hopeless, you sometimes find a way through.


Katarzyna Slowikova
Yvonne Gallagher
 
Kévin Brock
Kévin Brock
France
Local time: 09:28
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
It might work Apr 2, 2019

Thomas T. Frost wrote:


Since it is identified who received the money, I would definitely suggest that you file a police report, as a crime has been committed. You can either do it at your local gendarmerie or write directly to your local procureur de la République. I did the latter once I had been scammed via PayPal. Enclose every scrap of information and documentation, if needed translated to French. In my case, the gendarmerie later took a statement, but it was not possible to locate the criminal. Since you have a SEPA account number, the chances of identifying the criminal are much higher.

Don't expect any help from your bank, although you could still send a formal complaint in accordance with their official complaint procedures. If you don't receive a satisfactory reply, you can send a complaint to the relevant médiateur. The bank would have to explain to the médiateur why they gave you such advice.

You could also ask a solicitor if they think there is any realistic chance of taking either the bank or the criminal to court with success. I'm sceptical, but a solicitor can give you a better idea.

In my own case of having been scammed through PayPal, I ended up getting my money back from PayPal after I had identified lack of compliance with the Financial Services Directive in their practices, as they had failed to preserve previous versions of their T&Cs, which prevented me from analysing if they had applied their T&Cs when the fraud took place. Even though it may seem hopeless, you sometimes find a way through.


Consulting a solicitor might be the best course of action.
I also learnt (the hard way) that a SEPA transfer isn't covered at all, the transfer is secured sure, but if your scammed like I was it's your own fault...
So going to court seems to be the only way, even if it will take a long time. I'll also try to get a copy of that check, it still amaze me that they accepted it no question asked, I sure hope they didn't sign in my stead.
In the meantime I'll break my piggy bank to plug that financial hole (and the agios).
Thanks again for the answers and support.


 
Katarzyna Slowikova
Katarzyna Slowikova  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 09:28
English to Czech
+ ...
No title of my reply Apr 2, 2019

Thomas T. Frost wrote:

Since it is identified who received the money, I would definitely suggest that you file a police report, as a crime has been committed.


Most likely two or more crimes - also setting up a bank account using false identity and forging documents or obtaining them. So I wouldn't hold my breath for identifying the scammer.
But still, I wish you good luck. The bank screwed up totally. How are those checks sent, are they on paper...? I mean, there must be some way to identify a false check before cashing it, right? Which would be the bank's job, since nobody else (apart from the scammer) saw it? They seem to be shockingly incompetent...


Liviu-Lee Roth
 
Hendrik Steinbeck (X)
Hendrik Steinbeck (X)  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 09:28
English to German
+ ...
Some indicators - got the 12,997 count too Apr 8, 2019

Hi!
As a new registered Proz.User, here are my two cents on the topic. 1) to 3) regarding the communication with the "client" and then some personal hints and mechanisms I saw.
Here posted, because I got the exact same word count of 12,997 words by an Gmail account, via Proz.com, while being a new user.
1) This was the inquiry:

Author: Regina
[NOTE: The author is not a registered ProZ.com user or was not logged in when sending this message.]
Aut
... See more
Hi!
As a new registered Proz.User, here are my two cents on the topic. 1) to 3) regarding the communication with the "client" and then some personal hints and mechanisms I saw.
Here posted, because I got the exact same word count of 12,997 words by an Gmail account, via Proz.com, while being a new user.
1) This was the inquiry:

Author: Regina
[NOTE: The author is not a registered ProZ.com user or was not logged in when sending this message.]
Author's IP address: 165.84.226.121
-----------

Hello,
I would like to know if you are available to translate a
document from English to German.
Thank you


2) Response - Pretty much my standard text I send out
Hello,

Thanks for your response, my sincerest apologies for the delay in responding back to you.

Attached here is a copy of the document I would like to translate so you can view, send me your proforma invoice/charges per word, modes of payment and your delivery time.

Thank you


3) My answer:

Hi Regina,

thanks for your reply, I had a look and I would like you to offer these terms:

Word count: 12.997
My base rate is 11 cent per word, above ten-thousand words, I grant my clients a discount of 10%; it would be 0,1 € per word, totaling in 1299,7 Euro.

Since it is one long piece, with a technology focus as well, I need two hours of proof-reading. This adds up 60 Euro in total. This is for our both sakes, as I value consistency and you need a nicely readable piece.

The total sum would be in Euro: 1359,7 Euro

Since this is a larger project and was not posted via Proz.com, I would need an advanced payment of 30%, in this case 408 Euro.

After completion, the remaining amount (951,7 Euro) should be transferred within #duration working days. As for the payment conditions, I prefer an international bank transfer, in my case to a German bank account.

For this service, I need seven business days. Assuming I would start next Thursday (after receiving the first 30%), I could finish it until ##Date## (#Day).
You would receive the document as a MS Word Document.

In case have any questions, feel free to contact me. I am open to Skype about it and finalize some questions you might have. The next step would be a formal contract then.

As a final question: What happened to Part 2 of your text?
Sincerely,
Hendrik


4) After that: Silence:

I am just starting here at Proz.com, but I think I dodged some bullets here. I highlighted some personal standards, which I will use to protect me and my business from scammers:
* ...not posted via Proz.com, I would need an advanced payment of XYZ --> "I am aware that you might not be real, nor the inquiry"
* open to Skype about it and finalize some questions you might have --> Suspicion goes trough the roof, if a client with >10k words does not have questions(!)
* The next step would be a formal contract then --> A serious business transaction requires a contract. Period. A signed document with a real address, name, and so on.
* As a final question: What happened to Part 2 of your text? --> I got almost 13k words and the Part 2 was missing. Why would you let different

Furthermore, for my rookie friends out there, here are some typical scam indications:

* The awkward spacing,in the mails --> The person is supposed to come from a native-English speaking country. The e-mail however isn't.
* No address, no personal greetings --> Mass mail (happens even in legit inquiries due to time and lack of respect)
* YOU got a inquiry of 10k+ without a track-record, kudos or any proof of past projects? Sorry to say my snowflake, you ain't special... and neither am I.

I hope this helps. In the end, I was grateful for my gut (and my tendency to write very long e-mails

Cheers,
Hendrik


[Edited at 2019-04-08 02:09 GMT]
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Monika Helmes
 
Veronika Hoffmann
Veronika Hoffmann
Germany
Local time: 09:28
English to German
I also got Regina Apr 8, 2019

I also got Regina Dempsey ([email protected]), same e-mail as Hendrik. No mention of deadlines or rates, just a question if I was available. Googled the IP address and got some weird results. Then I was sent the file - and found the text in the middle of a book called "Adapt: How We Can Learn from Nature's Strangest Inventions". There was still no mention of deadline or rate. I googled part of the wording of the e-mail ("view, send me your proforma invoice") and found it here on Proz in... See more
I also got Regina Dempsey ([email protected]), same e-mail as Hendrik. No mention of deadlines or rates, just a question if I was available. Googled the IP address and got some weird results. Then I was sent the file - and found the text in the middle of a book called "Adapt: How We Can Learn from Nature's Strangest Inventions". There was still no mention of deadline or rate. I googled part of the wording of the e-mail ("view, send me your proforma invoice") and found it here on Proz in a forum post on scams.

My quote was higher than yours, Hendrik, and I was still told what low prices I have. I said I wanted the whole amount up front via PayPal and asked for an address to put on my invoice and got this reply:

-------
Hello Veronika,


Your price seems relatively low compared to other translators and I really appreciate that. The delivery date is okay but in return I want a perfect and accurate translation

50% of the payment will be sent upfront so you can proceed with the translation as soon as your receive the payment and the balance upon completion of the project.

However, my preferred mode of payment is a check and all that is needed is

Your full name and address as it should appear on the check and your home address.

Here is my personal information for your perusal

Full Name: Patricia Smith
Address: 12, White hart lane
City: Avon
State: CO
Zip: 81620
Phone: (571) 302-4340


Thank you
-----

Apparently Regina forgot that she's Patricia or vice versa!

Anyway, I feel for you, Kévin - sorry you fell for it. It would be really good if Proz could send some basic info on how to identify scammers to everyone who signs up!
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Hendrik Steinbeck (X)
 
Denise Tessin (X)
Denise Tessin (X)
Germany
Local time: 09:28
English to German
Regina at it again Apr 15, 2019

i actually got one too
and almost fell for it until:
___________________
Hello Denise,

The check has been sent but there seems to be a slight mix up.The check is written in your name for the amount (4,975euros).I believe it is something we can work out as soon as you get the check cashed.All you need to do is to proceed to the bank and have the check deposited to your account then deduct the amount for the translation and I will let you know how to go about the rei
... See more
i actually got one too
and almost fell for it until:
___________________
Hello Denise,

The check has been sent but there seems to be a slight mix up.The check is written in your name for the amount (4,975euros).I believe it is something we can work out as soon as you get the check cashed.All you need to do is to proceed to the bank and have the check deposited to your account then deduct the amount for the translation and I will let you know how to go about the reimbursement .

Thank you 
__________________

I m just super glad i looked in here orz
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Holy Smoke (X)
Holy Smoke (X)
United States
No Title Apr 18, 2019

Thanks for sharing your experience.
I think your one step can make people aware of such things.


 
Anne Masur
Anne Masur  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 09:28
Member (2019)
English to German
+ ...
Got Regina too May 2, 2019

I also got the same mails from Regina and am just glad that I found this before actually finish the work.

Is there anything I have to do now or is there just a false check to arrive which I can burn? (If it arrives at all?)

I got suspicious since I haven't received a response on my latest questions...

Thank you guys!


 
Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 09:28
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
A simple question... Jun 13, 2019

Katarzyna Slowikova wrote:

Thayenga wrote:

Lincoln Hui wrote:

If you haven't returned it, or it bounced back for some other reason, just deduct the agreed up amount for your translation and send back the rest.

What the heck?


Should he keep it and end up in court?


What??!!! Have you switched sides???!


... an even more simple and uncomplicated answer, who, in his or her right mind, would be with scammers??????????


 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 09:28
French to English
. Jun 13, 2019

Kay-Viktor Stegemann wrote:

Kévin Brock wrote:
...
I can't blame them fully since I gave the final order, but the very point to consult a bank advisor is to avoid those kind of situations right?


it is weird that the bank tells you that the check is okay and that you can send money back


And many thanks for your openness, your report about this experience might at least prevent others from falling into similar traps.


There is no point trying to get a cent out of the bank. However good a lawyer you may be able to hire, they will have a whole team of lawyers. Unless you have the advice that it was OK to give the money back in writing, there is no point whatsoever trying to get anything out of them.

Irina, I agree with you that Proz should alert all newcomers to this kind of scam, because apparently there are plenty who fall for them.


 
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