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SCAM: translation of a 11,643-word document (various email addresses, payment with a check)
Thread poster: Thomas Szabo, MD, MS
Maya Mitchell (X)
Maya Mitchell (X)
United States
Local time: 04:02
Spanish to English
+ ...
Me too Jul 25, 2019

Leslie Young wrote:

Hi all! I was contacted by someone named Melissa Collins for this same scam. She evaded my questions about how she found me and what her background was, and the document seemed too easy for the price that I quoted and she agreed to. She wanted me to translate the document "INVESTIGACIÓN DE LOS PROCEDIMIENTOS DE UNA ORGANIZACIÓN PUBLICAS FASE 1".

I got asked to translate the same exact document by someone named Brenda Owens


Carla Stone
 
Stephanie de Icaza
Stephanie de Icaza
United States
Local time: 06:02
English to Spanish
+ ...
Same email, name was Debra Jeff Jul 26, 2019

This is the email I received:

DEBRA JEFF
Jul 22, 2019, 8:10 AM (4 days ago)
to me

I'm contacting you in regard to an English content document worth
11,643 words (44 Pages). I need this document translated into
Spanish.I would like to know if you are interested and available to
get this done for me. Please get back to me as soon as you can. Thank
you.

Best regards.

// I responded with the equivalent of "I'm n
... See more
This is the email I received:

DEBRA JEFF
Jul 22, 2019, 8:10 AM (4 days ago)
to me

I'm contacting you in regard to an English content document worth
11,643 words (44 Pages). I need this document translated into
Spanish.I would like to know if you are interested and available to
get this done for me. Please get back to me as soon as you can. Thank
you.

Best regards.

// I responded with the equivalent of "I'm not available, thank you."


DEBRA JEFF
Attachments
Jul 25, 2019, 10:10 AM (1 day ago)
to me

Hello, I'm pleased to know you are interested in handling this project. However, I will require your service to translate the attached English 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 29/JULY/2019.Finally, I'm proposing a cashier check or bank certified check for the payment. Please do not hesitate to confirm if this is okay with you? I look forward to reading from you soon.

Best Regards
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greentibet
greentibet
United States
Local time: 07:02
English to Tibetan
+ ...
Got the same message. Thank god! I almost started it today. Thank you for the warning! Jul 31, 2019

Here are the details from that scammer:


Cheryl Kutscher via ProZ.com
9:39 AM (6 hours ago)
to me

A ProZ.com user visited your ProZ.com profile and sent the following message.

Author: Cheryl Kutscher
[NOTE: The author is not a registered ProZ.com user or was not logged in when sending this message.]
Author's IP address: 45.56.161.64

-----------

Hello, I'm contacting you in regard to an English conte
... See more
Here are the details from that scammer:


Cheryl Kutscher via ProZ.com
9:39 AM (6 hours ago)
to me

A ProZ.com user visited your ProZ.com profile and sent the following message.

Author: Cheryl Kutscher
[NOTE: The author is not a registered ProZ.com user or was not logged in when sending this message.]
Author's IP address: 45.56.161.64

-----------

Hello, I'm contacting you in regard to an English content
document worth 11,643 words (44 Pages). I need this document
translated into Tibetan. I would like to know if you are
interested and available to get this done for me. Please get
back to me as soon as you can via
email([email protected]). Thank you.

Best regard,
Cheryl



[After my confirmation, got the following reply]

Hello, I'm pleased to know you are interested in handling this
project. However, I will require your service to translate the
attached English 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
10/August/2019.Finally, I'm proposing a cashier check or bank
certified check for the payment. Please do not hesitate to confirm if
this is okay with you? I look forward to reading from you soon.

Best Regards,
Cheryl


Hello, Thank you for getting back. I quite agree with your price quote
and i am willing to pay for your service. This project is a research
paper being sponsor for a seminar coming up soon, so I would like to
make an advance payment or make the full payment so you know you have
my job with you. In the mean time, do get back to me with the
following payment information in the format below.

1. Full Name to be written on the Check

2. Full Physical Address:

3. Mobile number

Your payment will be prepared once I have the requested details.
Payment will be received before you send the document. Get back to me
asap.

Best regards


[I answered these questions, hope it's not too bad.]
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Susan Grig
Susan Grig
United States
Local time: 04:02
English to Turkish
+ ...
Scam - Cheryl Kutscher Jul 31, 2019

A bunch of people have been reporting this one, so I just wanted to warn that they are still fishing for people.
I got the following email today 7/31/19. I interacted without reading the forum first and got her phone number (that I blocked afterwards). Providing the phone number too, in case it is helpful for anyone googling this.

Scammer phone number:
+19193358990


Author: Cheryl Kutscher
[NOTE: The author is not a registered ProZ.com user or
... See more
A bunch of people have been reporting this one, so I just wanted to warn that they are still fishing for people.
I got the following email today 7/31/19. I interacted without reading the forum first and got her phone number (that I blocked afterwards). Providing the phone number too, in case it is helpful for anyone googling this.

Scammer phone number:
+19193358990


Author: Cheryl Kutscher
[NOTE: The author is not a registered ProZ.com user or was not logged in when sending this message.]
Author's IP address: 45.56.161.64

-----------

Hello, I'm contacting you in regard to an English content
document worth 11,643 words (44 Pages). I need this document
translated into Turkish. I would like to know if you are
interested and available to get this done for me. Please get
back to me as soon as you can via
email([email protected]). Thank you.

Best regard,
Cheryl
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TASNIM RIZVI
TASNIM RIZVI  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:02
English to Urdu
+ ...
I got a similar email this morning. Aug 9, 2019

I got a similar email this morning. I googled first two sentences and came up with this scam page. Thanks for keeping us informed.

 
Alex Reznikov
Alex Reznikov
United States
Local time: 07:02
English to Russian
+ ...
Another seeker of the easy money Aug 18, 2019

Hello colleagues,
I am glad I read all of your posts about the same issue. A couple of days ago, I received the very same inquiry from a different account: [email protected].
I responded confirming my availability, suggesting rate, and asking back some logical questions (subject, timing, etc.).
However, today (August 18, 2019) I received the 2nd email, again of very similar content, about translating the
... See more
Hello colleagues,
I am glad I read all of your posts about the same issue. A couple of days ago, I received the very same inquiry from a different account: [email protected].
I responded confirming my availability, suggesting rate, and asking back some logical questions (subject, timing, etc.).
However, today (August 18, 2019) I received the 2nd email, again of very similar content, about translating the attached document (and, in fact, it was attached) and the proposed method of payment (a certified bank check).
Red flags:
- excessively generic text;
- a public email address, personal (gmail);
- specifically a check, not any other method of payment (!);
- obvious ignoring of my information about rates; there is a scheme to follow as I see it now.
I do have such experience. The problem is that your bank (in my case - Wells Fargo) would initially deposit a check thereby providing some sense of legality to such transaction. Last time, after such a fake check had been deposited, I visited the branch and INSISTED on canceling the transaction and returning a check to its issuer (whoever it was). Otherwise, yes, you find yourself in trouble later, as some colleagues have described.
First, ask yourself: why such paper should be translated into a foreign language in the first place? Second, why only by a check?
Be vigilant!
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PAUL RIEK
 
Maria M. Caamano
Maria M. Caamano  Identity Verified
United States
Spanish to English
+ ...
Four more names to add to the scammers list Aug 18, 2019

Four more names to add to this list: Martin Maxwell, Valerie John, Henry Baker, Felicia Jordan.
Same MO.

I received the first scam last May from: Martin Maxwell to translate his project on the impacts of climate change in coastal marine systems. I googled it and found it on the internet already translated.

The second one in June from Valerie John:
Hello, I'm contacting you in regard to an English content
document worth 11,643 words (44 Pages). I need
... See more
Four more names to add to this list: Martin Maxwell, Valerie John, Henry Baker, Felicia Jordan.
Same MO.

I received the first scam last May from: Martin Maxwell to translate his project on the impacts of climate change in coastal marine systems. I googled it and found it on the internet already translated.

The second one in June from Valerie John:
Hello, I'm contacting you in regard to an English content
document worth 11,643 words (44 Pages). I need this document
translated into Spanish. I would like to know if you are
interested and available to get this done for me. Please get
back to me as soon as you can via email
([email protected]). Thank you.

The third one on Organic Farming, that many of you already mentioned, from Henry also in June. And he insisted in July.

And still another one in July from Felicia Jordan. The exact same text as already seen by many of you:

Hello, I'm contacting you in regard to an English content
document worth 11,643 words (44 Pages). I need this document
translated into Spanish. I would like to know if you are
interested and available to get this done for me. Please get
back to me as soon as you can via email
([email protected]). Thank you.

They are all willing to pay well in advance for the whole project, and always by check.
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Maria M. Caamano
Maria M. Caamano  Identity Verified
United States
Spanish to English
+ ...
Scammer on Organic Farming Aug 18, 2019

Scammer looking to translate a project on Organic Farming: HenryBaker908@ yahoo.com

 
TASNIM RIZVI
TASNIM RIZVI  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 06:02
English to Urdu
+ ...
I go absolutely similar message asking me to translate 11,643 words (44 Pages) into Urdu. Aug 27, 2019

Scam.

 
Carla Stone
Carla Stone
United States
Scammed by Nancybill Sep 5, 2019

Hi everyone,
I am relatively new to freelance translation and I completely fell for this. I received the certified check and cashed it and wired back the excess funds. The correspondence sounded completely legit until her sponsor mysteriously got into a 'vital accident'. I am terrified because I have never been in this position before. I am contacting my bank now to report the scam. Can anyone offer advise for what how to spot these or how to take legitimate work before this happens again
... See more
Hi everyone,
I am relatively new to freelance translation and I completely fell for this. I received the certified check and cashed it and wired back the excess funds. The correspondence sounded completely legit until her sponsor mysteriously got into a 'vital accident'. I am terrified because I have never been in this position before. I am contacting my bank now to report the scam. Can anyone offer advise for what how to spot these or how to take legitimate work before this happens again. I am disgusted that someone would do this. I am a new business owner and I thought that I had legitimately had my first client. I am devastated.
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Haesoo Yoo
 
Irene Belmonte
Irene Belmonte
United States
Local time: 07:02
English to Spanish
+ ...
Becca Johnson is back Sep 5, 2019

Hi everyone,

I received the following email just today from Becca Johnson ([email protected]):

A ProZ.com user visited your ProZ.com profile and sent the following message.

Author: Becca
[NOTE: The author is not a registered ProZ.com user or was not logged in when sending this message.]
Author's IP address: 82.102.20.183

-----------

Hi,my name is Becca, I'm contacting you in regard to an
English content do
... See more
Hi everyone,

I received the following email just today from Becca Johnson ([email protected]):

A ProZ.com user visited your ProZ.com profile and sent the following message.

Author: Becca
[NOTE: The author is not a registered ProZ.com user or was not logged in when sending this message.]
Author's IP address: 82.102.20.183

-----------

Hi,my name is Becca, I'm contacting you in regard to an
English content document.I need this document translated
into Spanish.I would
like to know if you are interested and available to get this
done for me. For more details Please get back to (
[email protected] )
as soon as you can.

Best Regards,
Becca



And then a second one:


Hello,
I'm pleased to know you are interested in handling this project. However, I will require your service to translate the attached 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 30/SEPTEMBER/2019.Finally, I'm proposing a Cashier Check.and it will clear your bank before you send the document .? I look forward to reading from you soon.

Best Regards,
Becca


The name of the document is "PUBLIC ORGANISATIONS PROCEDURES RESEARCH". Same email, different dates, and name. I looked up her profile here in ProZ and it's pretty much empty. Good thing I found this post! Thank you, guys, for your warnings!
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Bernhard Sulzer
Bernhard Sulzer  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 07:02
English to German
+ ...
Real people's names and real websites Sep 5, 2019

Maria M. Caamano wrote:

Four more names to add to this list: Martin Maxwell, Valerie John, Henry Baker, Felicia Jordan.
Same MO.


They are also using real persons' names and business websites in the "Thank you... Sincerely yours/address" field, but the email is still .gmail with lots of numbers and a few letters in front of it. So watch out for that.

You would think they'd change the word/file count ... but that could be the next step.


[Edited at 2019-09-05 20:07 GMT]


Kevin Fulton
 
Guendalina Chaho
Guendalina Chaho
United States
Local time: 06:02
English to Spanish
+ ...
Email from Becca Johnson Sep 5, 2019

I got the same email from Becca Johnson today about needing a translation to Spanish.

I was very close to giving her my information but something in my mind did not feel right and I googled her name, the word 'scam' and thankfully I found this thread!

I am very sorry to hear some people did fall for the scam and I am very upset there are scammers like this in the world. I did respond to 'Becca' to let her know what I thought of 'her' - not that it will help, but at l
... See more
I got the same email from Becca Johnson today about needing a translation to Spanish.

I was very close to giving her my information but something in my mind did not feel right and I googled her name, the word 'scam' and thankfully I found this thread!

I am very sorry to hear some people did fall for the scam and I am very upset there are scammers like this in the world. I did respond to 'Becca' to let her know what I thought of 'her' - not that it will help, but at least I spoke my mind. This is so wrong!

Thank you guys for saving me!

Guendalina
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Natalí Felcaro
Natalí Felcaro  Identity Verified
Argentina
Local time: 08:02
Member (2012)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Email from Nancy Bill Sep 10, 2019

She sent me the same e-mail that everybody in this page are describing. She told me that she agrees with my rate, which was higher than usual on purpose, and she will pay me with a certified bank draft. This was her last e-mail:

Thank you for getting back. I quite agree with your price quote you give me and I am willing to pay for your service. This project is a research paper being sponsor for a seminar coming up soon, so I would like to make an advance payment or make the full pay
... See more
She sent me the same e-mail that everybody in this page are describing. She told me that she agrees with my rate, which was higher than usual on purpose, and she will pay me with a certified bank draft. This was her last e-mail:

Thank you for getting back. I quite agree with your price quote you give me and I am willing to pay for your service. This project is a research paper being sponsor for a seminar coming up soon, so I would like to make an advance payment or make the full payment so you know you have my job with you. In the mean time, do get back to me with the following payment information in the format below.

1. Full Name to be written on the Check
2.USA Full Physical Address:
3. Mobile number


Your payment will be prepared once I have the requested details. Payment will be received before you send the document. Get back to me asap.

Of course I won't reply her email but be aware of this kind of situations, especially when these people have weird emails or don't tell you where did they contact you from...
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Pat Aguiló Pérez
Pat Aguiló Pérez
Local time: 12:02
Member (2018)
English to Spanish
+ ...
SCAM address [email protected] Sep 11, 2019

Dear colleagues,

Thank you so much for all your comments and information. I received this scam from some Nancy Bill last August 29th. I went along as I was really busy those days, although all together sounded a little fishy. I just didn't realize until today, when I got the mail saying something like "the death of a member of the family of my sponsor... that's why the delay... today we'll mail a check for 4,950.80 USD for a next phase we want to do... blah, blah, blah". And that's
... See more
Dear colleagues,

Thank you so much for all your comments and information. I received this scam from some Nancy Bill last August 29th. I went along as I was really busy those days, although all together sounded a little fishy. I just didn't realize until today, when I got the mail saying something like "the death of a member of the family of my sponsor... that's why the delay... today we'll mail a check for 4,950.80 USD for a next phase we want to do... blah, blah, blah". And that's when it dawned on me. Luckily, I hadn't even started because I had forgot all about it, hahaha.

I did the search with SCAM... and there you were, my friends, to enlighten me. So thanks a lot. The address I received this time was [email protected]

Pat
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SCAM: translation of a 11,643-word document (various email addresses, payment with a check)







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