Translation work scam using legit company name and online bank
스레드 게시자: Stefan Belger
Stefan Belger
Stefan Belger
Local time: 17:01
영어에서 독일어
Apr 24, 2023

I fell for a scam in which I did a translation, and at the end was asked to pay $250 to redeem my payment as a sort of "refundable" technical fee to an online bank where I had to set up an account. I did not pay, but of course I lost three weeks of income.

Their modus operandi was slightly different from the ones described in this forum. For what it's worth, here are the things that were slightly different:

- I was not contacted, I contacted them - via a general help wa
... See more
I fell for a scam in which I did a translation, and at the end was asked to pay $250 to redeem my payment as a sort of "refundable" technical fee to an online bank where I had to set up an account. I did not pay, but of course I lost three weeks of income.

Their modus operandi was slightly different from the ones described in this forum. For what it's worth, here are the things that were slightly different:

- I was not contacted, I contacted them - via a general help wanted posting on a Facebook page for translation work.
- They used a legit company name - Dun&Bradstreet.
- They asked about my qualifications.
- They sent me a short test translation.
- They sent me an employee agreement to sign, in which the pay rate was stated. The agreement used the Dun&Bradstreet corporate design.
- The pay was not overly high, on the contrary, below my usual rate.

Things that are similar to other scams and that I know now should have raised suspicion:
- First personal contact via Telegram
- Poor language quality of the communication
- Overly generous compensation mentioned in the employee agreement, but which I thought would apply only for long term employees - up to $5,000 vacation bonus?
- Technical questions during the work were answered within minutes, even after hours.
- The translation topic (archeology) seemed strange for the company. It was an academic text available on the internet.
Collapse


Dan Lucas
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
포르투갈
Local time: 01:01
회원(2007)
영어에서 포르투갈어
+ ...
@Stefan Apr 25, 2023

Sorry to hear that and thanks for letting us know! Did you report them to the translator scam alert center? (https://www.proz.com/about/translator-scam-alerts)

 
Dan Lucas
Dan Lucas  Identity Verified
영국
Local time: 01:01
회원(2014)
일본어에서 영어
We all get bitten once Apr 25, 2023

Stefan Belger wrote:
- They used a legit company name - Dun&Bradstreet.

I bet it wasn't a D&B email though.

Dan


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Kevin Fulton
 
Stefan Belger
Stefan Belger
Local time: 17:01
영어에서 독일어
주제 스타터
mail address Apr 25, 2023

@Dan

Maybe them using gmail would have been a tell.


Dan Lucas
 
Liviu-Lee Roth
Liviu-Lee Roth
미국
Local time: 20:01
루마니아어에서 영어
+ ...
assuming that you live in the US (but not for very long time) Apr 27, 2023

Stefan Belger wrote:

Maybe them using gmail would have been a tell.


The Dun & Bradstreet Corporation is an American company that provides commercial data, analytics, and insights for businesses. The company offers a wide range of products and services for risk and financial analysis, operations and supply, and sales and marketing professionals, as well as research and insights on global business issues. It serves customers in government and industries such as communications, technology, strategic financial services, and retail, telecommunications, and manufacturing markets.[4] Often referred to as D&B, the company's database contains over 500 million business records worldwide.

Any translator who provides work for the US Govt. has a DUNS number and a SAM number.
Basic knowledge. They do not "hire" translators.

Stay safe
Lee


Kevin Fulton
 
Stefan Belger
Stefan Belger
Local time: 17:01
영어에서 독일어
주제 스타터
Thank you Liviu Apr 28, 2023

I've been living in the US for 30 years, and I did know who D&B are. But I did not know that there are work scams out there ...

Liviu-Lee Roth
 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:

이 포럼의 관리자
Lucia Leszinsky[Call to this topic]

You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Translation work scam using legit company name and online bank







Anycount & Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000

Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.

More info »
Trados Studio 2022 Freelance
The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.

Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

More info »