Article: How to recognize a translation job scam
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Mar 11, 2011

This topic is for discussion of the ProZ.com translation article "How to recognize a translation job scam".

 
Satoshi Ogawa
Satoshi Ogawa
Germany
Local time: 14:53
German to Japanese
+ ...
Adding a couple of more tips Jun 20, 2021

I would like to add a couple more tips from my recent experiences.

A great feature of ProZ is that when people contact you via your profile, if the sender is a registered user, whether logged in when sending you a message, and also there is an IP address of the sender which you can find out the location of the ISP, if not the person's exact location.

If a person requests you a translation job with the list of check points Tanya mentioned, you can also check whether th
... See more
I would like to add a couple more tips from my recent experiences.

A great feature of ProZ is that when people contact you via your profile, if the sender is a registered user, whether logged in when sending you a message, and also there is an IP address of the sender which you can find out the location of the ISP, if not the person's exact location.

If a person requests you a translation job with the list of check points Tanya mentioned, you can also check whether the person is supposed to be 'a translation company based in xxx country' matches the ISP's location. Yes, people use VPN very frequently and if the business address is not mentioned or e-mail used is free mail it's a bit more obscure.

Recently I received a very realistic request with the source text which matches my specialised field, also the request was in German, rather than pidgin English or with common errors that match the nationality/possible first language of the sender. When I replied regarding my pricing she wrote back in French. French is not a language that I cover.

As Tanya mentioned, the person did not haggle but accepted the rate and offered to pay 50% in advance so I can start handling the translation task (it was with 8k plus words in the source language) and needed my payment details. I asked her invoicing info as I issue invoice/receipts using my private business. She went silent.

There is nothing they can do if I gave the person my bank account details and not the card details, and even someone tries to charge my account via direct debit I can just tell the bank it's a scammer.

I strongly advise you all to read sender's info attached to a message sent via ProZ, and no matter how attractive the offer is and seem legit the person sounds, don't hesitate to contact the person and ask a few questions no matter how urgent the job seems. You better be safe than sorry.
Collapse


Bajram Djambazi
 


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

Moderator(s) of this forum
Lucia Leszinsky[Call to this topic]

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

Article: How to recognize a translation job scam






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 »
Wordfast Pro
Translation Memory Software for Any Platform

Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users! Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value

Buy now! »