Scammer
Thread poster: Liviu-Lee Roth
Liviu-Lee Roth
Liviu-Lee Roth
United States
Local time: 08:45
Romanian to English
+ ...
Mar 14, 2019

A nice online conversation with a scammer

Via SMS, phone number 424 229-1601-(irrelevant), e-mail name Kin Yopong [email protected]

KINYO: Would you like to work on a project and get paid well for your effort?
50% or full payment upfront?!
I am looking for a Romanian translator to work with me on a project.
Please send me your e-mail to forward the project document to you.

ME:
... See more
A nice online conversation with a scammer

Via SMS, phone number 424 229-1601-(irrelevant), e-mail name Kin Yopong [email protected]

KINYO: Would you like to work on a project and get paid well for your effort?
50% or full payment upfront?!
I am looking for a Romanian translator to work with me on a project.
Please send me your e-mail to forward the project document to you.

ME: Where did you get my phone number?

KINYO: Got your number from online court roster directory okay?
I am looking for a Romanian translator to work with me on a project.
Please send me your e-mail to forward the project document to you.

ME: you have my e-mail there.

KINYO: Thanks for the update ... Kindly check your e-mail for the project document and get back to me asap.
Many thanks Kinyo

The e-mail:
Hello,
Find attached the project document. Please take a look at it and give
me a price quote. We have approximately 5 weeks to get it ready. The
submission date is 10th of May, 2019.
Please be aware that payments will be made by Bank certified checks Or
cashier checks depending on your preference.
I await the price quote so I can send it to my sponsor to issue payment asap.
Warm regards

ME: OK. I opened (actually I did not) the document. It is not in my field of expertise, therefore I charge 2,500 USD.

Thank you for getting back. I quite agree with your price quote and I
am willing to pay for your service. But what would be your full price
for the job?. 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 and you can send text to me here (424) 229-1601(Please only
Text) when you send the details.

Best Regards,

ME: Well, I can't wait to get a fake check sent by you for an amount larger than I requested and ask me to send you back the difference by MoneyGram. Fair enough?

End of conversation.

My point, they won't stop at anything in order to trick gullible people.

Stay safe,
Lee
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Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 13:45
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Weird conversation Mar 15, 2019

If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny. That person didn't even attempt to listen, let alone understand that you were pulling his leg all the while.

He agreed to your price - shouldn't this have concluded the rate discussion? - and still asked what your total (full) price would be.

My personal favorite is when he asked for your email address. And when you told him what he intended to do... just in case
... See more
If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny. That person didn't even attempt to listen, let alone understand that you were pulling his leg all the while.

He agreed to your price - shouldn't this have concluded the rate discussion? - and still asked what your total (full) price would be.

My personal favorite is when he asked for your email address. And when you told him what he intended to do... just in case he would have caught someone who falls for this obvious scam.

Thank you for posting this Lee.

[Edited at 2019-03-15 14:55 GMT]
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Liviu-Lee Roth
 
Robert Forstag
Robert Forstag  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:45
Spanish to English
+ ...
So transparent Mar 15, 2019

I myself have sometimes (like Liviu) proposed a very high fee for the supposed work, just to confirm my suspicion of a scam.

It is a good thing that such people are so crude in their tactics, leaving no room for doubt as to their scamming intentions....


Liviu-Lee Roth
 
Margit Bøjstrup
Margit Bøjstrup
United States
Local time: 05:45
Danish to English
+ ...
Something made me suspicious from the beginning... Mar 16, 2019

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!
Received a text a the end of the afternoon yesterday, similar to the one described by Mr. Roth. Out of the blue. Bad English. Grew suspicious that email might contain a virus. Left voicemail, asking to talk with the sender. Was informed--again by text--that 'he' was "very busy". Asked for more info. about the assignment. Got very general title: "Research on Public Productivity Procedures" in text with request stated in the same manner, now for the 3rd time. Sender then
... See more
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE!
Received a text a the end of the afternoon yesterday, similar to the one described by Mr. Roth. Out of the blue. Bad English. Grew suspicious that email might contain a virus. Left voicemail, asking to talk with the sender. Was informed--again by text--that 'he' was "very busy". Asked for more info. about the assignment. Got very general title: "Research on Public Productivity Procedures" in text with request stated in the same manner, now for the 3rd time. Sender then expressed urgency about the assignment. I replied by asking for 'his' name and affiliation. This is 'his' response, ad verbatim and with 'his' limited grammar and spelling mistakes:
"Hello,
I am freelance writer and researcher. I work with students from all over the world. I produce academic and research material for projects and theses. However, I have my hands full with work from 3 different coperations. I have various individuals and organizations that sponsor my work in order to make it available for student as academic resources. This translation is for foreign students in Scandinavians speaking countries. I produce these documents as reading aid for students. This is my contact information:
[Address in Canoga Mobile Estates, L.A. but no name]"
I will "ghost" the sender of the text but must say I'm curious about how 'he' will respond to my silent treatment. I will also block the no., once I've had enough.



[Edited at 2019-03-16 23:52 GMT]
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Liviu-Lee Roth
 
Rebeca Sotura Nickerson
Rebeca Sotura Nickerson
United States
Local time: 05:45
Member (2011)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Same number - Sender Amanda Paige Jun 17, 2019

I was asked to quote an 11 page document (English into Spanish.) Same story about being a freelance writer and I was provided with a trailer park address in Canoga Park, CA. She claims to have found me in a “directory.”

[Edited at 2019-06-17 22:43 GMT]


Liviu-Lee Roth
 
Carolyn Berry
Carolyn Berry
United States
A freelance scam from Amanda at Canoga Park Oct 5, 2020

I have been approached by someone claiming to be Amanda Paige from Canoga Park. She wants me to write a handbook for which she will pay me $1/word.

The project has smelled like a scam from the first e-mail. Subsequent e-mails have changed the specifics somewhat.

The email today says she has mailed a check to me for both phase 1 and phase 2 of this project even though she has not seen my work, which is ironic since my portfolio is online.

I will not cash t
... See more
I have been approached by someone claiming to be Amanda Paige from Canoga Park. She wants me to write a handbook for which she will pay me $1/word.

The project has smelled like a scam from the first e-mail. Subsequent e-mails have changed the specifics somewhat.

The email today says she has mailed a check to me for both phase 1 and phase 2 of this project even though she has not seen my work, which is ironic since my portfolio is online.

I will not cash the check, nor will I work on this project.

I am curious as to how this scam works.

I talked with my bank manager who said to open a separate checking account.
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Liviu-Lee Roth
Liviu-Lee Roth
United States
Local time: 08:45
Romanian to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Please, please read Natalie's advice Oct 5, 2020

Carolyn Berry wrote:

I have been approached by someone claiming to be Amanda Paige from Canoga Park. She wants me to write a handbook for which she will pay me $1/word.

The project has smelled like a scam from the first e-mail. Subsequent e-mails have changed the specifics somewhat.

The email today says she has mailed a check to me for both phase 1 and phase 2 of this project even though she has not seen my work, which is ironic since my portfolio is online.

I will not cash the check, nor will I work on this project.

I am curious as to how this scam works.

I talked with my bank manager who said to open a separate checking account.




Natalie (MODERATOR) Get educated 08:41

Christian Witt wrote:

I don't get the concept of the scam as well


Go to https://www.proz.com/about/translator-scam-alerts and read everything attentively.


Yolanda Broad
 
Kevin Fulton
Kevin Fulton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 08:45
German to English
Bad advice Oct 6, 2020

Carolyn Berry wrote:

I talked with my bank manager who said to open a separate checking account.



Do NOT open a separate checking account. Do not deposit any checks. Do not pass GO. Do not attempt to collect $200 (or however much the scamster is sending you).


Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Liviu-Lee Roth
Yolanda Broad
IrinaN
 
Paweł Hamerski
Paweł Hamerski
Poland
Local time: 13:45
English to Polish
+ ...
you should always wait for the checque to force Oct 6, 2020

the scammer to bear courier costs. Always!

 


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