I met with scammer translation agency Thread poster: Maria Translator
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Hi, colleagues!
It looks like I have met with fraud translation agency.
When I was hired, they informed me about around one month payment turnaround.
I saw their web-site and it looked quite solid: all the staff with full names listed with LinkedIn accounts.All e-mails provided, physical address provided as well. Besides, they has their own project management system online.
Also, communication was quite good, sincere support, understanding if it takes... See more Hi, colleagues!
It looks like I have met with fraud translation agency.
When I was hired, they informed me about around one month payment turnaround.
I saw their web-site and it looked quite solid: all the staff with full names listed with LinkedIn accounts.All e-mails provided, physical address provided as well. Besides, they has their own project management system online.
Also, communication was quite good, sincere support, understanding if it takes more time for work to be completed (transcripts).
So, the problem started when it came about the payment. As for now, they have to pay me more than 1K Euro.
I was contacting accountant to send my invoices, I received replies. Then payment term exceeded, and after I asked them about payment schedule, they replied something like "beginning of the next week the latest", "we are so sorry" etc. Then next week nothing happened, and they wrote me that accountant is on leave, but we transfer the money tomorrow. But nothing happened. So I guess the next week and the next would be the same.
I am really shocked.
I thoroughly checked online their history and it is very-very-very bad.
They appeared to be a total scammers...with many names, reporting bankrupt to avoid payments.
Some of the former workers replied that after being annoying and insisting, they was eventually paid, but not all, and not all sums etc.
They have numerous names (former names, related companies with the same owner), and some of the related companies are registered at freelancers web-sites, and they are paying there and have a positive feedbacks.
But as for payments outside any control, it seems they constantly hire new freelancers so as to let them do a free work for them (for sure, freelancers haven't know this yet) ans there are really many freelancers with the same troubles happened.
This agency also has been banned here on Proz before, but now I see them at the BlueBoard placing new orders there as usual...
Could, please, anyone advise what is better to do?
This happened with UK agency, are there any bodies to report all this there?
I am really shocked, because I spent really much time for them during a half a year.
I have been working with other agencies, with late payment cycle, buy everything was ok, no such kind of troubles.
Would be glad for your advice!
[Edited at 2022-08-26 13:55 GMT]
[Edited at 2022-08-26 15:43 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Court for small amount payment | Aug 27, 2022 |
I met with such many scanners like this in many countries. Probabilities to be paid vary badly and weirdly. I hope you can find a number of methods such as collecting agencies, court for small amount payment, international trade or intelligent property court, arbitration processes.
Regards
Soonthon L.
| | | | Thayenga 
Germany
Local time: 12:46
Member (2009)
English to German
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| Due diligence | Aug 27, 2022 |
Hi Maria,
I'm sorry to learn about your loss. That is a lot of money.
You state that their online reputation is very bad. Did you check that before you started to work on their project(s)... or only after they revealed themselves as non-paying scammers?
Not knowing where the scammer is located, you could try to involve ProZ to help you with your payment problem. The other option is to involve a debt collecting agency.
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Did this “client” contact you via Proz? I must say that Proz staff has been very helpful every time I have submitted a non-payment report (two or three cases), and I got paid in a few days. Send all the proof you have (emails exchanged and/or PO, etc.) with your non-payment report. Good luck!
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Maria Translator
Moldova
Local time: 13:46
Japanese to Russian
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TOPIC STARTER | I've got some action | Aug 27, 2022 |
Since these guys were from a one translators web-site (not Proz), I was about to report them there, and I don't know in what way, but they knew and contacted me promising to proceed with payment. I will first check how it is going, so currently is waiting to check this. Then I will report you here.
Thank you, people.
| | | | Maria Translator
Moldova
Local time: 13:46
Japanese to Russian
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TOPIC STARTER | I should have done this thoroughly | Aug 27, 2022 |
Thayenga wrote:
Hi Maria,
I'm sorry to learn about your loss. That is a lot of money.
You state that their online reputation is very bad. Did you check that before you started to work on their project(s)... or only after they revealed themselves as non-paying scammers?
Not knowing where the scammer is located, you could try to involve ProZ to help you with your payment problem. The other option is to involve a debt collecting agency.
Thayenga, no I haven't checked deeply. Why I didn't? Because it was enough for me - really good web-site with all staff listed, serious entering proceed- lots of docs signed etc. All addressed present. I was really happy to receive this job.
No, this "story" is not connected to Proz, buy they are present on Proz as well. I just checked this here.
| | | | Maria Translator
Moldova
Local time: 13:46
Japanese to Russian
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TOPIC STARTER | Yes, I was about to do this | Aug 27, 2022 |
Teresa Borges wrote:
Did this “client” contact you via Proz? I must say that Proz staff has been very helpful every time I have submitted a non-payment report (two or three cases), and I got paid in a few days. Send all the proof you have (emails exchanged and/or PO, etc.) with your non-payment report. Good luck!
Yes, Teresa, I was about to do this on another web-site, not Proz. But in some way (I don't know in what) they knew and contacted me. I am checking whether payment was proceed and it takes some time.
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I would not publish my CV on proz or anywhere else openly as you did and as an MS Word file. This is an invitation to misuse your data for any purpose you can think of, especially when accompanied by your email address.
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William Tierney
United States
Local time: 06:46
Member (2002)
Arabic to English
| Why let them hide? | Aug 27, 2022 |
What agency are you talking about? If they are a bad actor, there is no reason to allow them protection from exposure.
| | | | Michael Newton
United States
Local time: 06:46
Japanese to English
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| Scammer agency | Aug 28, 2022 |
And the name of the agency is..........?
| | | | Michael Newton
United States
Local time: 06:46
Japanese to English
+ ...
| Scammer agencies | Aug 28, 2022 |
One thing to note about agencies on proz.com. Some agencies are banned and then at some time in the future, they are "redeemed" and once again allowed to post.
| | | | | Complying with Forum rules | Aug 28, 2022 |
Michael Newton wrote:
And the name of the agency is..........?
The name of the agency cannot be mentioned here according to forum rules. That can only be said in the Blue Board.
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Maria Translator
Moldova
Local time: 13:46
Japanese to Russian
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TOPIC STARTER | For sure no open CV | Aug 28, 2022 |
Matthias Brombach wrote:
I would not publish my CV on proz or anywhere else openly as you did and as an MS Word file. This is an invitation to misuse your data for any purpose you can think of, especially when accompanied by your email address.
Thank you very much for your thoughts about my CV. Actually, I didn't do that, I just once was applying for projects via ProZ and there was requirement to post a CV. (I didn't even know if is published!!) I am really shocked, since I am not a person who opens my data. Actually, once I got a call from some strange "agency" and they told me they found me on Proz...I was wondering why they called me directly, because no phone in my profile, so now I know, thanks to you.
| | | | William Tierney
United States
Local time: 06:46
Member (2002)
Arabic to English
| Don't post your CV | Aug 29, 2022 |
Maria Translator wrote: Matthias Brombach wrote:
I would not publish my CV on proz or anywhere else openly as you did and as an MS Word file. This is an invitation to misuse your data for any purpose you can think of, especially when accompanied by your email address. Thank you very much for your thoughts about my CV. Actually, I didn't do that, I just once was applying for projects via ProZ and there was requirement to post a CV. (I didn't even know if is published!!) I am really shocked, since I am not a person who opens my data. Actually, once I got a call from some strange "agency" and they told me they found me on Proz...I was wondering why they called me directly, because no phone in my profile, so now I know, thanks to you.
I agree. Don't upload your CV to Proz, especially if you have an advanced degree and/or are certified by any legitimate organization. Unscrupulous agencies will use your credentials to get a job, then go to low-cost translators for the actual work. Always keep your CV in locked PDF form and put something in the watermark to make sure you are identified. Occasionally, you will encounter agencies that require a "blind" CV in docx format. You can make your judgment at the time based on everything else you know about the agency. In my case, the agencies that ask for this are normally legit.
| | | | Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:46
Serbian to English
+ ...
| Agree with being cautious, but | Oct 22, 2022 |
William Tierney wrote: Maria Translator wrote: Matthias Brombach wrote:
I would not publish my CV on proz or anywhere else openly as you did and as an MS Word file. This is an invitation to misuse your data for any purpose you can think of, especially when accompanied by your email address. Thank you very much for your thoughts about my CV. Actually, I didn't do that, I just once was applying for projects via ProZ and there was requirement to post a CV. (I didn't even know if is published!!) I am really shocked, since I am not a person who opens my data. Actually, once I got a call from some strange "agency" and they told me they found me on Proz...I was wondering why they called me directly, because no phone in my profile, so now I know, thanks to you. I agree. Don't upload your CV to Proz, especially if you have an advanced degree and/or are certified by any legitimate organization. Unscrupulous agencies will use your credentials to get a job, then go to low-cost translators for the actual work. Always keep your CV in locked PDF form and put something in the watermark to make sure you are identified. Occasionally, you will encounter agencies that require a "blind" CV in docx format. You can make your judgment at the time based on everything else you know about the agency. In my case, the agencies that ask for this are normally legit.
Agree with being cautious, even very cautious, but "keep your CV in locked PDF form" is only an illusion of security.
That would be an obstacle only for the most amateurish beginner.
There is easy to find software that can convert anything that you can see on a screen in an editable text file, nicely formatted to match the formatting of the original.
It's better to perfect your due diligence applied before even talking to potential clients.
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