Translation - art & business » Scams »
'Lauren' the Scammer
Thread poster: Faig Mamedov
Faig Mamedov
Faig Mamedov  Identity Verified
Azerbaijan
Local time: 10:20
Azerbaijani to English
+ ...
Nov 19

People, beware of a scammer called 'Lauren'. Or a fraudster, really, rather than a scammer.
This person got in touch with me via ProZ, as the email suggested, and offered to translate a rather large text from English to Azeri. Offered to pay a handsome amount, too. We communicated via Telegram.

Whoever that 'Lauren' is, it is all silly. The 'text' was a bunch of scanned pages of some academic article on education. To be done within 48 hours.

The red flags:
... See more
People, beware of a scammer called 'Lauren'. Or a fraudster, really, rather than a scammer.
This person got in touch with me via ProZ, as the email suggested, and offered to translate a rather large text from English to Azeri. Offered to pay a handsome amount, too. We communicated via Telegram.

Whoever that 'Lauren' is, it is all silly. The 'text' was a bunch of scanned pages of some academic article on education. To be done within 48 hours.

The red flags:
1. Almost each pic containing incomplete sentences either at the beginning or the end, or both.
2. 'Lauren' is not particular communicative
3. Twice or so said 'we agreed on xxxx at the very beginning' though, of course, did not.
4. No advance payment
5. Easily agreed to pay the FULL amount on my submitting of 50% of the translation.

What 'Lauren' tries to pull is a really a jazz variation on the ages-old fraud, once used by fake 'online lotteries' - they offer an appealing amount and they suggest you pay a much smaller sum 'to clear the coast'. So, 'Lauren' pretended she had sent the money (giving me some nonsensical made-up screenshots - though I requested a proper bank or Skrill slip) and then, shock-horror, told me the money would not land in my account because (sic) I had to pass some KYC verification process and (sic-sic) pay $250 for it. Ha!

Now, of course, this is silly. But inexperienced linguists may fall for something of the kind, 'Lauren' or no 'Lauren', which is why I am posting this here. Beware diabolical masterminds and beware even cheap tricksters. This business we are all in is difficult as it is without all those clowns.

Keep safe, people. ▲ Collapse


Zea_Mays
Elizabeth Joy Pitt de Morales
Peter Motte
 
Adam Babka
Adam Babka
Local time: 07:20
Czech to English
+ ...
Red flags Nov 19

The biggest red flag of them all is communication through Telegram

Dan Lucas
Faig Mamedov
Michele Fauble
Robert Rietvelt
Zea_Mays
Elizabeth Joy Pitt de Morales
Gjorgji Apostolovski
 


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 »

'Lauren' the Scammer







TM-Town
Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business

Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.

More info »
CafeTran Espresso
You've never met a CAT tool this clever!

Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer. Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools. Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free

Buy now! »