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Poll: How do you mostly identify a scam or fraud before it's too late?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Aug 13

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How do you mostly identify a scam or fraud before it's too late?".

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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 03:26
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other Aug 13

I am extremely cautious. I do not rush into new projects and immediately step back if I sense any red light. Proper due diligence is a must, though over the years I’ve developed a sixth sense for scammers. If I can't really find anything about them and it doesn't feel good, it stops there. I always turn down a job from a potential client if something sounds fishy or too good to be true: better safe than sorry! This approach has served me right so far.

expressisverbis
Michele Fauble
Dewinta Maharani
Philip Lees
Wolfgang Schoene
Justin Peterson
Liena Vijupe
 
jyuan_us
jyuan_us  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 22:26
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
Sixth sense Aug 13

I can identify a scam immediately after I'm approached with my sixth sense, which may have been strengthened and sharpened by reading forum posts here on ProZ in all these years.

Justin Peterson
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Zea_Mays
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Dalia Nour
Liviu-Lee Roth
 
Sarah M.
Sarah M.
Australia
Local time: 13:26
English to French
Poll: How do you mostly identify a scam or fraud before it's too late? Aug 14

Watch for red flags such as unsolicited communications asking for personal information, offers that seem too good to be true, and requests for unconventional payment methods. Be cautious of high-pressure tactics, poor grammar, and unverified sources, and always verify the legitimacy of offers or requests through trusted channels.

Andrea Quintana
Liviu-Lee Roth
 
Justin Peterson
Justin Peterson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 04:26
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
Never been scammed (knock on wood) Aug 14

Typically, the scammers are inept and it's obvious that something is not right.

And even the savvier ones have been flagged and blacklisted on different sites.

So far, so good. Knock on wood.

Liena Vijupe
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Zea_Mays
Luis M. Sosa
Dalia Nour
 
Dan Lucas
Dan Lucas  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 03:26
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Return email address Aug 14

If the return email address (not the "from" address, which means nothing) does not point to a proper domain then I would immediately be suspicious. Another obvious giveaway is the use of Telegram as a means of communication or any cryptocurrency as a means of payment when coming from a person purporting to represent a respectable company.

I want to argue that most translation scams are obvious right from the start but some people push blindly onward, despite red flags like those des... See more
If the return email address (not the "from" address, which means nothing) does not point to a proper domain then I would immediately be suspicious. Another obvious giveaway is the use of Telegram as a means of communication or any cryptocurrency as a means of payment when coming from a person purporting to represent a respectable company.

I want to argue that most translation scams are obvious right from the start but some people push blindly onward, despite red flags like those described above and despite them later admitting that they had their suspicions. That's why threads like this are important.

Regards,
Dan ▲ Collapse


Aurélien ARPAZ
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Christina Pauly
Kevin Fulton
Christine Andersen
Josephine Cassar
Dalia Nour
 
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Yetta Jensen Bogarde  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 04:26
Member (2012)
English to Danish
+ ...
Other Aug 14

The way of expression, language, tone etc. usually gives away that the scammer is not familiar with our way of communication in our industry.

Christina Pauly
Kevin Fulton
Christine Andersen
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Dalia Nour
 
Liviu-Lee Roth
Liviu-Lee Roth
United States
Local time: 22:26
Romanian to English
+ ...
Narrative of the scam sold on darknet Aug 17

The narratives of these scams are being sold and bought on a variety of forums on the darknet.
The scammers play the numbers, nothing sophisticated.
Once, I replied to one of their requests, they sent me via FedEx a fake check and within an hour I received four different messages, from different e-mails, to send them back th difference (overpayment scam).
Stay safe,
Lee

Dan Lucas
 


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Poll: How do you mostly identify a scam or fraud before it's too late?






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