| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Off topic: Customer is SO being taken for a ride! Thread poster: maria pelufo
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maria pelufo wrote:
I will know I may NOT have been collaborating with a POSSIBLE scam, because unlike you, I am NOT sure this is a scam.
I am 200% positive it's a scam. I see stories like this one every other day on the TripAdvisor forums of certain African countries.
1. You're a complete stranger but I'm madly in love with you
2. You're only one I can turn to for help
3. The only help I need is monetary
4. That help can only come to me via Western Union
5. Send it ASAP before you have time to think otherwise [random dire consequence, usually involving death or jail]
6. Crisis averted, I'm moving to your country
7. I need money for the visa, plane ticket, "BTA," all at inflated prices. Western Union only.
8. Oh no, I had an accident on the way to the hospital. Send more money
9. More money!
10. More money!!
11-victim runs out of money. Send more money!
Too bad you don't have any access to the victim, or you might ask him to take this quiz: http://www.romancescam.com/cgi-bin/scamtest.cgi?areyoutalkingtoanigerianscammer
| | | | | Definitely a scam | Jan 16, 2012 |
Definitely this is a scam, and I feel sorry for the man.
If I were in your situation, I would probably stop translating the letters, and would inform the agency that you cannot keep doing this work for ethical reasons. They know what you mean and would perfectly understand.
Please do not infer that I am saying that anyone is being dishonest by carrying on with this work. I am talking about what I would do, as a result of my probably exaggerated sense of ethics.
| | | | Usch Pilz
Local time: 18:34
English to German
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| Not a woman in love! | Jan 16, 2012 |
I can only second Ty - there is NO WOMAN in love here.
There is a scam gang at work, and they know what they are doing.
You can find job ads for 'creative writing' in lots of classified sections in certain countries. And 'creative writing' it is. Very often even the faulty grammar and spelling are deliberate. Even if the stories they weave are SO predictable.
Further reading:
There is an equally entertaining and thought provoking novel by a young Nigerian wo... See more I can only second Ty - there is NO WOMAN in love here.
There is a scam gang at work, and they know what they are doing.
You can find job ads for 'creative writing' in lots of classified sections in certain countries. And 'creative writing' it is. Very often even the faulty grammar and spelling are deliberate. Even if the stories they weave are SO predictable.
Further reading:
There is an equally entertaining and thought provoking novel by a young Nigerian woman: 'I do not come to you by chance.' Sorry, I don't recall the author's name right now.
Reading the book (no, I am not getting any share of the royalties!) is a fun and easy way to learn more about love and the Western Union. ▲ Collapse
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 18:34
Spanish to English
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| Not harsh, just realistic | Jan 16, 2012 |
Ty Kendall wrote:
There are a few things you seem oblivious to:
1) This is not a woman writing to a man. It's a man [pretending to be a woman] writing to another man.
2) Any addresses, contact information, social networking etc can be easily faked. He may have "her" phone number, but I can guarantee "she" has female acquaintances willing to play the part for a slice of the action....
....although one thing I'm not clear on....if they chat on MSN, why do they need a translator to translate other correspondence????
3) You seem blinded by the "love story", despite the fact it's totally fabricated and artificial. Scammers are meant to charm money out of their victims, "they plan to move in together", I'm surprised "she" hasn't proposed to him yet.
You also seem to think we NEED to read the letters to smell a scam here. I'm sorry but when someone from "an African country" - I'm guessing Nigeria (Lagos) writes to you talking about WESTERN UNION begging for cash for a plethora of ridiculous excuses:
...Then it doesn't take a genius to spot what's going on...
[/quote]
I agree, I've had experience of this sort of thing, and not only from Africa, also from Eastern block countries, but the modus operandi is always similar.
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| Bite bullet, take a stand | Jan 16, 2012 |
Maria, your dilemma reminds me of a letter in "The Prosperous Translator" (Q&A, advice to translators), Chapter 9, which I'll copy below for information.
For me, the moral of the story (his and yours) is that exploitation of people by other people is never too cool to watch or participate in. It sounds like you've already taken a decision at this point, though.
Chris
*****
Q: I have a client—a European businessman—who travels extensively in the
developin... See more Maria, your dilemma reminds me of a letter in "The Prosperous Translator" (Q&A, advice to translators), Chapter 9, which I'll copy below for information.
For me, the moral of the story (his and yours) is that exploitation of people by other people is never too cool to watch or participate in. It sounds like you've already taken a decision at this point, though.
Chris
*****
Q: I have a client—a European businessman—who travels extensively in the
developing world. Over the past five years, he has had me translate personal
correspondence, mainly letters from women he has picked up, used and professed
undying love to before heading back home (the exchanges usually continue for a
month or two after his return).
Until now the moral side hasn’t really troubled me. As far as I can tell, his lady
friends are all of age and street-wise. They have no hang-ups about asking him for
money, for example; in fact, that seems to be part of the deal.
Last month a new lady appeared. A young college student in a desperately poor
country, she expresses affection for him and even suggests marriage. Unlike the
others, she is genuinely articulate and seems, well, nice: what she is doing with this
pot-bellied, wattle-necked pig is beyond me. I feel like clueing her in. The whole
situation has got me depressed. What should I do?
Moral Dilemma
A: Dear Postillon D’amour,
What is this—have you suddenly got religion? You happily took Pigman’s
money for five years, so spare us the rending of garments.
But to answer your question: one of the advantages of being self-employed
is that you and only you decide who you work for.
If you have personal no-go areas, by all means say so up front in your terms
of business (e.g., “I do not work on military contracts for religious reasons”).
If for whatever reason you decide that an existing client is not—or is no
longer—your cup of tea, there are at least two foolproof ways to get him off
your customer roster.
1. Announce a steep (100-500%) rise in price.
2. Be busy every time he calls; he’ll get the picture sooner or later.
If you opt for 1 and he accepts anyway, fall back on 2.
If he’s still there, try 1 again.
Then 2.
In fact, a steady stream of 1-2-1-2-1-2 before caving in (“one last time”)
might solve all your problems, allowing you to retire with enough money to
pay for a shrink to talk through your current and other moral dilemmas.
FA & WB ▲ Collapse
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maria pelufo wrote:
and if she does not pay all in one payment (no installments) she will go to jail
Maria
I wonder why
maria pelufo wrote:
But I really, really feel for this man!
Maria
Me too! He is going to lose his money and he might be a decent man.
Ewa
| | | | | And who are we to judge? | Jan 16, 2012 |
Simply, we are the professionals whose professional services have been used, or might have been used, to perpetrate a crime, a fraud. It is our right, in fact our duty, at least to investigate the facts, and act accordingly.
And, as to the likelihood that this is not a scam, in my personal opinion, that likelihood is similar to the likelihood that an advanced check for an amount five times our translation fee has funds.
Finally, this is not unlike any other Internet sca... See more Simply, we are the professionals whose professional services have been used, or might have been used, to perpetrate a crime, a fraud. It is our right, in fact our duty, at least to investigate the facts, and act accordingly.
And, as to the likelihood that this is not a scam, in my personal opinion, that likelihood is similar to the likelihood that an advanced check for an amount five times our translation fee has funds.
Finally, this is not unlike any other Internet scams. Please do a search on "love letter scam" and you will see many hits on the subject. ▲ Collapse
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Andrea Teltemann wrote:
the man who receives the letters is aware of the lies she is telling him. What if he has enough money and is in love and wants to help her? What if he accepts her lies for some reason?
As Maria Pelufo said: Who are we to judge?
More importantly: who are we to participate in criminal behaviour?
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Krzysztof Kajetanowicz (X) 
Poland
Local time: 18:34
English to Polish
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| Us guys can be really gullible. | Jan 16, 2012 |
When we're horny - sorry, smitten by Cupid is what I meant to say - our brain can basically shut down, and our wallet can open wider than the Greek-German bond spread.
Never mind that the guy has all the information that Maria has. He does not have the ability to process it at this time. No irony meant. Maria, you did the right thing by separating yourself from this shameful scam.
[Edited at 2012-01-16 21:53 GMT]
| | | | Abba Storgen (X)
United States
Local time: 11:34
Greek to English
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| The Disneyland | Jan 16, 2012 |
"It would not be ethical!"
Who says that? Who says that it's unethical to tell the truth, especially when a series of crimes (starting from fraud) is taking place?
Over the years I have read the most unbelievable versions of "professionalism" and "ethics" on this website. They have created a "new business culture" that doesn't actually exists. Anywhere.
"Simply, we are the professionals whose professional services have been used, or might have bee... See more "It would not be ethical!"
Who says that? Who says that it's unethical to tell the truth, especially when a series of crimes (starting from fraud) is taking place?
Over the years I have read the most unbelievable versions of "professionalism" and "ethics" on this website. They have created a "new business culture" that doesn't actually exists. Anywhere.
"Simply, we are the professionals whose professional services have been used, or might have been used, to perpetrate a crime, a fraud. It is our right, in fact our duty, at least to investigate the facts, and act accordingly."
Correct. Thank God a person with common sense (and personality too).
"Who are we to judge?"
People hire you for your judgment, your professional judgment, and this may include a lot of other things. There are laws concerning your conduct, as a human being, when you detect fraud. For example, not reporting a murder in the U.S. or not taking steps to report actions before a murder, when you reasonably know it's imminent, constitutes homicide in some states and some cases. Yes - indifference can put you to jail. You see, the real world outside the geek-land or the proz-land provides different things.
If you do not have any judgment, then you are just a better version of "google translate" waiting for the machine to improve its syntax to take over your job. I understand that the modern "geek" era (people clueless without an iPhone) in combination with the average social responsibility of translation agencies make people fearful in such situations.
You did the right thing calling the agency - if you have noted large amounts of money transferred etc, you can call the FBI directly. Or Interpol. In such cases you can bypass typical procedures. Actually, anyone who has read your post can call the FBI. That's what I would do - I do not need the agency's permission to report international crimes.
PS. And it's about time to stop using the word and title "Scam" for such things. It's not just "naughty computer behavior". It's called Fraud. If one is caught, they are put to prison. Real prison.
[Edited at 2012-01-16 22:36 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Germaine
Canada
Local time: 12:34
English to French
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| Is everything a scam? | Jan 17, 2012 |
There are so many scams running around our planet that anything merely suspect seems to raise a red flag.
You are talking about a relationship going on between two consenting adults. One looks like she is taking advantage of the other? Unless you are certain that the other person is unable to form a consent (for being mentally disabled or some reason alike), whatever happens between the love birds simply is none of your business. Even worse, "reporting" the situation can open the d... See more There are so many scams running around our planet that anything merely suspect seems to raise a red flag.
You are talking about a relationship going on between two consenting adults. One looks like she is taking advantage of the other? Unless you are certain that the other person is unable to form a consent (for being mentally disabled or some reason alike), whatever happens between the love birds simply is none of your business. Even worse, "reporting" the situation can open the door to a libel suit. I witnessed a very similar situation in the past and I know for a fact that no scam was going on. Let's call it "blind love" and wait for the eyes to open...
Since you feel bad for being part of the ride, the only right thing to do is to get off the horse. I can't think of any job being worth of losing one's soul.
This said, I totally agree with Eleftherios Kritikakis that there are laws concerning your conduct when you witness a crime (or even a person in distress) or when everything drive you to be pretty sure (not "feeling") that a crime is going on. And yes, in these cases, riding along makes you an accessory, and looking away, no less. The difficulty is to use one's best judgement over being judgemental. I try not to paint everyone with the same brush until proven wrong.
[Edited at 2012-01-17 02:42 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Germaine
Canada
Local time: 12:34
English to French
+ ...
| Sometimes, you pay to learn | Jan 17, 2012 |
Evonymus (Ewa Kazmierczak) wrote: maria pelufo wrote:
and if she does not pay all in one payment (no installments) she will go to jail
Maria I wonder why
So do I. Wouldn't he too? Use whatever is left of his brain to check this out?
And wonder, since she is in such a desparate situation, how she can pay for the translations? (or is he also already paying for that too?)
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