Off topic: 13 job application sin my mailbox in 3 hours! What's up?? Thread poster: Eloïse Notet-Gilet
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Hi everyone,
I just received a 13th job application per email in my mailbox since this morning.
The adressee of each message is 'undisclosed-recipients' and each message begins with "Dear Sir / Madam", "Dear Respectful Client", "Dear Client", and the applications are in different languages (with CV in Word each time).
I did not create any job offer and I think this looks like spams.
I was afraid of identity theft at the very beginning, but sinc... See more Hi everyone,
I just received a 13th job application per email in my mailbox since this morning.
The adressee of each message is 'undisclosed-recipients' and each message begins with "Dear Sir / Madam", "Dear Respectful Client", "Dear Client", and the applications are in different languages (with CV in Word each time).
I did not create any job offer and I think this looks like spams.
I was afraid of identity theft at the very beginning, but since there are no adressees, I don't think this is the case.
Is any other person affected?
Do you think these mails are spams?
Thanks in advance!
Have a lovely Sunday
Eloïse ▲ Collapse
| | | | Robert Forstag 
United States
Local time: 07:49
Spanish to English
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| Could be identity theft, or getting your data to obtain jobs | Oct 20, 2013 |
You write that "there are no addresses," but surely there must be an address that you are to return the applications to? Otherwise the sending parties could only be accused of rank stupidity.
I would thus suspect possible identity theft, or perhaps just an attempt to get your data as a means to secure jobs. In this particular case, the agency/party/scammer in question would be able to claim having a qualified English-French translator as part of its "team" as a way of obtaining jobs... See more You write that "there are no addresses," but surely there must be an address that you are to return the applications to? Otherwise the sending parties could only be accused of rank stupidity.
I would thus suspect possible identity theft, or perhaps just an attempt to get your data as a means to secure jobs. In this particular case, the agency/party/scammer in question would be able to claim having a qualified English-French translator as part of its "team" as a way of obtaining jobs in that combination (but would then have someone else do any actual job obtained in that combination).
This kind of illegitimate use of freelancer data has been commonly reported on this site.
In any case, I would recommend not responding at all. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
Local time: 05:49
Dutch to English
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I have been getting 2 or 3 of these every day for months now and my computer has already learned to send them directly to my 'junk' box. The ones I get are not really job applications, they are asking for jobs but not in response to any job offer. It's a nuisance but I wouldn't be too concerned about it, I don't think it has anything to do with identity theft.
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Seems to be people who pick our addresses from somewhere (probably here) and use them to advertise their services.
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Eloïse Notet-Gilet
France
Local time: 13:49
Member (2005)
German to French
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TOPIC STARTER
I meant adressees, in the sense of "recipients"
My email-address is not directly mentioned in. I only see 'undisclosed-recipients', reason why I then rather thought of a spam.
Tina, I also receive job applications regularly, but not 13 in 3 hours and they have always a recipient (me!).
It seems to be better now...
Thanks for your responses anywhay!
| | | | Raffi Jamgocyan
Türkiye
Local time: 14:49
Member (2012)
English to Turkish
+ ...
You could try googling your email address and see if it comes up anywhere that it shouldn't.
| | | | neilmac
Spain
Local time: 13:49
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Spam -a-lama-ding-dong! | Oct 20, 2013 |
Any e-mails starting with "Dear Respectful Client" would get binned immediately, after a brief chuckle at the writer's rather quaint turn of phrase.
| | | | | I am getting a growing quantity of translator applications | Oct 20, 2013 |
As I have separate e-mail addresses for different purposes, I know they found mine through my web site. Yet I don't think so many translators in different language pairs suddenly began to "find" my web site. Most likely some "translator clients lists" merchant like TranslationDirectory found it, and included it to brag about +1 in their offer.
Most messages are well-written, of the kind I would send in response to a public invitation ... See more As I have separate e-mail addresses for different purposes, I know they found mine through my web site. Yet I don't think so many translators in different language pairs suddenly began to "find" my web site. Most likely some "translator clients lists" merchant like TranslationDirectory found it, and included it to brag about +1 in their offer.
Most messages are well-written, of the kind I would send in response to a public invitation on the web site of a translation agency that I perceived as having potential for my work. Yet my web site contains NO such invitation, and I don't have ANY jobs to offer to these people.
I mean, even though some candidates work in my language pairs, and serve some specialty areas I don't, it is obvious that I will divert such requests to reliable colleagues who do it, and won't be the one who advised my clients to take chances on hiring a complete stranger.
So these messages follow the same deletion route as others on Viagra, body parts enlargement, immense sums of money intended for me, etc. etc. ▲ Collapse
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Mirelluk
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:49
Member (2005)
English to Italian
+ ...
| Scams and identity theft | Oct 21, 2013 |
Dear colleagues,
Please refer to a previous post http://www.proz.com/forum/business_issues/232772-bogus_cvs.html and also check on http://www.jrdias.com/jrd-translator-scammers.htm whether your name and CV has been 'stolen'.
Initially the f... See more Dear colleagues,
Please refer to a previous post http://www.proz.com/forum/business_issues/232772-bogus_cvs.html and also check on http://www.jrdias.com/jrd-translator-scammers.htm whether your name and CV has been 'stolen'.
Initially the falsified CVs were sent mainly to translation companies, but I see that more and more translators receive such e-mails.
Even saving the CV in PDF protected format does not seem to stop the abuse.
I strongly suggest that all professional translators should register a domain in their name so that their e-mails can be easily traced.
It is also important to be members of professional associations and websites like proz.com so that it becomes almost impossible for fraudsters to modify a CV and hide the name of the legitimate linguist.
We are flooded by false CVs and they cause a great loss of time and money, let alone the loss of trust that is the basis our interaction with prospective new linguists.
Have a good working day!
Mirella
[Edited at 2013-10-21 12:19 GMT]
[Edited at 2013-10-21 13:36 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lara Barnett
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:49
Member (2011)
French to English
+ ...
| CVs connected to Professional bodies | Jun 9, 2015 |
[Edited at 2015-06-09 12:29 GMT]
| | | | Lara Barnett
United Kingdom
Local time: 12:49
Member (2011)
French to English
+ ...
| CVs connected to Professional bodies | Jun 9, 2015 |
How can joining a professional body help prevent the scamming of your CV?
| | | | | What would be the point? | Jun 9, 2015 |
LaraBarnett wrote:
How can joining a professional body help prevent the scamming of your CV?
A CV is a personal statement.
As a sworn translator, I often get requests to do sworn translations of numerous documents, including a CV, from people who are trying to move in or out of my country. I explain them that while birth/marriage certificates, as well as school records and diplomas are OFFICIAL documents, the CV is a personal statement; the sworn translation won't add any credibility to what's in there.
I could state on my CV that I am a master chef de cuisine. They'll only find out that it's a lie when the fowl I'm roasting opens the oven door to demand its feathers back!
So people who envy my CV might "pluck" items from my CV - and many others, for that effect - to fabricate their own. If I weren't happy with my CV, I could very well pick some items from Wikipedia's pages on Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, anyone, to build my own.
So it's a matter of due diligence by any prospective buyer to check the truthfulness of anyone's CV as a personal statement, and nothing else. It is NOT an official document.
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