| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | SCAM: FEA / WTACA - and a new reincarnation, Successful Translators Organization (STO) / Intlangua Thread poster: Maria Hoskins
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| Slightly O/T (!) | Feb 11, 2012 |
Maria Hoskins wrote:
What are you doing in LC Charlie?
Seeing a mate for a cuppa, across the road from you, apparently. Lean out your window around 8 pm, and you'll probably see me filling up on cheap(ish) petrol at Sainsburys and getting some milk.
Probably scam is too strong a word but they're not bona fide clients either...
Absolutely - definitely something a bit odd going on.
Hope that means they don't try to sue me too under the international smearing in public legislation.
I know FEA was the original client but it is defo a tad odd that the only mention on the whole internet of that wcata URL is this thread, yet it's a live website, that, apart from the low rates and lack of names/addresses/location, looks like hundreds of others. Better, if anything, since it avoids those dreadful stock photos of people in business attire gawping at documents or pointing at screens
(Yup, Norton didn't bat an eyelid. I'll prob'ly wake up in the morning, though, and find my laptop has mutated into a microwave or something.)
| | | | | They are not ATA members | Feb 12, 2012 |
Despite FEA's posting the ATA logo in their "Our services" page (which resides in a free web-hosting service), they don't appear in ATA's directory.
One job offer from a guy purporting to belong to "the third largest integrated energy company in the U.S. and the fifth largest refiner in the world" (attributes of "ConocoPhillips") and accepting only WTACA members as applicants, includes the reply-to email address "[email protected]."
Totally laughable, just like WTA... See more Despite FEA's posting the ATA logo in their "Our services" page (which resides in a free web-hosting service), they don't appear in ATA's directory.
One job offer from a guy purporting to belong to "the third largest integrated energy company in the U.S. and the fifth largest refiner in the world" (attributes of "ConocoPhillips") and accepting only WTACA members as applicants, includes the reply-to email address "[email protected]."
Totally laughable, just like WTACA's glaring webpage errors. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Natalie 
Poland
Local time: 03:18
Member (2002)
English to Russian
+ ...
MODERATOR SITE LOCALIZER | Sílvia Martins
Portugal
Local time: 02:18
Member
English to Portuguese
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| Malware alert... | Feb 13, 2012 |
Hello!
I have been sent that “standard” e-mail too, with the instruction to get a WTACA certification. As I had never heard about it before, I tried to open the link to check what it was, but my antivirus blocked it as a malware!
Also, Google doesn't recognize WTACA as any translators' accreditation entity...
I don' t know if the e-mail really comes from FEA or not, this is highly unusual, so I decided to ignore it...
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| Investigation | Feb 16, 2012 |
I investigated the contact address provided in the page http://www.featranslation.tk/ for a particular country, googled it and found out that it belongs to a ProZ.com member. Then I called that member and she was totally unaware that her address and phone number had been used for this purpose.
Regards,
Enrique
| | | | Maria Hoskins
Spain
Local time: 03:18
Member (2011)
Spanish to English
TOPIC STARTER | Thanks to everyone who has contributed... | Feb 16, 2012 |
Well this really was a nasty little kettle of fish from all sides and I'm glad I brought it ProZ's attention.
| | | | Ty Kendall
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:18
Hebrew to English
| Their Birmingham "Office" | Feb 16, 2012 |
...is also the under the address and phone number of a Dutch-English translator (and part time DJ) who, on the face of it, has no apparent connection to FEA whatsoever.
He's not on ProZ but I've informed him anyway.
| | | | | Another fake contact | Feb 16, 2012 |
The "contact data" in another country was coincident with that of a ProZ.com member. I called her and she did not know about this "agency". There is a clear pattern here.
Enrique
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| Further and conclusive evidence | Feb 27, 2012 |
The original FEA TRANSLATION AND LANGUAGE SOLUTIONS webpage, located at http://www.featranslation.tk/ has been turned into a "Translators Secure Area", basically a blank page with a username and login box, so the allegued agency has in practical terms vanished from the public environment.
When I... See more The original FEA TRANSLATION AND LANGUAGE SOLUTIONS webpage, located at http://www.featranslation.tk/ has been turned into a "Translators Secure Area", basically a blank page with a username and login box, so the allegued agency has in practical terms vanished from the public environment.
When I try to access the WTACA web page http://www.wtaca.eu.tc/ I get a malware alert and the page is not available (probably because my antivirus took blocks it.
I believe this particular instance can be closed. An alert on this scam and a possible new incarnation will be issued through the Translators scam alert center.
Remember that if you are a ProZ.com alert you can subscribe to these alerts (they are also visible in a dedicated wiki page).
Regards,
Enrique ▲ Collapse
| | | | | other message received | Feb 27, 2012 |
As far as I am concerned, I received the following message from FEA. A few days later, I get a new contact on Skype: FEA! They also proposed me to become a FEA agent )
Here is the message I received (this publication may be useful for other translators who will make a search):
Dear,
We would like to explore the possibility of cooperation.FEA Translation and Language Solutions offers pro... See more As far as I am concerned, I received the following message from FEA. A few days later, I get a new contact on Skype: FEA! They also proposed me to become a FEA agent)
Here is the message I received (this publication may be useful for other translators who will make a search):
Dear,
We would like to explore the possibility of cooperation.FEA Translation and Language Solutions offers professional Interpretation and Translation Services, we work 24 hours a day, so we always keep the project on track.
FEA Translation & Language Solutions is operating around the globe; we have a wide range of long-standing clients counting both global multi-national and small private companies, public sector, voluntary organisations and private individuals among our client base.
FEA Translation & Language Solutions gained a reputation as a trustworthy and reliable provider of translation and interpreting services to businesses and private customers alike.
FEA Translation & Language Solutions appreciate your interest in a possible business relationship with us. We value all of our business partnerships greatly.We would be grateful if you provide us with your working language pairs, fields of expertise and your prices.
We hope that you find this offering as exciting as we do; we are enthusiastically looking forward to discuss our ideas for a potential collaboration and are pleased about having the opportunity to work together.
Thank you for your prompt attention to our request .We look forward to a successful working relationship in the future.
All the best,
___________________
Team External Partners
FEA Translation & Language Solutions
Phone : + 213 557 558 230
Email : [email protected]
Skype : fea.translation
Web : www.featranslation.tk ▲ Collapse
| | | | Dirce Santos
United States
Local time: 21:18
English to Portuguese
| Scam of the 'overpayment' type, just happened in the first week of January, 2022 | Jan 17, 2022 |
I started working for a client named Judson Allen, his email is: [email protected] .
I failed to verify his identity - lesson learned. I continued to work after he sent me the following email. So I received a check for 4,000 over the amount for the first check. Once I stopped replying to him, he also stopped replying to me. I have the check here, and will certainly not try to deposit it. What a horrible experience!
I filed com... See more I started working for a client named Judson Allen, his email is: [email protected] .
I failed to verify his identity - lesson learned. I continued to work after he sent me the following email. So I received a check for 4,000 over the amount for the first check. Once I stopped replying to him, he also stopped replying to me. I have the check here, and will certainly not try to deposit it. What a horrible experience!
I filed complaints with the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission.
Here is an excerpt from the email threads:
How are you doing today? I'm sorry for the long silence as I have been in the hospital due to an illness (cancer). Going forward, I got information that the check has been sent out to you, but there seems to be a mix up, as the amount which was meant to be sent to you was sent to another vendor, while the amount meant for them was sent to you. I will please need you to deposit the check once you receive it, so once it clears, you can deduct your payment and then we can get things sorted out with the mix up. I hope I can trust you with this. Also, I will provide you with the tracking number for the check as soon as possible. Please confirm receipt of this email, and kindly put me in your prayers. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Liviu-Lee Roth
United States
Local time: 21:18
Romanian to English
+ ...
| old overpayment scam | Jan 17, 2022 |
Dirce Santos wrote: I started working for a client named Judson Allen, his email is: [email protected] . I failed to verify his identity - lesson learned. I continued to work after he sent me the following email. So I received a check for 4,000 over the amount for the first check. Once I stopped replying to him, he also stopped replying to me. I have the check here, and will certainly not try to deposit it. What a horrible experience! I filed complaints with the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission. Here is an excerpt from the email threads: How are you doing today? I'm sorry for the long silence as I have been in the hospital due to an illness (cancer). Going forward, I got information that the check has been sent out to you, but there seems to be a mix up, as the amount which was meant to be sent to you was sent to another vendor, while the amount meant for them was sent to you. I will please need you to deposit the check once you receive it, so once it clears, you can deduct your payment and then we can get things sorted out with the mix up. I hope I can trust you with this. Also, I will provide you with the tracking number for the check as soon as possible. Please confirm receipt of this email, and kindly put me in your prayers.
Do not deposit the check, let the FBI know (do not expect miracles) and ... lesson learned!
Stay safe,
Lee
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Michael Newton
United States
Local time: 21:18
Japanese to English
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You might send him a get-well card.
As a sidebar, I sometimes get solicitations to the effect that: "We found your name on the ATA membership list and...."
I stop right there as I do not belong to the ATA.
| | | | Ann Smith
Local time: 18:18
Spanish to English
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| I almost fell for this scam! | Apr 29, 2022 |
I received a request to translate a research paper from Spanish into English via Pro-Z. The client accepted my quote. The red flags I ignored included his apparent lack of interest in my qualifications, his refusal to pay me via PayPal or Zelle but insistence on a certified check and the fact that none of the references in the paper were dated after 2014. He said he was sending the check, and I should deposit it and wait for it to clear before delivering the job. Then he told me that he was goin... See more I received a request to translate a research paper from Spanish into English via Pro-Z. The client accepted my quote. The red flags I ignored included his apparent lack of interest in my qualifications, his refusal to pay me via PayPal or Zelle but insistence on a certified check and the fact that none of the references in the paper were dated after 2014. He said he was sending the check, and I should deposit it and wait for it to clear before delivering the job. Then he told me that he was going to use me to translate "Phase 2" and the check would be for $2,000 over the agreed price, to avoid delays. At that point I put the brakes on, told him I would only accept the agreed-upon amount, I had not agreed to do "Phase 2" and I set my prices, not him. Needless to say, no check arrived, I've been ghosted now and I'm only out a little bit of time that I spent starting the job. Obviously, this was going to be a request for me to return the overpayment once I deposited his check, which would have bounced. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [1 2] | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » SCAM: FEA / WTACA - and a new reincarnation, Successful Translators Organization (STO) / Intlangua | Trados Studio 2022 Freelance | The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.
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