"From Proz.com" frauding email Thread poster: Francesca Battaglia
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Hi all, I've just received a frauding email with the subject "from Proz.com" where I was called to help this girl escape from Africa and get a big sum (offering me a percentage) and of course I was also called to deliver a certain amount of money in order to help..
This is clearly a fraud but my concerns is set on the title, since it's possible that other colleagues receive this (signed by "Lilian Sam") and may fall into the trap.
I've already submitted a ticket but I thought... See more Hi all, I've just received a frauding email with the subject "from Proz.com" where I was called to help this girl escape from Africa and get a big sum (offering me a percentage) and of course I was also called to deliver a certain amount of money in order to help..
This is clearly a fraud but my concerns is set on the title, since it's possible that other colleagues receive this (signed by "Lilian Sam") and may fall into the trap.
I've already submitted a ticket but I thought it was good to open a thread too.
Please beware!
Francesca ▲ Collapse
| | | | Rebecca Hendry 
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:29
Member (2005)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Hi Francesca,
I received the same message, but it was sent to an email address which I do not use for Proz.com correspondence - I guess the scammers found it somewhere on my profile page (perhaps in the MSN messenger bit, as it was the address I use for that).
Looks like they've been going through the entire database! It must be very boring being a scammer!
| | | | Natalie
Poland
Local time: 08:29
Member (2002)
English to Russian
+ ...
MODERATOR SITE LOCALIZER
In case you receive anything like this, please do not discuss in the forums, but please contact immediately any of jobs moderators (one at a time, please!) or submit a support request.
This would allow fast removal of the profile (if any) or blocking the scammer from contacting more translators through their profiles.
Thank you,
Natalia
[Edited at 2008-10-04 10:41]
| | | | | Sorry about that | Oct 4, 2008 |
Thanks Natalie,
so sorry I've posted this on the message board, I actually though it could be of help but I understand I was wrong..
I really hope this could be solved fast and yes, I've got it on my secondary email address that is a msn account, just like you Rebecca.
It must be extremely boring!!!
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Rebecca Hendry
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:29
Member (2005)
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Not via my profile per se | Oct 4, 2008 |
Hi Natalie,
I appreciate the need to submit a support request if the scamming attempt has been sent via a profile. However, on this occasion the message was sent directly to my address (i.e. not through a Proz.com message) and it came from an email address, not another profile. I don't think that Proz.com can actually prevent this from happening (but please correct me if I'm wrong).
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It must be extremely boring!!!
In most cases this sort of stuff is done by bots, i.e. computer programmes. The spammers probably just write some code that scans all the text on a given website, retrieves all the "words" that contain the @ symbol and mails them all.
It would take a really desperate spammer to look for addresses manually.
It is upsetting that proz could not block that... maybe there is no way if we want the addresses easily available for humans.
Perhaps that is why the mods are not too happy about this being discussed in the forum?
Frankly, I think the more people know, the better.
| | | | | | Anne Bohy
France
Local time: 08:29
English to French
| Blocking comes too late - advertising is a must | Oct 4, 2008 |
Natalie wrote:
In case you receive anything like this, please do not discuss in the forums, but please contact immediately any of jobs moderators (one at a time, please!) or submit a support request.
This would allow fast removal of the profile (if any) or blocking the scammer from contacting more translators through their profiles.
Thank you,
Natalia
[Edited at 2008-10-04 10:41]
What you propose doesn't help in any way those who have already received such a fraudulent e-mail (or may receive one by another way). I think Francesca was right. All scammers tricks must be exposed as widely as possible. If they are still there, it's because there is still unaware people who get trapped.
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Rad Graban (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:29
English to Slovak
+ ...
| I beg your pardon?! | Oct 4, 2008 |
Natalie wrote:
In case you receive anything like this, please do not discuss in the forums, but please contact immediately any of jobs moderators (one at a time, please!) or submit a support request.
This would allow fast removal of the profile (if any) or blocking the scammer from contacting more translators through their profiles.
Thank you,
Natalia
[Edited at 2008-10-04 10:41]
What makes you think that the rest of us shouldn't know about it???!!!
Is bringing ProZ.com's flaws into attention of others some kind of sin or breaking of some (unknown to me) rule?!
Are we supposed to keep quiet to make sure ProZ.com don't loose its credibility?
Efficient as they are ("help desk"), they do not resolve problems in the lightning speed and the last thing WE want is a some nasty virus.
I am not a paying member, but if I was, I would have expected help rather than being told off for bringing it up.
Can you please make yourself more clear about your comments?
[Edited at 2008-10-04 23:11]
[Edited at 2008-10-04 23:17]
[Edited at 2008-10-04 23:27]
[Edited at 2008-10-05 00:45]
| | | | | Not via proz profle | Oct 5, 2008 |
Natalie wrote:
In case you receive anything like this, please do not discuss in the forums, but please contact immediately any of jobs moderators (one at a time, please!) or submit a support request.
This would allow fast removal of the profile (if any) or blocking the scammer from contacting more translators through their profiles
It was sent via email (I received the same email) but the subject line stated: From Proz.com,
so I don't think that a support request could help, and there is also the problem that in this case staff would receive at least 100 support request.
Also there is no profile to delete since (like already said) it was not sent via profile.
In my opinion the problem is in the system, I mean our emails are not protected enough, for example mine is not visible in my profile page.
Have a nice Sunday!
| | | | | Agree with Bohy | Oct 5, 2008 |
All scammers tricks must be exposed as widely as possible. If they are still there, it's because there is still unaware people who get trapped.
I don't think deleting the scammer's profile will do any good. He or she (or they!) will just create another one.
As people became more and more aware of scammers, these criminals invent new and new tricks. There is no end to their imagination. Therefore, we should alert one another of there new tactics.
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Hmm, my first thought was actually to hide my email and I logged in to do it when I realized that the one used was not the one I use for Proz. And that's interesting because I really can0t figure out how my secondary email (completely different from my major one, the "work" one) could be detected here..So I thought they might have detected both emails and checked in my major account if I could find it in the "spam" emails but, surprisingly, no trace..
Actually, I am with you when yo... See more Hmm, my first thought was actually to hide my email and I logged in to do it when I realized that the one used was not the one I use for Proz. And that's interesting because I really can0t figure out how my secondary email (completely different from my major one, the "work" one) could be detected here..So I thought they might have detected both emails and checked in my major account if I could find it in the "spam" emails but, surprisingly, no trace..
Actually, I am with you when you say Proz may not be able to do much about it. Although I guess it's important to inform them, at least to be aware something like this has happend.
It's so weird, though, how did they do? ▲ Collapse
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