Agency might be a scam Thread poster: Alexandra Villeminey
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Dear Translators,
be aware that the agency TranslateSync might be a scam. Not only do they not answer any emails or phone calls, their payment threshold is 1000USD which you will never reach and they request to introduce confidential payment card data on their platform.
[Edited at 2024-03-07 08:53 GMT]
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Thank you, but AFAIK you can't name names on Proz, but you can open a BB entry, even if that particular agency is not on Proz...
| | | | Sascha Heß
Germany
Local time: 18:00
English to German
I do have the same suspicion. I wrote multiple emails to various addresses over the last 2 days but there is complete radio silence and the translation I submitted is under review for one week now.
If it turns out to be true that this is in fact a scammer, we do have a completely new (at least for me) quality of scam on our hands. You have to do a video interview, online test of 2 hours and will receive NDA/compliance documents and on-boarding material and a user account on their site. Thi... See more I do have the same suspicion. I wrote multiple emails to various addresses over the last 2 days but there is complete radio silence and the translation I submitted is under review for one week now.
If it turns out to be true that this is in fact a scammer, we do have a completely new (at least for me) quality of scam on our hands. You have to do a video interview, online test of 2 hours and will receive NDA/compliance documents and on-boarding material and a user account on their site. This is all very well made and really looks like an agency. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Fabian Deckwirth 
Spain
Local time: 18:00
Member (2010)
Portuguese to English
+ ...
I'm very curious how this scam works. The text that I received to translate had 5500 words and was supposed to be an annual balance, but the whole thing looked more like an AI-generated text full of blablabla than an actual annual balance. I then asked them to enter into a contract with me or to at least provide me registration numbers. Nothing. Asked them again. Nothing. Obviously, I didn't send my translation.
However, I suspect that this is not about translation work itself. Do t... See more I'm very curious how this scam works. The text that I received to translate had 5500 words and was supposed to be an annual balance, but the whole thing looked more like an AI-generated text full of blablabla than an actual annual balance. I then asked them to enter into a contract with me or to at least provide me registration numbers. Nothing. Asked them again. Nothing. Obviously, I didn't send my translation.
However, I suspect that this is not about translation work itself. Do they, instead, place a Trojan horse or any sort of spyware in your computer? There is the fishy one-way interview and the 2-3 hour long text translation, during which it is made sure you don't click on anything while taking it. So there is access to your screen at least for the time of the translation test. ▲ Collapse
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Zea_Mays
Italy
Local time: 18:00
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
as soon as a video interview was mentioned. And monitored online test? Of hours??
| | | | Tine Reichert
Germany
Local time: 18:00
Member (2022)
English to German
+ ...
Yeah, I dropped out when they asked for the one-way interview. I don't like my face being recorded by someone refusing to show theirs. Also I didn't even know if they were willing to accept my rates at that point, so why bother with an interview?
Still, I'm incredibly curious what this is all about...
| | | | Zea_Mays
Italy
Local time: 18:00
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
Fabian Deckwirth wrote:
However, I suspect that this is not about translation work itself. Do they, instead, place a Trojan horse or any sort of spyware in your computer? There is the fishy one-way interview and the 2-3 hour long text translation, during which it is made sure you don't click on anything while taking it. So there is access to your screen at least for the time of the translation test.
| | | | | No way to delete the user account | Mar 6 |
Yeah, so I fell for I, too and it was exactly the same process as described by other users. After I grew suspicious of the agency I checked my profile and I realised there is no way to delete your account.
Although I never downloaded the file for the „project“ they assigned me with, I took part in the video interview and the translation test and I set up an account including my email adress, name and phone number.
This was about two weeks ago and aside from a possibly un... See more Yeah, so I fell for I, too and it was exactly the same process as described by other users. After I grew suspicious of the agency I checked my profile and I realised there is no way to delete your account.
Although I never downloaded the file for the „project“ they assigned me with, I took part in the video interview and the translation test and I set up an account including my email adress, name and phone number.
This was about two weeks ago and aside from a possibly unrelated scam call on WhatsApp nothing suspicious has happened.
I am very concerned, though. Thanks to my stupidity they do have a video of my face and audio of my voices And I’m not sure how to proceed here, aside from performing a system check up on my antivirus software.
How did everyone react after they found out it was a scam and had already submitted personal information and possibly even downloaded a file from the agency’s website? ▲ Collapse
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| Payment Card Details | Mar 7 |
I guess they make the whole process so long in order to motivate you to enter your payment card details at the end because you already invested so much time and effort and just want to get paid somehow. I believe the scam is all about that. I contacted the ProZ team, hopefully they can at least ban these people...
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I guess that might be an explanation. However, they did send the links that we clicked on and we gave them some personal information. Although my antivirus software can’t find anything I do wonder wether or not they had some kind of access do our laptops (and phones, as the interview was done via phone), while we spent so much time on their website answering all these dumb questions.
Anyone here with better tech knowledge then me to judge that?
P.s. their website seem... See more I guess that might be an explanation. However, they did send the links that we clicked on and we gave them some personal information. Although my antivirus software can’t find anything I do wonder wether or not they had some kind of access do our laptops (and phones, as the interview was done via phone), while we spent so much time on their website answering all these dumb questions.
Anyone here with better tech knowledge then me to judge that?
P.s. their website seems to be offline by now ▲ Collapse
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Alexandra Villeminey wrote:
Dear Translators,
be aware that the agency TranslateSync might be a scam. Not only do they not answer any emails or phone calls, their payment threshold is 1000USD which you will never reach and they request to introduce confidential payment card data on their platform.
[Edited at 2024-03-07 08:53 GMT]
I am a bit confused here. You think that the agency is a scam, so I looked them up on the Blueboard. Only one entry, namely you, and you gave them a 5! May I ask why? (????)
[Edited at 2024-03-07 16:05 GMT]
[Edited at 2024-03-07 17:58 GMT]
[Edited at 2024-03-07 17:58 GMT]
[Edited at 2024-03-07 17:59 GMT]
| | | | | What data did they phish? | Mar 8 |
Does anybody remember which personal data they asked for during:
-registration on their website (which is not available anymore)
-account creation after they gave you your ID and password
My profile on their website „only“ showed name, e-mail and phone number. Is that all they have? I can’t remember registering with them in detail.
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Nives Sutakovic
France
Local time: 18:00
Member (2022)
English to German
+ ...
| I had the same experience | Mar 11 |
Same happened to me. I even did the translation. Nobody ever answered my emails and their phone number in London is not working. It is all a scam. Now their website is not working anymore. The website is registered with namesheap.com and all the data of owners is hidden. There is a phone number in Island +3544212434 .
This seems to be a US registered website, but below there is something with Ukraine. All very sketchy. Yes, the one way video, the test, terrible. They got us with the rates ... See more Same happened to me. I even did the translation. Nobody ever answered my emails and their phone number in London is not working. It is all a scam. Now their website is not working anymore. The website is registered with namesheap.com and all the data of owners is hidden. There is a phone number in Island +3544212434 .
This seems to be a US registered website, but below there is something with Ukraine. All very sketchy. Yes, the one way video, the test, terrible. They got us with the rates they offer. I certainly hope that Proz will set up better rules and barriers for who can publish for jobs on their website. ▲ Collapse
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I also fell for them. I'm usually very suspicous and careful with agencies but the whole thing seemed so elaborate and legit...
I don't remember entering any payment details, so they probably have my email and phone number, but nothing sketchy has happened so far.
I thought I had just worked for free (bad enough) but after reading your comments I'm concerned they may somehow have accessed our computers...
I've never had such an experience. Any advice on how to pr... See more I also fell for them. I'm usually very suspicous and careful with agencies but the whole thing seemed so elaborate and legit...
I don't remember entering any payment details, so they probably have my email and phone number, but nothing sketchy has happened so far.
I thought I had just worked for free (bad enough) but after reading your comments I'm concerned they may somehow have accessed our computers...
I've never had such an experience. Any advice on how to proceed? ▲ Collapse
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