New scam Thread poster: mariealpilles
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mariealpilles 
France
Local time: 11:24
Member (2014)
English to French
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A "company" based in Britain - genuine - is currently being scammed by individuals who are using their actual email address but are quite vulgar in their mails. Wutsunherb. Be careful. You will be asked to record and translate the first paragraph of the company's profile.
| | | | | Missing story | May 8, 2021 |
How exactly does this scam work? They rudely ask you to translate the company's profile and then...?
| | | | mariealpilles
France
Local time: 11:24
Member (2014)
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
They ask you to record the oral translation. Then send you a result and ask for your address. all of a sudden there is an audit on their account preventing them to pay anything, supposedly lasting 5 to 7 days. Then they send you a rude mail stating that "they have been advised that your lackadaisical attitude prevented the delivery of a consignment, entailing a loss of $8,000. Since you are only interesting in money they are going to contact another applicant". There is no consignment involved, ... See more They ask you to record the oral translation. Then send you a result and ask for your address. all of a sudden there is an audit on their account preventing them to pay anything, supposedly lasting 5 to 7 days. Then they send you a rude mail stating that "they have been advised that your lackadaisical attitude prevented the delivery of a consignment, entailing a loss of $8,000. Since you are only interesting in money they are going to contact another applicant". There is no consignment involved, and nothing of the kind. So there is something mysterious about it all. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | There's more to it... | May 12, 2021 |
The situation, I daresay, is even worse. I received an e-mail from someone apparently working for this independent pharmaceutical company offering 500USD per hour for script narration in my target language. I replied with my general availability since I have some Voice Over experience, and I received a 100 words sample in English to register in my language and send them as a sort of online audition. From what I know, a text for voice recording sample should be already in one's native language, w... See more The situation, I daresay, is even worse. I received an e-mail from someone apparently working for this independent pharmaceutical company offering 500USD per hour for script narration in my target language. I replied with my general availability since I have some Voice Over experience, and I received a 100 words sample in English to register in my language and send them as a sort of online audition. From what I know, a text for voice recording sample should be already in one's native language, while in this case the text should be first translated. It all "sounded" a bit suspicious to me, like an attempt to obtain a translation at a cheap price, since the text of 1 hour of audio recording can contain up to 7,000 words, and if the text to record is given in English it must obviously be translated first... At any rate, I translated and recorded their sample taken from this company Website, then sent it to them. This same guy replied with enthusiastic comments on the quality of my performance, then sent me a contract in which they offered 7,000USD up front, then another 3,000USD per month for 6 months for recording 50 scripts of 1 hour each. I first asked that in the contract were clearly written that the scripts would be in Italian, because that "little" point was missing, and I received reassurance by the same guy, but not a rewritten contract. I suspect the "problem" could be linked to this: in the contract they sent me to sign and return, one of the terms is that the recording of the narration must be performed in a fully equipped studio using a microphone TELEFUNKEN U47, but didn't say that this microphone costs around € 11,000. They also write that if the signer doesn't owe such professional equipment they will provide it "free of charge" (quotes are mine). I don't think that they will be so kind as to give anyone such an expensive item for free, most probably they'll try to sell you the microphone, with a free delivery... ▲ Collapse
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Adieu
Ukrainian to English
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| The math is dodgy | May 12, 2021 |
$10k / 50 hours =/= $500 / hour
| | | | mariealpilles
France
Local time: 11:24
Member (2014)
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Exactly the same scam as mine, but this time they have been more precise in their scam. I do not know what they can expect since they ask for no money upfront or anything. Unless they are testing something for later use... I wrote to the company, explaining that someone is using their email and scamming about their company. But they have not bothered to answer.
| | | | Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 10:24
Serbian to English
+ ...
Adieu wrote:
The math is dodgy
$10k / 50 hours =/= $500 / hour
the "hour" in question is one hour of narration.
I have never done that kind of work, but from my experience with another roughly comparable work, I wouldn't be surprised if you needed several hours of your own work to produce one hour of "deliverable".
When you divide $500 by 3 - 4 - ??? hours, it isn't so much for a highly specialised work, especially if they expect a sound quality that warrants a professional recording studio and a top of range mic.
That bit sounds more or less right.
What IS NOT bound to inspire much confidence is that "company" itself, given that the level of "marketing BS" on their website is waaay above "normal average", in fact alarmingly high - Himalayan heights.
Nothing can be cross-checked. Won't go into details, list too long - the short of it being I wouldn't touch that "company" with a bargepole, even in gloved hands / in full PPE.
Where exactly is the scam doesn't matter, just don't waste your time on them.
[Edited at 2021-05-13 21:05 GMT]
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