| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Concern about possible scam Thread poster: Kristof Haavik
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Kristof Haavik 
United States
Local time: 10:44
Member (2010)
English to French
+ ...
I have been contacted about a possible interpretation job, but it seems suspicious: I can't find the company online, only something with a similar name in a totally different line of business, and the email message seems unclear as to whether the job is in Europe, or Dubai, or China (where I am), as though it is sent generically to many people. Does anyone know anything about Flo-Streams Digital Productions? (NOT Stream-Flo Industries, which is also listed as in Dubai but has a big website.)
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As the saying goes if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck…
| | | | Kristof Haavik
United States
Local time: 10:44
Member (2010)
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Probably, but it would be nice to have some certainty--if it's actually for real, I could use the money. Anyone here in Dubai to tell me if such a company actually exists?
| | | | Natalie
Poland
Local time: 17:44
Member (2002)
English to Russian
+ ...
MODERATOR SITE LOCALIZER | What was the email address? | Jun 16, 2023 |
Was it a gmail/hotmail or similar? If yes, then just forget.
Did you check the message headers?
Did you receive the message through ProZ.com?
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Kristof Haavik
United States
Local time: 10:44
Member (2010)
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
It's from a gmail address, not through Proz.com. Can't legitimate businesses use that? They list an address and phone number in Dubai, HHHR Tower, Trade Centre 1, and 971-45316600. It's not clear what they would get out of a scam (info on my Proz.com account?) because they haven't asked for money and there's no believable reason they could, and since the supposed job is interpretation, it's not like they could get a written translation from me and sell it without paying me.
| | | | Natalie
Poland
Local time: 17:44
Member (2002)
English to Russian
+ ...
MODERATOR SITE LOCALIZER | No verifiable data | Jun 16, 2023 |
Kristof Haavik wrote:
It's from a gmail address, not through Proz.com. Can't legitimate businesses use that? They list an address and phone number in Dubai, HHHR Tower, Trade Centre 1, and 971-45316600.
Yes, sometimes they can. This has been discussed so many times here in the forums. But if you have some other verifiable data, e.g. address, phone etc. The provided address "HHHR Tower, Trade Centre 1" is not a verifiable data, it sounds like "New York, Manhattan, USA". The phone number "971-45316600" does not seem to exist. Taking into account the complete absence of any information about the suggested company it clearly looks like a scam.
Have you checked the email headers for the initial sender's IP?
| | | | Kristof Haavik
United States
Local time: 10:44
Member (2010)
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Forgive my technical ignorance (as I tell clients, I'm better with translation than technology), but what is that? I have an email address and the (supposed) physical address and phone number I gave; what else is there? And the phone number: did you (or someone else) try it? I haven't tried dialing it but the country code is right.
| | | | Natalie
Poland
Local time: 17:44
Member (2002)
English to Russian
+ ...
MODERATOR SITE LOCALIZER | Get educated | Jun 16, 2023 |
Kristof, if you are honest with your clients, it does not mean that anybody sending you a message about a possible job is honest with you.
You absolutely need to check all offers coming from unknown sources!
You absolutely need to learn what are email headers and how to check them.
You absolutely need to subscribe to alerts... See more Kristof, if you are honest with your clients, it does not mean that anybody sending you a message about a possible job is honest with you.
You absolutely need to check all offers coming from unknown sources!
You absolutely need to learn what are email headers and how to check them.
You absolutely need to subscribe to alerts from https://www2.proz.com/about/translator-scam-alerts?phpv_redirected=1 ▲ Collapse
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Kristof Haavik
United States
Local time: 10:44
Member (2010)
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you for your help. It's all too newfangled for an old dog like me (when I hear the word "dictionary," I think of something printed on paper--does that tell you my vintage?), not the idea of scams, which are as old as the world, but the high tech ways to do them.
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The country code is right but the telephone number does not seem to exist. According to Wikipedia HHHS Tower exists (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HHHR_Tower) and is situated on Sheikh Zayed Road, Trade Centre 1, but I can’t find that enterprise in Dubai (or elsewhere for that matter), I even tried all the different possible variations of the name…
| | | | Kristof Haavik
United States
Local time: 10:44
Member (2010)
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you for making all that effort on my behalf. Once in the past when I was contacted by an obvious scam and had some reason to believe the perpetrator was in London, I sent a message saying that I had a business proposition for him that would make us both rich and he should meet me in Trafalgar Square the following morning at 10:00 and look for someone wearing a red hat (I was in China at the time). I am tempted to play similar games with this one.
| | | | IrinaN
United States
Local time: 10:44
English to Russian
+ ...
With all due respect for your qualifications, there is no reason whatsoever for any Dubai company to bring an interpreter from overseas, especially in such common pair. They are very well-developed and can find one within their borders, or the arriving party can/should bring their own, if it comes to that. Moreover, any initiative on behalf of Dubai is impossible unless:
1. They will apply for your work visa and mess with tax reporting afterword. ***Working without first obtaining t... See more With all due respect for your qualifications, there is no reason whatsoever for any Dubai company to bring an interpreter from overseas, especially in such common pair. They are very well-developed and can find one within their borders, or the arriving party can/should bring their own, if it comes to that. Moreover, any initiative on behalf of Dubai is impossible unless:
1. They will apply for your work visa and mess with tax reporting afterword. ***Working without first obtaining the proper visa status is illegal and can lead to penalties and legal liability. The penalties apply to both: the employer and the employee.*** UAE government portal. For what? A day or a week worth of interpreter's service?
As I have mentioned many times before, when an interpreter goes abroad it means that h/s is hired and paid by the country where he resides and pays taxes (I don't know the exact rules inside Schengen). Usually it happens with huge corporations/government projects when the client wants to bring its own interpreter for many reasons, from the established relationship and deep knowledge of the project to the associated internal information security requirements. They can afford it. US clients have flown me all over the world and all I needed was my US passport or, in rare cases, a visa (ENTRY, not work!!) obtained upon arrival or purchased online (Turkey, Japan). Just like with every other member of the business delegation. We return back home, get paid by a US client and get reported to the US IRS, as usual.
Foreign companies in need may look for local interpreters when they don't want to pay all the associated costs for travel and accommodations since they deal with foreign and double taxation issues routinely due to the global nature of their business, but not the other way around.
[Edited at 2023-06-17 15:39 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Kristof Haavik
United States
Local time: 10:44
Member (2010)
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
All legitimate points, but the job was supposed to be in America, near my address there. In any case, I have heard nothing more from them; maybe they are following this message board and know they have been discovered.
| | | | Pawel Gromek
United States
Local time: 11:44
Member (2004)
English to Polish
+ ...
| This is a scam | Jun 19, 2023 |
I contacted flostream.co.uk through official channels. They said it was a scam and they will report it to the authorities.
| | | | Kristof Haavik
United States
Local time: 10:44
Member (2010)
English to French
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you for your help. Now I just need to find someone who really does want to hire me.
| | | | | 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 » Concern about possible scam | Trados Studio 2022 Freelance | The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.
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