Scam alert - Mercedes F. Grady Thread poster: Matthew Rinaldi
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Matthew Rinaldi
United States
Local time: 17:41
Portuguese to English
+ ...
I got a message through proz today from someone calling themselves Mercedes F. Grady. I realized it was a scam early on in our communications as she said payment would be via cashier check. Also the document she sent to be translated turned out to be the same text on Risk Management I'd been sent by scammers in the past. She had no reservations when I multiplied my rate by 5 and then doubled that number. But the deal breaker came when I refused to provide my cell phone number.
Trans... See more I got a message through proz today from someone calling themselves Mercedes F. Grady. I realized it was a scam early on in our communications as she said payment would be via cashier check. Also the document she sent to be translated turned out to be the same text on Risk Management I'd been sent by scammers in the past. She had no reservations when I multiplied my rate by 5 and then doubled that number. But the deal breaker came when I refused to provide my cell phone number.
Translators, watch out for scammers who don't negotiate prices and want to pay you via check before the work has even begun. If something seems too good to be true it probably is!
See our email exchange below:
__________________________
A ProZ.com user visited your ProZ.com profile and sent the following message.
Report spam:
https://www.proz.com/profmail/spam/Lzs3LUc3VkVELkMoWC4jYFQtMzBUCmAK
Stop receiving profile mail:
https://www.proz.com/profmail/stop/Pjk2VUE6NlBaOzYlVD0mQUU9VylJO0YlTDkmRWA+NiVIO1ZcTjhWXU0KYAo=
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Hello Matthew, I am contacting you for my document
translation from English to Portuguese and I would like to
know if you are available to get it done for me? Get back to
me for further details. Thanks
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Author: Mercedes F. Grady
[NOTE: The author is not a registered ProZ.com user or was not logged in when sending this message.]
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Make sure you are following smart risk management procedures with new job offers: https://bit.ly/proz-risk-management
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matthew rinaldi
To:Mercedes F. Grady
Mon, Mar 28 at 8:56 AM
Hello Mercedes,
Thank you for getting in touch.
I can indeed help you with the translation. I generally charge USD0.10 per word, depending on volume and urgency.
If you're interested, please let me know the exact word count (or send the document so I can take a look) as well as the deadline for delivery, and I'll get back to you with an exact price.
I'm attaching an updated, abridged resume for reference.
Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Thanks,
Matthew Rinaldi
Matthew_Rinaldi_abridged_resume_mar_2022-1.pdf
361.4kB
Mercedes F. Grady
To:matthew rinaldi
Mon, Mar 28 at 11:27 AM
Hello Matthew,
Thank you for the response and I hope this email finds you well? I would like to know how much it will cost me to get a little under 46 pages (11,600) words translated. The document is attached to this email. Please, let me know the total cost for the document so we can start from there and the deadline for this document is the 22nd of April 2022. My method of payment will be a cashier's check or bank-certified check. Please, let me know if this works for you.
Name: Mrs. Mercedes F. Grady
Address: 111200 Tenaha Ave, El Paso, TX 79936
Phone Number/Whatsapp: 915 247 6592
Email: [email protected]
RESEARCH PROCEDURES OF COMMUNITY STUDENTS PHASE 1.docx
34.4kB
matthew rinaldi
To:Mercedes F. Grady
Mon, Mar 28 at 11:57 AM
That's great Grady,
Actually this text is quite challenging so my price would have to be USD 0.50 per word. Please let me know if this works for you. I'll be waiting for the check before getting to work okay?
Thanks again!
Matt
Mercedes F. Grady
To:matthew rinaldi
Mon, Mar 28 at 12:25 PM
Hello Matthew,
Yes, please proceed and I have no problem with your price quote. I am willing to pay for your service as soon as possible. This document is a research paper being sponsored for a seminar coming up on the 22nd of April, 2022 for the community students and it should be translated into Portuguese. And I would like to make an advance payment or make the full payment so you know you have my job with you. In the meantime, do get back to me with the following payment information in the format below.
1. Full Name to be written on the Check:
2. Full Physical Address:
3. Mobile number:
Your payment will be prepared once I have the requested details. Payment will be received before you send the document. Get back to me asap.
--
Mercedes F. Grady
111200 Tenaha Ave, El Paso, TX 79936
Phone Number/Whatsapp: 915 247 6592
Email: [email protected]
matthew rinaldi
To:Mercedes F. Grady
Mon, Mar 28 at 1:03 PM
Hello again Mercedes,
Wow that's so generous of you! I appreciate your "confidence" in my capabilities as a professional. You seem to be a total confidence woman. Am I right?
Actually, taking a further look at the text, it seems really quite difficult. Considering the volume and deadline I have no choice but to charge USD 1 per word.
I know it might seem a little expensive, but trust me my work is worth it! I'm sure that you'll be so pleased that you'll send me more translations in the future!
Please let me know your thoughts. I'd love to hear them.
Here's my address:
Matthew Rinaldi
123 Suspect Road
West Hartford, CT 06119
Waiting on that check to get started.
Thanks again,
Matt
Mercedes F. Grady
To:matthew rinaldi
Mon, Mar 28 at 2:24 PM
Hello once again Matthew,
Sounds great! Thank you for the information and I acknowledged the receipt of your payment information. The payment will be prepared asap and mailed out to you. Could you reconfirm to me the entire price for the document? I will keep you posted once the payment is being mailed out to you. Thank you!
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Mercedes F. Grady
111200 Tenaha Ave, El Paso, TX 79936
Phone Number/Whatsapp: 915 247 6592
Email: [email protected]
Mercedes F. Grady
To:matthew rinaldi
Mon, Mar 28 at 2:27 PM
Please, provide me your phone number. Thank you
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Mercedes F. Grady
111200 Tenaha Ave, El Paso, TX 79936
Phone Number/Whatsapp: 915 247 6592
Email: [email protected]
matthew rinaldi
To:Mercedes F. Grady
Mon, Mar 28 at 2:32 PM
Hi again F. Grady,
So according to my calculations, the price will be USD 23,234, but let's call it an even 24 grand?
I'm afraid I don't have a cell phone right now, because I dropped my iPhone in the ray tank at the Mystic aquarium. I sent it to be repaired but haven't been able to call the repair shop since I don't have a phone!
Anyway, once I get this check, I'll be able buy a new one and I'll let you know my number before our next collaboration (which I have a feeling will be soon)! Fingers-crossed!
Love,
Matt
Mercedes F. Grady
To:matthew rinaldi
Mon, Mar 28 at 2:41 PM
I’m sorry I can’t work with you. Thank you for your time.
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Mercedes F. Grady
111200 Tenaha Ave, El Paso, TX 79936
Phone Number/Whatsapp: 915 247 6592
Email: [email protected] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Natalie 
Poland
Local time: 23:41
Member (2002)
English to Russian
+ ...
MODERATOR SITE LOCALIZER
It was enough to check the IP.
105.112.176.148 = Lagos, Nigeria
| | | |
...I generally charge USD0.10 per word, depending on volume and urgency.
...Actually this text is quite challenging so my price would have to be USD 0.50 per word.
...Wow that's so generous of you! I appreciate your "confidence" in my capabilities as a professional. You seem to be a total confidence woman. Am I right?
Actually, taking a further look at the text, it seems really quite difficult. Considering the volume and deadline I have no choice but to charge USD 1 per word.
So according to my calculations, the price will be USD 23,234, but let's call it an even 24 grand?
I'm afraid I don't have a cell phone right now, because I dropped my iPhone in the ray tank at the Mystic aquarium. I sent it to be repaired but haven't been able to call the repair shop since I don't have a phone!
Anyway, once I get this check, I'll be able buy a new one and I'll let you know my number before our next collaboration (which I have a feeling will be soon)! Fingers-crossed!
Eventually, it hit home!
I’m sorry I can’t work with you. Thank you for your time.
| | | | Robert Forstag
United States
Local time: 17:41
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Crude techniques | Mar 29, 2022 |
Matthew's scammer at least got his would-be victim's source and target languages right. This is better than some "offers" I've received that specify neither source nor target languages (the request instead indicating that "I need a document translated").
The "best" of the scammers I've encountered have a sob story about needing a translation of a medical research paper to help save a dying relative (and even sometimes go so far as to send the target text and offer - initiall... See more Matthew's scammer at least got his would-be victim's source and target languages right. This is better than some "offers" I've received that specify neither source nor target languages (the request instead indicating that "I need a document translated").
The "best" of the scammers I've encountered have a sob story about needing a translation of a medical research paper to help save a dying relative (and even sometimes go so far as to send the target text and offer - initially - to pay via a secure method).
But in the end, as Matthew says, if an offer sounds too good to be true, then it most likely is.
[Edited at 2022-03-29 12:30 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 17:41
German to English
| Scamming scammers scambaiting | Mar 29, 2022 |
Fun though it may be, engaging potential scammers in extended correspondence is unproductive. They're not going to learn a lesson, and you've wasted your precious time.
Unfortunately scams are successful even among translators who should know better, as evidenced by reports here on Proz.
There are numerous websites devoted to sca... See more Fun though it may be, engaging potential scammers in extended correspondence is unproductive. They're not going to learn a lesson, and you've wasted your precious time.
Unfortunately scams are successful even among translators who should know better, as evidenced by reports here on Proz.
There are numerous websites devoted to scambaiting. Here's one:
https://www.419eater.com/html/ethics.htm
The website also describes various types of scams, many of which should be familiar to Proz members. ▲ Collapse
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