| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] | Is this client legit or shady? Not sure if I should give my bank info out to them Thread poster: Christina Fernandez
|
|---|
Katarzyna Slowikova wrote: Thomas T. Frost wrote:
Scams do happen in reality. It's only a search away to find out about them.
OK, so find me a single case of an advance payment scam or any scam involving recall of an already made payment, involving a bank transfer and done only using the person's payment details. Until you do, I call your speculating spreading paranoia. And just to remind you, we're answering here a specific question posed by Christine. We're not talking about general safety of various payment methods and financial institutions. Everybody knows that databases can be hacked and that PayPal is far from safe for sellers. But to hack a banking system you don't need to write to each of the future victims asking for their payment details. All of this has already been said in the thread Walter linked to. That being said, I think Christine's email IS a scam. Not because it asks for payment details but because it asks for it out of the blue and is just generally weird. Simply answering it with real payment details won't put her in any trouble though. Which doesn't mean she should do it - even if the client was legit, they don't need her payment details before she sends an invoice - as has already been said. This would also be a sensible answer to it, if one insists on answering. But it'd also be useful to know who the sender was. My guess is, it's a nobody with no online record and with highly suspicious address ( [email protected]). Am I right, Christine? (If I am, you can publish the details here.) UPDATE: I take back this sentence: "Simply answering it with real payment details won't put her in any trouble though." Being sent a large amount of money by this individual and asked to send it back (which is what's going on here) is quite a trouble, even though you don't lose money yourself. See here: https://www.proz.com/forum/scams/330580-does_this_sound_like_a_legitimate_inquiry.html[Edited at 2018-12-02 15:59 GMT]
Yes, you are correct. The email is shady: [email protected]
| | | | | Interesting variant | Dec 3, 2018 |
Anaïs Duval has just posted an interesting variant of the prepayment scam over here (in French):
https://www.proz.com/forum/french/330913-attention_arnaque_au_chèque.html
The scammer asks for the bank account number, but instead of making a bank transfer they go to a branch and deposit a forged cheque, presumably to try to hide that th... See more Anaïs Duval has just posted an interesting variant of the prepayment scam over here (in French):
https://www.proz.com/forum/french/330913-attention_arnaque_au_chèque.html
The scammer asks for the bank account number, but instead of making a bank transfer they go to a branch and deposit a forged cheque, presumably to try to hide that the origin of the payment is a cheque.
In this case, the bank rejected the cheque before it was credited. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:25
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Don't give out your details | Dec 3, 2018 |
Thomas T. Frost wrote: Anaïs Duval has just posted an interesting variant of the prepayment scam over here (in French): https://www.proz.com/forum/french/330913-attention_arnaque_au_chèque.html The scammer asks for the bank account number, but instead of making a bank transfer they go to a branch and deposit a forged cheque, presumably to try to hide that the origin of the payment is a cheque. In this case, the bank rejected the cheque before it was credited.
That's another good reason for never giving your bank details to someone you don't know, with whom you've never worked, and to whom you have never issued an invoice or had it paid.
I don't know why so many posters have poo-pooed this very obvious suggestion.
| | | | DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
| weak links and perfect strangers | Dec 3, 2018 |
First, there're a lot of namesakes: that's how I was surprised to learn there often could be more than a hundred of REAL people with the same name+surname+patronymic.
Second, modern perpetrators must NOT use someone else's REAL contacts or credentials, because they have several international databases, let alone combining publicly available personal data. Of course, they prefer red-herring and straw-man tricks to win more time and dump the fuss on the framed sicks, adding to mistrus... See more First, there're a lot of namesakes: that's how I was surprised to learn there often could be more than a hundred of REAL people with the same name+surname+patronymic.
Second, modern perpetrators must NOT use someone else's REAL contacts or credentials, because they have several international databases, let alone combining publicly available personal data. Of course, they prefer red-herring and straw-man tricks to win more time and dump the fuss on the framed sicks, adding to mistrust and confusion, but it's not strictly necessary.
Third, unless it's about cash, for a successful transaction even the good-intended parties have to provide their bank details: who pays who. It's like a phone number. And no, while it could be another step, just knowing someone's details doesn't automatically make her a target for hackers. However, the more a perfect stranger can name relevant facts, the better chance to worm into the mark's confidence--or for human engineering.
Shortly, most potential victims (translators) don't do their homework, forgetting the common sense and due diligence. Meanwhile a spam-generator application or a swindler can use [or guess!] your name even not knowing you and without your awareness--especially when prospects don't double-check and contact the real person. Indeed, once a friend had a real nightmare, when some caught red-handed criminal suddenly mentioned his name to investigators--just for fun. Furthermore, some fraudsters seem to genuinely believe they are 'Life Mentors' doing their victims a big favor, teaching prospects rather expensive lessons not to be dupes ▲ Collapse
| | |
|
|
|
| I received a similar email and I fell for it and provided all my info. | Dec 18, 2018 |
Christina Fernandez wrote:
A couple of days ago I got a request through my email for a fairly large project (261 pages to be exact). The client messaged me through my private email not through proz. I told them my quote, they accepted and asked for my bank information. This is what they sent:
My preferred mode of payment is to make a direct deposit to your account and all that is needed now is your bank details.
Full name
Bank Name
Bank Address
Account number
Routing number.
I feel kind of wary about giving them all of that information, especially since they said they would pay me all at once even after I said they wpuld pay in installments. I asked if they had PayPal ad they said no, they would rather direct deposit or a check. I just started out freelancing so I'm not sure what the protocals are between freelance translators and their clients. Any thoughts?
| | | | Eliza Hall
United States
Local time: 09:25
French to English
+ ...
| Here's how the scam could work | Dec 21, 2018 |
Mirko Mainardi wrote:
OK, so I read dozens of posts where people say not to provide bank details... but my question is: how would that scam work, exactly? I mean, if you provide your bank details in order to receive a wire transfer, how can you get scammed?
If I have all your bank information, I can order checks -- real checks that work -- and have them sent to my house, and then use them. The money will come out of your account.
| | | |
It is a scam. I have recently received the same email.
| | | | | So in the US they send checks to any address? | Dec 21, 2018 |
Eliza Hall wrote: Mirko Mainardi wrote:
OK, so I read dozens of posts where people say not to provide bank details... but my question is: how would that scam work, exactly? I mean, if you provide your bank details in order to receive a wire transfer, how can you get scammed? If I have all your bank information, I can order checks -- real checks that work -- and have them sent to my house, and then use them. The money will come out of your account.
Not with my bank information in my country. And I seriously doubt that even in your country a bank will send checks by mail to an address that is not on file as the address of the account holder.
| | |
|
|
|
Kevin Fulton 
United States
Local time: 09:25
German to English
| Checks not printed by banks in the US | Dec 21, 2018 |
Kay-Viktor Stegemann wrote:
Not with my bank information in my country. And I seriously doubt that even in your country a bank will send checks by mail to an address that is not on file as the address of the account holder.
Unfortunately in many instances, in the US checks can be ordered from a printer rather than the bank itself. I doubt whether there are many safeguards in place to prevent someone from ordering checks. Likewise, with bank information, I could use a graphics program to create a check, which is what many fake check scammers do. These can be printed on "bank stock":
https://tinyurl.com/ycoo9v4p
| | | | | The US banking system | Dec 21, 2018 |
Kevin Fulton wrote:
Unfortunately in many instances, in the US checks can be ordered from a printer rather than the bank itself. I doubt whether there are many safeguards in place to prevent someone from ordering checks. Likewise, with bank information, I could use a graphics program to create a check, which is what many fake check scammers do. These can be printed on "bank stock":
I'd forgotten how antiquated the US banking system is, with old-fashioned cheques and ordinary wire transfers priced as luxury services.
I don't even have chequebooks for my European bank accounts, and my German bank doesn't even issue them. Wire transfers are free and are credited the next day at latest.
When looking at the state of the US banking system today, I sometimes wonder how the US managed to send people to the Moon. It's slow, expensive, outdated and inefficient. Don't get me wrong, I'm not into US bashing at all (and there’s a lot to criticise in Europe). I just keep wondering why the country is so far behind in this area.
| | | | Dan Lucas
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:25
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Kay-Viktor Stegemann wrote:
Not with my bank information in my country. And I seriously doubt that even in your country a bank will send checks by mail to an address that is not on file as the address of the account holder.
I don't think posting cheques to addresses other than the one registered is possible in the UK either, although it is so long since I received a new book that I don't remember much about it.
And as for logging into bank accounts with user name and password, all my UK accounts require two-step authorisation using a card reader. Brute-force attacks are not going to work in such circumstances.
Dan
| | | | | Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Is this client legit or shady? Not sure if I should give my bank info out to them | Wordfast Pro | Translation Memory Software for Any Platform
Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users!
Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value
Buy now! » |
| | Trados Studio 2022 Freelance | The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.
Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop
and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |
Login to reply/comment 
Translation news
