Possible scam - Jean Poulmarch?
Thread poster: Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Spain
Local time: 23:18
Spanish to English
+ ...
Aug 30, 2019

Hi guys,

I agreed to do a translation with someone called 'Jean Poulmarch' who contacted me via Proz.com on 23rd August. We agreed to a rate and deadline and he/she sent me the document to be translated.

However, I have not heard from him/her since Tuesday 27th August. I am now very worried as the translation is almost completed but I haven't received any payment or payment information.

Has anyone worked with Jean in the past or knows anything about him/her
... See more
Hi guys,

I agreed to do a translation with someone called 'Jean Poulmarch' who contacted me via Proz.com on 23rd August. We agreed to a rate and deadline and he/she sent me the document to be translated.

However, I have not heard from him/her since Tuesday 27th August. I am now very worried as the translation is almost completed but I haven't received any payment or payment information.

Has anyone worked with Jean in the past or knows anything about him/her? The only information I have on them is their email address and IP address.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Jennie
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Natalie
Natalie  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 00:18
Member (2002)
English to Russian
+ ...

MODERATOR
SITE LOCALIZER
Hi Jennifer Aug 30, 2019

And is the email address a gmail/hotmail/yahoo?

And "Jean Poulmarch" is a street in Paris...


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
writeaway
Xanthippe
Philippe Etienne
 
Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Spain
Local time: 23:18
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Hi Natalie Aug 30, 2019

Yes, I discovered that too after some googling!

It's a gmail address, it's just their name plus a couple of numbers @gmail.com

So not that suspicious


Tradupro17
 
Kevin Fulton
Kevin Fulton  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 19:18
German to English
Suspicious! Aug 30, 2019

Jennifer Allen wrote:

Yes, I discovered that too after some googling!

It's a gmail address, it's just their name plus a couple of numbers @gmail.com

So not that suspicious


Generic Gmail addresses are a caution sign without any other verifying information.


Thomas Pfann
Walter Landesman
Michele Fauble
Philippe Etienne
writeaway
 
Natalie
Natalie  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 00:18
Member (2002)
English to Russian
+ ...

MODERATOR
SITE LOCALIZER
Definitely scam! Aug 30, 2019

Jennifer Allen wrote:
It's a gmail address, it's just their name plus a couple of numbers @gmail.com
So not that suspicious


Gmail address consisting of "their name" plus a couple of numbers is definitely a scam.


Xanthippe
Katarzyna Slowikova
Philippe Etienne
 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 23:18
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Please read other recent threads Aug 30, 2019

Jennifer Allen wrote:
However, I have not heard from him/her since Tuesday 27th August. I am now very worried as the translation is almost completed but I haven't received any payment or payment information.

Why are you expecting payment in advance? Have you given them the details of your bank account? What payment information do you expect from them? I would have thought you'd be providing that.

Has anyone worked with Jean in the past or knows anything about him/her? The only information I have on them is their email address and IP address.

Why are you working on a translation when you don't have any way to send a legally binding invoice to the client? How would you stand any chance of recovering your money in the event that they didn't pay? Have you been working this way for the last five years and not been scammed before? If so, you've been mighty lucky.

I'm afraid that in this particular case it sounds as though you're unlikely to be able to get any payment and will just have to write it off to experience. Mind you, I'm surprised he hasn't been back to offer to pay - which could well have been a worse outcome for you. It sounds as though these scammers are dealing with so many freelancers at the same time that they're beginning to drop balls from time to time.

I suggest you read recent threads on this very same subject. I wrote a long post very recently about all the things every freelance translator should be doing to protect themselves.


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Kevin Fulton
 
Mihai Badea (X)
Mihai Badea (X)
Luxembourg
Local time: 00:18
English to Romanian
+ ...
Don't count on spammers' bad memory Aug 31, 2019

Sheila Wilson wrote:

Mind you, I'm surprised he hasn't been back to offer to pay - which could well have been a worse outcome for you. It sounds as though these scammers are dealing with so many freelancers at the same time that they're beginning to drop balls from time to time.



It might not necessarily be about dropping the ball.

Just imagine that you send the translation as agreed, like any good citizen would do, then nothing happens for a couple of days, and then you receive an overpayment by cheque. Bad boy!

So, university is still just about meanings, translation techniques and styles ... nothing about real life.

In some places of the world, professors are themselves translators in the real world ...


 
Edward Potter
Edward Potter  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 00:18
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Questions about the job Aug 31, 2019

Just curious. How big is the translation?

Also, did you check the Blue Board before taking on the new client? Did you call them?


 
Hayley Assuncao
Hayley Assuncao
Local time: 23:18
French to English
+ ...
Blue board? Aug 31, 2019

Did you check the blue board?

Sheila, would you mind linking to the post you mentioned in your post above?


 
Sheila Wilson
Sheila Wilson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 23:18
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
Link re due diligence Aug 31, 2019

Hayley Assuncao wrote:
Sheila, would you mind linking to the post you mentioned in your post above?


https://www.proz.com/forum/scams/336293-scam_alert_questions_about_scammers.html#2808433


 
Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Spain
Local time: 23:18
Spanish to English
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thanks for your comments - scammer confirmed! Sep 2, 2019

Hey guys,
So unfortunately I got confirmation from Proz that this is a scammer. It happened to someone else before but apparently because of a lack of details they couldn't announce it.

Anyway, stay away. I was relatively lucky this time but apparently what often happens is they will issue a cheque, but for too much money, then ask for a refund and the original cheque bounces.

Absolute scumbags if you ask me, don't know why they waste people's time like this.
... See more
Hey guys,
So unfortunately I got confirmation from Proz that this is a scammer. It happened to someone else before but apparently because of a lack of details they couldn't announce it.

Anyway, stay away. I was relatively lucky this time but apparently what often happens is they will issue a cheque, but for too much money, then ask for a refund and the original cheque bounces.

Absolute scumbags if you ask me, don't know why they waste people's time like this.

Thanks for all your help and advice!
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Possible scam - Jean Poulmarch?







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