False 'payment pending' mail & bad publicity threats Thread poster: David Balayla
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David Balayla 
Spain
Local time: 13:28
Member (2012)
English to Spanish
+ ...
I got a funny email message today I thought I'd share with you, in case you're having a bad day and need a laugh, following:
Hi
I'm Victor Mitran from Oregon, USA.
In October 25, 2015 I translated for your agency a document (birth certificate) from French to English. The price for this work was $ 25.
Unfortunately I got ill (tuberculosis - TB - caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which affected my lungs) and I stayed hospitalized 6 m... See more I got a funny email message today I thought I'd share with you, in case you're having a bad day and need a laugh, following:
Hi
I'm Victor Mitran from Oregon, USA.
In October 25, 2015 I translated for your agency a document (birth certificate) from French to English. The price for this work was $ 25.
Unfortunately I got ill (tuberculosis - TB - caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which affected my lungs) and I stayed hospitalized 6 months in Waverly Hills Sanatorium - 1600 Clifton Rd, MailStop E-90, Atlanta, GA 30333, U.S.A.
Now I came home and I checked my PayPal account, but the amount of $ 25 is not entered my PAYPAL account.
Please send me the amount of $ 25 by PayPal into account:
[email protected]
as soon as possible.
I hope you are understanding and kind.
If you will not send me the amount of $25 as soon as possible:
- I will inform the websites:
http://www.proz.com/
http://www.translatorscafe.com
http://www.translationdirectory.com/
http://www.traduguide.com/
http://www.translatorstown.com/
that you are an incorrect translation agency which steals the work of honest translators;
- I have a list of 1 million email addresses of your country and a professional bulk email sender. During 5 days I will send messages to these 1 million email addresses and 1 million people in your country will learn that you are an incorrect translation agency which steals the work of honest translators;
- also I will inform all the newspapers in your country that you are an incorrect translation agency which steals the work of honest translators;
- also I will inform the police in your city about this situation;
- I will post a message on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/) that you are an incorrect translation agency which steals the work of honest translators;
You reputation and your honor are more important than $ 25.
Please send me as soon as possible $ 25 through PayPal.
Kind regards
Victor Mitran ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tony M
France
Local time: 13:28
Member
French to English
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER | Similar scam just the other day | May 16, 2016 |
Yes, David, a very similar scam was reported just the other day — see if you can find it back aagin and compare?
| | | | Thayenga
Germany
Local time: 13:28
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
These scammer become more and more imprudent, and don't even shy away from threatening you if you don't comply with their demand. Seems like the tear-jerker (oh, I'm soooo ill) doesn't suffice anymore, so they turn to threats.
Don't fall for it, David. Instead post it on all sites that you have access to, above all here: http://www.translator-scammers.com/
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David Balayla wrote: I got a funny email message today I thought I'd share with you, in case you're having a bad day and need a laugh, following: Hi I'm Victor Mitran from Oregon, USA. In October 25, 2015 I translated for your agency a document (birth certificate) from French to English. The price for this work was $ 25. Unfortunately I got ill (tuberculosis - TB - caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which affected my lungs) and I stayed hospitalized 6 months in Waverly Hills Sanatorium - 1600 Clifton Rd, MailStop E-90, Atlanta, GA 30333, U.S.A. Now I came home and I checked my PayPal account, but the amount of $ 25 is not entered my PAYPAL account. Please send me the amount of $ 25 by PayPal into account: [email protected] as soon as possible. I hope you are understanding and kind. If you will not send me the amount of $25 as soon as possible: - I will inform the websites: http://www.proz.com/ http://www.translatorscafe.com http://www.translationdirectory.com/ http://www.traduguide.com/ http://www.translatorstown.com/ that you are an incorrect translation agency which steals the work of honest translators; - I have a list of 1 million email addresses of your country and a professional bulk email sender. During 5 days I will send messages to these 1 million email addresses and 1 million people in your country will learn that you are an incorrect translation agency which steals the work of honest translators; - also I will inform all the newspapers in your country that you are an incorrect translation agency which steals the work of honest translators; - also I will inform the police in your city about this situation; - I will post a message on youtube ( https://www.youtube.com/) that you are an incorrect translation agency which steals the work of honest translators; You reputation and your honor are more important than $ 25. Please send me as soon as possible $ 25 through PayPal. Kind regards Victor Mitran
Look at the bright side, at least you will not be searched by Interpol.
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Maija Cirule
Latvia
Local time: 14:28
German to English
+ ...
| If I were you, | May 16, 2016 |
David Balayla wrote: I got a funny email message today I thought I'd share with you, in case you're having a bad day and need a laugh, following: Hi I'm Victor Mitran from Oregon, USA. In October 25, 2015 I translated for your agency a document (birth certificate) from French to English. The price for this work was $ 25. Unfortunately I got ill (tuberculosis - TB - caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which affected my lungs) and I stayed hospitalized 6 months in Waverly Hills Sanatorium - 1600 Clifton Rd, MailStop E-90, Atlanta, GA 30333, U.S.A. Now I came home and I checked my PayPal account, but the amount of $ 25 is not entered my PAYPAL account. Please send me the amount of $ 25 by PayPal into account: [email protected] as soon as possible. I hope you are understanding and kind. If you will not send me the amount of $25 as soon as possible: - I will inform the websites: http://www.proz.com/ http://www.translatorscafe.com I would send to this person the following e-mail: Dear http://www.translationdirectory.com/ http://www.traduguide.com/ http://www.translatorstown.com/ that you are an incorrect translation agency which steals the work of honest translators; - I have a list of 1 million email addresses of your country and a professional bulk email sender. During 5 days I will send messages to these 1 million email addresses and 1 million people in your country will learn that you are an incorrect translation agency which steals the work of honest translators; - also I will inform all the newspapers in your country that you are an incorrect translation agency which steals the work of honest translators; - also I will inform the police in your city about this situation; - I will post a message on youtube ( https://www.youtube.com/) that you are an incorrect translation agency which steals the work of honest translators; You reputation and your honor are more important than $ 25. Please send me as soon as possible $ 25 through PayPal. Kind regards Victor Mitran
If I were you, I would send the following e-mail (or something along these lines):
Dear Victor Mitran,
Hope that you are OK. Regarding your request, please send to me my PO, copies of my e-mails related to this PO as well as your translation and source document of the aforementioned birth certificate and your invoice.
Enjoy the rest of your day
Warmest wishes
[Edited at 2016-05-16 09:07 GMT]
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I'm wondering whether it is even legal to issue threats of defamation in this way (under Spanish or EU law). Perhaps you should report Victor Mitran to the police?
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 13:28
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Must be tough ... | May 16, 2016 |
... spending all that time in a sanatorium (which, as far as I can see, somewhat suspiciously, doesn't operate as such anymore and was last used for heavy metal concerts about 10 years ago), the only thing keeping you going the thought of finally cashing up those 25 greenbacks at the end of it all, and suddenly you find you've been diddled.
But I take it he never did a translation for you in the first place ...
It would be a lot of graft, too, to carry out all those th... See more ... spending all that time in a sanatorium (which, as far as I can see, somewhat suspiciously, doesn't operate as such anymore and was last used for heavy metal concerts about 10 years ago), the only thing keeping you going the thought of finally cashing up those 25 greenbacks at the end of it all, and suddenly you find you've been diddled.
But I take it he never did a translation for you in the first place ...
It would be a lot of graft, too, to carry out all those threats. Hours writing it out to send to the newspapers. For 25 dollars? If he were asking for 25,000 I could understand it. Though maybe it's an en masse threat, in the hope of loads of $25 remittances flooding in to PayPal from nervous translators with a reputation to protect.
And why would anyone give a monkey's about the details of the bug and the hospital?
Mervyn ▲ Collapse
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| This is the same email that i got one week ago. | May 16, 2016 |
David Balayla wrote: I got a funny email message today I thought I'd share with you, in case you're having a bad day and need a laugh, following: Hi I'm Victor Mitran from Oregon, USA. In October 25, 2015 I translated for your agency a document (birth certificate) from French to English. The price for this work was $ 25. Unfortunately I got ill (tuberculosis - TB - caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which affected my lungs) and I stayed hospitalized 6 months in Waverly Hills Sanatorium - 1600 Clifton Rd, MailStop E-90, Atlanta, GA 30333, U.S.A. Now I came home and I checked my PayPal account, but the amount of $ 25 is not entered my PAYPAL account. Please send me the amount of $ 25 by PayPal into account: [email protected] as soon as possible. I hope you are understanding and kind. If you will not send me the amount of $25 as soon as possible: - I will inform the websites: http://www.proz.com/ http://www.translatorscafe.com http://www.translationdirectory.com/ http://www.traduguide.com/ http://www.translatorstown.com/ that you are an incorrect translation agency which steals the work of honest translators; - I have a list of 1 million email addresses of your country and a professional bulk email sender. During 5 days I will send messages to these 1 million email addresses and 1 million people in your country will learn that you are an incorrect translation agency which steals the work of honest translators; - also I will inform all the newspapers in your country that you are an incorrect translation agency which steals the work of honest translators; - also I will inform the police in your city about this situation; - I will post a message on youtube ( https://www.youtube.com/) that you are an incorrect translation agency which steals the work of honest translators; You reputation and your honor are more important than $ 25. Please send me as soon as possible $ 25 through PayPal. Kind regards Victor Mitran
| | | | | Agency's name? | May 16, 2016 |
This topic is about a scam.
It is quite helpful.
But how about the rule not to display agency/person names?
Does the moderators have any comments?
Soonthon L.
| | | | | It's as obvious as "Nigerian scam" | May 16, 2016 |
Soonthon LUPKITARO(Ph.D.) wrote:
This topic is about a scam.
It is quite helpful.
But how about the rule not to display agency/person names?
Does the moderators have any comments?
Soonthon L.
I'm not a moderator but can explain it to you.
A quick google search for Victor Mitran: https://twitter.com/tsdirectory/status/706150143767216128
On the Translators Scammers website you can find description of this very type of scam, the link is in the other thread Teresa linked to.
Apparently, ID theft isn't profitable enough so the geniuses have come up with this new bright idea of how to make a living.
| | | | | If I was witty... | May 16, 2016 |
Maija Cirule wrote:
If I were you, I would send the following e-mail (or something along these lines):
Dear Victor Mitran,
Hope that you are OK. Regarding your request, please send to me my PO, copies of my e-mails related to this PO as well as your translation and source document of the aforementioned birth certificate and your invoice.
Enjoy the rest of your day
Warmest wishes
[Edited at 2016-05-16 09:07 GMT]
Answering scam messages isn't a good idea, unless you're James Veitch. And this email certainly has a potential to make a good sketch, I'd jump on that "bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which affected my lungs", LOL. Or "I will inform all the newspapers in your country", it'd surely make a braking news that somebody owns 25$ to somebody else.
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Kevin Fulton
United States
Local time: 07:28
German to English
| Contact PayPal | May 16, 2016 |
Using a PayPal account for extortion purposes is probably a violation of their terms of service. Getting the account closed would be one way to cramp this would-be blackmailer's style.
| | | | Jeff Whittaker
United States
Local time: 07:28
Spanish to English
+ ...
| NeoAtlas
Spain
Local time: 13:28
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Just notified to PayPal. | May 16, 2016 |
Just notified to PayPal, and hope PayPal will take care of this scammer.
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