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Author Topic: Am I being scammed  (Read 13165 times)

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Offline Tony_D

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Am I being scammed
« on: November 26, 2010, 03:11:17 PM »
I have been corresponding with a woman i met a month ago on ukrainedate.com, in her first email she said she was using a translation company to translate my emails. after numerous emails back & forth over the month, it all seemed good, she would send me 3 photos with every email, so in total she sent me about 24 photos in total, which seemed pretty legit to me. Today i got an email from supposing the company she was using for the translation : here it is :

The "Satellite" Translation Agency
                                                          Poltava, Kozaka street, 5/office 127

Good day to you Sir,


Tatyana ,with who you were
corresponding, was using our services in the field of the
translation letters from Russian into English and from English
into Russian.
______________________________________________________

We are writing you on the request of Tatyana

______________________________________________________

Tatyana asked us to write you and inform you that she has
a hard financial situation at the moment and can not pay for our
services to contact you. At the moment she can not send you
any more letters and photos.

We can give you necessary information, if you are still
interested in continuation communication with Tatyana.
______________________________________________________
We can offer you the next services:

1. Translation of (Russian, Ukrainian, English) texts, letters, documents
2. Printing / scanning of texts, photos, pictures, documents
3. Access to the Internet
4. Interpretation of the telephone conversations and translation of chat
5. Delivery services
______________________________________________________
In case you want to help Tatyana, you may make a payment
and continue communication with her. You may write us
to this e-mail address and we will answer all your questions and
give you necessary information about prices and terms of
payments.
Your lady Tatyana is well informed about all our actions.
_____________________________________________________

Please, pay attention! The "Satellite" is a serious company. Our
business is legitimate and approved by the authorities of
Ukraine.
______________________________________________________

Please, pay attention! "Satellite" is not marriage or dating
agency, our company works just in the area of translation only.

"Satellite"




Is this normal, I'm very new to all of this & just need some advice, i will be not sending any money to this company but just wanted to know has anyone else come across a situation like this & it not being a scam,

cheers for any info

Offline ECOCKS

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #1 on: November 26, 2010, 03:13:52 PM »
I would move on without any loss of sleep.
Pick and choose carefully among the advice offered and consider the source carefully. PM, Skype or email if you care to chat or discuss

Offline JohnDearGreen

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #2 on: November 26, 2010, 04:00:01 PM »
Is this normal, I'm very new to all of this & just need some advice, i will be not sending any money to this company but just wanted to know has anyone else come across a situation like this & it not being a scam,
cheers for any info
It sounds like Satellite is a business partner of ukrainedating.com.   Not necessarily a scam, but the rules should have been clearly spelled out if it was a good dating site.   Suggest you arrange a translated phone call to her and discuss it.  I always used an independent agency (of my choice) to do translations whenever possible and if translation expenses were involved, i always volunteered to pay them.   You should have discussed that with her in the 3rd or 4th email exchange.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2010, 04:09:25 PM by JohnDearGreen »

Offline viking

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2010, 04:10:37 PM »
The amount of photos, to me, is to try and generate enough interest so when the "money letter" ( which in this case is translation fees) comes, you open your wallet to a nice scam.
Tom Hanks in Castaway: You never know what the tide may bring in.
Viking: But you still need to walk along the beach to find it.

Offline Tony_D

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2010, 04:14:26 PM »
Thanks guys for the feedback, much appreciated, i will probably leave it at that, plenty more fish in the sea as they say, thanks again

Offline JohnDearGreen

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2010, 04:18:02 PM »
Thanks guys for the feedback, much appreciated, i will probably leave it at that, plenty more fish in the sea as they say, thanks again
Were you a gold($25) or platinum member($30)?  Translation appears to be included with the platinum membership.   Guess she wasn't worth the extra $5/month.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2010, 04:24:06 PM by JohnDearGreen »

Offline Tony_D

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #6 on: November 26, 2010, 04:39:39 PM »
i was platinum mate

Offline facetrock

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #7 on: November 26, 2010, 04:40:56 PM »
 The translation scam has been around for years. I actually got to know a woman who's pics were being used by one. Old scam,forget it and move on. Another good reason to correspond with women that already speak good English.

Offline JohnDearGreen

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #8 on: November 26, 2010, 04:47:35 PM »
i was platinum mate
Then someone was trying to rip you off.  But is it the the lady, Satellite, or Ukrainedate?  Or is another downstream agency involved?   Before giving up on the lady, I would ask that question to ukrainedate.
That is, if the lady interests you at all.   If not, why did you email her for a month?
« Last Edit: November 26, 2010, 04:50:08 PM by JohnDearGreen »

Offline Tony_D

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #9 on: November 26, 2010, 04:58:11 PM »
Then someone was trying to rip you off.  But is it the the lady, Satellite, or Ukrainedate?  Or is another downstream agency involved?   Before giving up on the lady, I would ask that question to ukrainedate.
That is, if the lady interests you at all.   If not, why did you email her for a month?

I am really interested in this lady, i am just out of a long relationship & i have enjoyed corresponding with her, (i know that sounds naive), i will email ukrainedate & see what they say, i appreciate your comments JohnDearGreen from a  newbie
« Last Edit: November 26, 2010, 05:06:52 PM by Tony_D »

Offline JohnDearGreen

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #10 on: November 26, 2010, 05:52:03 PM »
i will email ukrainedate & see what they say, 
Tell them your problem is being discussed on a major web site and include a link to this topic.
Maybe that will light a fire under them.

Offline Kuna

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #11 on: November 26, 2010, 08:40:33 PM »
Short answer is Yes.

Don't waste your time on a fantasy.

Offline tim 360

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #12 on: November 27, 2010, 09:33:51 AM »
This is a classic UA "translation agency" scam that has been running for years.  First they hook you and send lots of photos for a couple weeks and when they think you are hooked--they need you to pay.  Run.
"Never argue with a fool,  onlookers may not be able to tell the difference".  Mark Twain

Offline JohnDearGreen

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #13 on: November 27, 2010, 10:32:22 AM »
This is a classic UA "translation agency" scam that has been running for years.  First they hook you and send lots of photos for a couple weeks and when they think you are hooked--they need you to pay.  Run.
Who is "they"?  ukrainedate is one of the cupid dating sites which advertises regularly on RWD.   A quick google search did not reveal any scam reports on them.

Offline JR

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #14 on: November 27, 2010, 12:36:01 PM »
Am I being scammed ?

Yes!
« Last Edit: November 27, 2010, 12:38:09 PM by JR »
Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else :)

Offline TomT

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #15 on: November 27, 2010, 01:55:59 PM »
Ukrainedate may or may not be involved. If they are, making them aware of this site would help them to fine tune their operation. If they aren't, bringing them here will only result in a lot of unfair accusations that won't serve anyone.

If it makes you feel any better about letting this go, you probably haven't been communicating with the girl in the photos anyway.

 

Offline Gator

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #16 on: November 27, 2010, 04:09:07 PM »
Many issues:

1.  Yes, the "translation scam" is seen frequently in Ukraine.  However, Tatyana may not know that it is a scam and is doing what her agency advises.

2.  Whether this is a scam depends upon what they charge.  A reasonable amount is less than $5 per letter.  However, you should have plans to travel soon; otherwise $5 per letter can add up to a large amount.  And you need to advance to telephone conversations soon.

3.  Evidently Tatyana needs translation help.  Just how much English does she know?  If very little, I suggest that you find another woman.  Communication is imperative.  How can you communicate if you can not have serious conversations?  Imagine your first meetings.

4.  If she speaks some English, I suggest Skype calls over the Internet.  Skype is free.  

Offline I/O

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #17 on: November 27, 2010, 05:02:55 PM »
Scam.

Have you been scammed? Did you send money or pay for this rot?

Offline Vaughn

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #18 on: November 28, 2010, 07:03:07 AM »
FWIW, I received an almost identical letter although from a different agency - after about 5 letters back & forth
with my future wife. The deal was quite legitimate, and that agency still operates today.

Ask if her home phone number is available.

Offline Daveman

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #19 on: November 28, 2010, 11:01:04 AM »
FWIW, I received an almost identical letter although from a different agency - after about 5 letters back & forth
with my future wife. The deal was quite legitimate, and that agency still operates today.

Ask if her home phone number is available.

And the plot thickens.. I knew she was scammin' you Vaughn... I knew it all along!   You've been on the hook for quite a while now! :evil:

At first glance this does appear to be the typical translation money engine.  The clue (for me) is the photos in every letter.  My experience has been this... when a woman sends a group of photos in every letter, there was always something amiss.  If she sent a couple photos in the first couple of letters, then requested mine... and then we exchanged photos kinda "normally" over time (ambiguous, I know) the woman was legit. 

I have zero experience with the website in question so I can't help you there.. but this does peak my "sumpin' ain't kwite rite" meter (and piques my curiosity as well to see how this play out).  At any rate, you should try to get this lady's home contact information, mobile/home phone number(s).  If the woman is serious, she'll want you to have it.  If there are excuses involved, (oh, she's so sweet, innocent and timid, she's soooo afraid to give this information before she meets you in person...etc etc)

You could reply and tell the agency that you already have a translator/interpreter that you have already paid, so you will use her and will consider their services when the term expires. See what they say to that -- And if you do need one, then hire your own for communication.  Get anything that isn't "on your side" out of the loop as rapidly as possible.

The duty of a true patriot is to protect his country from its government. -- Thomas Paine

Offline Vaughn

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #20 on: November 28, 2010, 11:20:12 AM »
I agree- that the old translation-for-a-fee scam abounds, making it tougher for those legitimate
operations to be taken seriously...

Earlier this month, our dear friend Natasha, who owns/operates the agency through whom we
corresponded in the beginning, ended her letter with this...

 If you do not mind, I have one more question. Men-clients do not want to contact with the agency and they do not want to understand that women write trough the agency. I write to men trying to explain this but they do not react and ignore my letters and they can’t understand that women are my clients. What can you advise in this case?
The quicker time passes the harder to work:) Before there were no such problems:) But in general, everything is well!:)


It seems to me that the genuine ones have been diluted in a sea of opportunists.

Offline Daveman

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #21 on: November 28, 2010, 12:01:39 PM »

...

It seems to me that the genuine ones have been diluted in a sea of opportunists.

Yes indeed. Well, I guess they're all opportunists to a degree, after all, even the genuinely sincere 'agencies' have to earn a living and I've heard that the bread and butter of that living are the translation fees.  While I have little experience inside agencies, that seems to be reasonable. My only experience with an agency is the one in Omsk.. which was absolutely legit and actually fun to hang out in.. except for the dark, evil glances I got from a certain someone each time a new lady walked into the office.. This agency had put the lady's profile on EM, but never asked me for anything and I didn't actually know she was communicating through an agency until we made more definitive plans to meet. Which could have been taken as a scam because at that point, the lady mentioned that for us to meet in person there was a "meeting fee" of I think $60 or something.  I didn't realize it before, of course, but the lady had been paying for all her own translation fees and never mentioned an agency or fees, or what not.  I guess if she really could not have afforded it, I would have received a letter similar to the one above from the agency (or the lady) because this one really couldn't communicate in English much at all by herself (My study of Russian really came in handy).  I still remember her fondly.  Great lady, but I just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on the Visa with the language barrier still intact... "wedded strangers" kept echoing in my head....  so she began to see me as "not serious", the death knell in these relationships. She liked me, she wanted to be in a relationship with me, so what was the problem? "We with you will overcome all!"... very romantic ideal but ... anyway, I digress...

I'm not flip flopping on the issue, but just saying that the letter itself is not 100% indicative of a scam. The whole picture must be in view to make a determination. 
 
A great agency can be a real benefit to hooking up compatible couples.  All the staff ladies in that Omsk agency went out of their way to help us any way they could.  They invited us to stop by whenever we wanted to chat a bit, to interpret for us there at the office when they weren't busy (absolutely free), truly interested in our progress. 

Does one need an agency? of course not.  But I don't think they're evil incarnate either. It's the sifting process to find one(s) that is/are trustworthy which seems to be the pain.
The duty of a true patriot is to protect his country from its government. -- Thomas Paine

Offline ECOCKS

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #22 on: November 28, 2010, 12:15:35 PM »
You can spin this thirty different ways to Sunday but it still comes down to your peace of mind and assessment of how much confidence you have in this relationship.

It "could" be so many things or it "could" be nothing but a simple attempt at understanding your letters.

If you want to put it to rest, get control of communications. There are several wives and commercial members here who will provide trustworthy translation at similar rates (or less) to help you put your unease away. Send her a message saying you've arranged for translation on your own and all her emails should be sent to (substitute address of you or your translator). You can use several different people here for translation through Skype or phones.

All the rest of the speculation, rationalization, war stories, internet searches and what-ifs are simply distractions and things that will drive you crazy in the long-run. You're spinning your wheels and not really lowering the risks you perceived when the letter arrived.
Pick and choose carefully among the advice offered and consider the source carefully. PM, Skype or email if you care to chat or discuss

Offline Tony_D

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #23 on: November 29, 2010, 04:18:35 PM »
Thank you for all the very useful comments folks, much appreciated,
i have emailed the translation company back but no reply so far.

Ive done some homework on it all now & i think the best move for me, is to move on & join a site like  EM, seems like the best site out there,
again i appreciate the replys & i will post the reply from the translation company as soon as they get back to me,

cheers Tony

Offline Cmickey55

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Re: Am I being scammed
« Reply #24 on: January 13, 2011, 06:36:33 PM »
I got the same letters from same company and same girl,thats why I signed up for this site.

 

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