Is This Email a Scam?
by Marybeth Timmermann
As language professionals, we are constantly receiving emails from people outside our contacts and oftentimes from people who may not be proficient in the language they are writing in, so nonstandard language usage does not always indicate suspicious activity. This is a normal part of professional communication, and most of these messages are legitimate emails from potential clients or colleagues. In fact, usually an email in my inbox from an unknown contact is a good thing! It means someone found my professional contact information and is reaching out to engage with my small business—and might just be my next paying client.
But we all end up receiving our share of scam emails from shady characters who want to steal our money or our private information.
So, how do you recognize a scam email and what should you do if you suspect it might be a scam?
First of all, let me say that many successful freelance professionals have already written a lot about this topic. In fact, when I was preparing this article, I referenced multiple LinkedIn posts by the following people: Rita Salameh, Reham Amin, Maëlle Le Bras, Fiama Zegarra, and Nguyen Dao. Our colleagues at the Northern California Translators Association have an entire page of anti-scam information and resources on their website, including links to articles and free webinars on this topic by Carola F. Berger. I want to say thank you to all of them for sharing this valuable information.
So, here is a recap of some tips for recognizing a scam email:
- It’s too good to be true (too much money, too easy, etc.).
- The job description is very vague, such as “all language pairs needed.”
- The identification or job description of the person sending the email is vague or sketchy (for example, I recently got a scam email signed, “So-and-So, Business Executive”).
- They reference something that doesn’t make sense, such as “following up” on something that you never asked for or applied to in the first place.
- There is no clear payment process or they expect unusual means of payment, especially if they ask you to deposit something first OR if they want to “overpay” and then ask you to refund them the difference.
- The entire project sounds too urgent. It’s true that many legitimate projects are urgent, but there is always time to clarify and verify.
- The only method of contact is WhatsApp, Telegram, or Instagram. This isn’t a guarantee that it’s a scam, but if this occurs with other warning signs, then it might be a red flag.
- If there is no NDA to sign (if they claim to be an agency) or VAT number (for European Agencies). Legitimate agencies will likely have these things.
Here are some things you can do when you suspect that an email is a scam:
- Do basic research: Google the company or person and go to their website or LinkedIn profile, and check them out on spam reporting sites (Proz.com’s blue board or TRI-TRAB are good places to start).
- Ask for details! Engage them in a personalized conversation asking about the details of the project, such as a specific target audience or delivery format, or ask for a written letter of agreement or contract. If it’s a scam, you will most likely hear crickets at this stage.
- Do not give out any personal information or bank information if you suspect it’s spam.
- Report actual spam if you are sure it’s a scam or if you’ve actually lost money.
- Trust your professional instincts—if it feels off, it probably is.