Forum for Translators: Re: Scam Translation Agency
Beware of an agency called Welo Calize. Someone identified as Sarah Jefferson, a Recruitment Manager, requested a translation of 8,000 words. The rate they offered per word was well above the market value, which already raised my suspicions. They ask you to open an account at a bank (Broxel Bank), likely a fake page. They made a deposit into this account, and when I attempted to transfer the money, the bank claimed a $250 fee was required to generate a SWIFT API CODE. When I sought assistance from the bank's support team, they stated a bank transfer was necessary and provided the account details of an individual. I became suspicious and questioned why the transfer would be made to an individual when I was dealing with a bank. They claimed it was someone from administrative support. I didn't transfer the money but wasted time on a translation for which I wasn’t paid.
I have had a similar experience with Prime Table Hub Translation (phone +1 (914) 450-5449: Project manager Rebecca Wilson)
I carried out a 20-page translation for them (2 days work). I delivered the job and then they transferred me to their 'payment department (+1 (227) 251-5498).
They claimed that the money had been sent from the Bank of America to my bank, but that I had to 'link' it to the company payment server. They even sent me a PDF of the payment. It then appeared that I had to pay €120 (refundable) for the link! This now looked very much like a scam, and, after I queried it, they don't answer their phone or WhatsApp.
I'm not paying the €120, but I'm annoyed at wasting nearly 2 days on the translation.
Yes, Prime Translation Hub is definitively an SCAM.
I was contacted twice by two different people (or bots, who knows?) with different Gmail addresses.
Both times they sent me the same BS email telling about an obvious FAKE JOB: 20 pages, $85 per page, and no deadline.
SCAMMER #1 was Pattie Smith, with WhatsApp +1 (574) 209 9111 and Telegram: https://t.me/pattielawson that was probably STOLEN by a phishing SCAM.
The email also had another phone number at the FAKE signature: Phone: +1 548-813-3379
SCAMMER #2 was Mr jøgen Smith, with WhatsApp: 1 (929) 706 7177 and Telegram: https://t.me/Dr_carolina_archer, again probably STOLEN by a phishing SCAM.
So, BEWARE of these SCAMMERS, there's no such LSP/agency called Prime Translation Hub.
And this is not the only message I got that's a scam, and they all came from Translators' Cafe.
Same here!
They approached me with a totally impersonal message (stating how much they were impressed by my skills, CV etc. yet not calling me by my name!). Plus, no professional details appeared at the end of their messages (legal name, address, phone no., e-mails, websites and other legal mentions and as a company, they're writing from a gmail address = RED FLAG!). I replied but my interlocutor told me to get in touch with his supervisor through Telegram, to which I replied that he could forward my reply to said supervisor and that she could get in touch by e-mail. He replied back insisting that I had to contact her via Telegram, which I obviously refused to do.
Good luck, everyone!
From: Luca Amoroi <lucaamoroi@gmail.com>
Sent: 01 April 2025 10:14
To: Alex xxxxxxx <xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.xxx>
Subject: Re: TRANSLATION JOB OFFER
Okay kindly contact our project manager for more details about the project
Contact Us:
For applications or inquiries, please reach out to our Project Manager:
Via WhatsApp : +1 (929) 706‑7177
Via telegram: https://t.me/Dr_carolina_archer
Thank you for considering this opportunity. We look forward to your positive response!
I recieved same message on whatsapp
I've now received another job offer from them!
It all looks very familiar!
n exciting Translation project opportunity with Prime Table Hub Translation Team
Received an offer from them as well. The contacts given were just for online communication apps which to me is a red flag.
No official domain. Email comes from a spammy gmail email address and not a real domain. Message headers show 3 redirects.
No website listed.
Really love that [insert deadline]!
Fake website, there are several different scam sites that list the addresses that they have.
Email as follows:
From: Rebecca Wilson<rebeccawilson240000@gmail.com>
Dear Mr/Mrs,
I hope this message finds you well. I came across your profile on Translatorpub.com and was highly impressed with your expertise.
We are delighted to offer you an exciting Translation project opportunity with Prime Table Hub Translation Team
I have had a similar experience with Prime Table Hub Translation Project manager Harriet Lowe.
I carried out a 20-page translation for them (4 days work). I delivered the job and then they transferred me to their payment department.Ben Festus from that department sent me the money from Hanmiequity Bank, but when I tried to withdrawal the money I couldn't, because they asked me to fill the authentication code. When I told that to Ben Festus, he said that I have to pay 155 dollars for the authentication code that will be return to my account, but it didn’t make sense to me, and I discovered it was a fraud.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience — that sounds like a textbook scam, and your post will definitely help others avoid falling into the same trap.
What you described is unfortunately becoming more common in the freelance and language services industry. A legitimate Translation Service would never ask you to open a bank account just to receive payment, nor would they demand any sort of fee (like a $250 SWIFT API code) to transfer your earnings.
Real clients and agencies operate with transparent payment methods — typically via bank transfer, PayPal, or trusted invoicing platforms — and never through suspicious third-party banking schemes.
To fellow translators and linguists reading this: always verify the legitimacy of a new client. Red flags include:
Unusually high rates that seem too good to be true
Requests to use obscure or unfamiliar banking services
Payments that require you to send money in order to receive it
Poorly written contracts or lack of official documentation
At Globibo, we take ethical hiring and project management seriously. If you’re ever unsure about a potential client, feel free to reach out or compare with how a professional Translation Service operates.
Thanks again for speaking out — you likely just saved someone else from the same situation.
Stay safe out there, everyone.
I have recently been contacted by a Pavel Kamyshov saying that they took my information from Translation Directory. He asked me to translate about 19000+ word count in four days. He then asked me to sign a blank NDA and then asked me to contact a Carole Crawford for immediate payment. Now, when I contacted this Carole, she asked me for a Freelance ID to verify that they are paying the right person. The ID was for $100. And when I asked them which company they're representing, Carole said Toptal. Toptal, of course, denied knowing anyone of them. So, be careful out there, guys. I think they're using Translation Directory as a database for their scams. Don't be like me.
I received similar emails twice. I deleted the first one, but the second was sent by Mary Nathan marynathan986@gmail.com.
Both emails contained the exact same message:
They included a screenshot of my profile on TranslationDirectory and began with "Dear Mr/Mrs," followed by:
I hope this message finds you well. We have a new translation project and would like to invite you to collaborate with us. The details are as follows:
• Language pair: English to your native language
• Word count: 16,620 words
• Deadline: 5 days or more
The salary/payment amount and contract/PO will be shared with you.
Please let us know if you’re available and interested, and we’ll share the full brief.
Contact us via WhatsApp if that is convenient for you.
+44 7405 414025
They provided no details about the project or their company.
I didn’t bother replying to them.
I’ve received scam emails like this after listing my information on TranslationDirectory, so I’m now considering withdrawing my profile from the site.
Before that, I’m sharing this here as a warning.
Search forum and the rest of TranslationDirectory.com:
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