Anybody ever heard of her?

By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics and access other forums reserved for members. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today by clicking here.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 72

This is the one who wants money for a translator. This is a skillful one; everything she says is reasonable, and she definitely reads my letters and addresses the specific details in them. It wouldn't be clear that she was a scammer except that she fell in love with me so fast, and of course asking for money in the first place, plus knowing about Western Union.

Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 9:14 am

Sounds like a typical Ukrainian translation scam. They write a few letters, will answer your questions, then you will get after the 4th or 5th letter an email from Boris asking for money for "services"

Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 9:27 am

Translation scams are annoying as they're quite difficult to bait. They just end in a flat demand for cash and any attempts to continue to conversation, either by writing in Russian or suggesting a free translation service like Babelfish will almost certainly fall on deaf ears.

I suppose you could try sending them on a wild goose chase with some Western Union modalities but, for the amounts of money they're asking for, they're unlikely to lift a finger without a valid MTCN so there's not a lot to go on.

When I see them coming I usually try to dump the girl, for some random reason, just before the request for cash comes in. You'll have wasted about as much time of theirs as you can by that stage and it might leave Boris questioning his scripts.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 72

Well, I live in the U.S., and of course to do an international transfer you can't get the MTCN directly, you get a code and then the recipient has to go through appropriate procedures to confirm that the money is not to be used for international terrorism before they can get the MTCN. So once she finally makes me understand what an MTCN is, that she can't just go down to the office with her ID to pick up the money, I thought I'd go back to the WU office to get the MTCN and then they would explain to me about the security procedure requirements, and then explain it to her. She didn't say how much she wanted, so I just said I sent $500.

Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 5:22 pm

Good luck with that. Few vlads seem to bite on V3rifys3c, although I managed to work a double whammy on the clueless 3l3na who's now been through it with both Moneygram and Western Union and is still with me! That was for considerably more than $500 though, so your mileage may vary.

Also, I've just had another e-mail in from a translation scammer telling me that I should let her know now if I'm fluent in Russian, or have any friends who will translate for me and that any machine translation programs will not be up to the job. All this is at the start of the first e-mail! I guess she must have been baited before, but this is not going to stop me.

Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 10:18 pm

Actually.. is there any demand here for people who actually -are- fluent in Russian?
Or would they just play the exact same song in a different language?

Not quite a Newb Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 72

Are you fluent in Russian? Because if you are, I'll be only to happy to have your help, if you're willing to give it. She reported back that she wasn't able to pick up the money, and I responded that I don't understand how WU works and will try to get the information she needs. I'd love to be able to respond in Russian to her next message, saying never mind, I found a friend to translate.

Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 11:40 pm

I'm not wholly fluent in it, but

Dear X, Do not worry, one of my acquaintances isn't bad at translating.

would be something like

Dorogaya X, Ne volnuitesi, odin iz moih znakomih neploho perevodit.

Unless you meant actual Russian lettering.
A challenge would be welcome, either way.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 72

OK, thanks! I haven't heard from her, but I'll send what you said. I think, though, she'll probably just bail, but we'll see if we can get out anything worthwhile out of her.

Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 6:47 am

Even if you don't speak Russian, just Google for "Russian phrases" and you'll get loads of hits. The following one has more than enough for you to be able to concoct a love letter:

http://www.dating-world.net/Russian%20phrases.htm

E.g.

My love is like a bird that is ready to zoom up to the sky

Moya lyubov' slovno ptitsa, katoraya gotova vzvit'sya vvyshinu

Rolling Eyes

Don't expect it to cut much ice with the translation scammers though. They'll know they've been burned when you suddenly become fluent.

Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 11:31 am

"Moya liubov' podobna ptitse", not "slovno ptitsa".

What if we were to enter a third party, a well-meaning, but perhaps not entirely loyal translator that wishes to learn more about what the lady in question's doing?

Posted: Sat May 26, 2007 8:00 pm

My Rusian girlfriend uses a machine translator. We have learned how to get the best off the process. Sometimes it is a little odd in the way it works , but I would not miss her lovely words for anything. It must be 5 years now and we are well settled.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 72

Yeah, Began, that occurred to me to, you get the real flavor of how someone thinks in their language, and that's nice. But that is only true with real people, like your girlfriend. It's not going to prove satisfactory to some slimy scammer who only wants money for "translation".

Not quite a Newb Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 72

I haven't heard from her in a couple of days; if she shows herself, I'll let you know and we can then pursue some of your ideas.

Anybody ever heard of her?	View next topic View previous topic