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Is this a scam?
Thread poster: Catarina Wilson
Catarina Wilson
Catarina Wilson  Identity Verified
United States
Member (2012)
English to Swedish
+ ...
Sep 23, 2019

This is an email I received, the company and and name is legit but the rest seems a bit questionable. I was then told to go to Google Hangout to set up and interview.

The information below is a briefing about our company; the job and instructions to assist you to get aboard our work team. If truly you’re interested; read further and follow the instructions as stated below, IF NOT please ignore this message.
We address some of the world's most pressing global challenges and c
... See more
This is an email I received, the company and and name is legit but the rest seems a bit questionable. I was then told to go to Google Hangout to set up and interview.

The information below is a briefing about our company; the job and instructions to assist you to get aboard our work team. If truly you’re interested; read further and follow the instructions as stated below, IF NOT please ignore this message.
We address some of the world's most pressing global challenges and continue to develop new solutions. The population is constantly growing and its age is increasing. That is why it needs better medicines and high-quality food in sufficient quantities.
We dedicate ourselves to provide a superior customer experience by delivering original, adjustable and value-driven solutions. Our values: People, Virtue, Profitability, Responsibility, Imagination.


COMPANY: APTAR PHARMA

Job Type: Part-Time, Full-Time, Freelancer.

Hourly Rate: $40/Hour-$50/Hour

Training Rate: $18/Hour-$20/Hour

Location: Work from Home

If interested, follow the steps below to schedule your interview session:

You've been assigned to Gareth Wilton (Hiring Coordinator) of APTAR PHARMA, he would be conducting an online interview with you.

To contact him, set up a screen name with Gmail hangout https://hangouts.google.com/ and add up the Company Hiring Manager's hangouts screen name([email protected]) and instant message him to proceed with the job interview
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Pedro Zimmer
 
Thomas T. Frost
Thomas T. Frost  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 19:07
Danish to English
+ ...
Looks like it Sep 23, 2019

It looks very much like a scam.

Which domain was the email sent from?


Catarina Wilson
 
Catarina Wilson
Catarina Wilson  Identity Verified
United States
Member (2012)
English to Swedish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Close to the real thing... Sep 24, 2019

aptarpharma.company.com

 
Esther Dodo
Esther Dodo  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 15:07
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
Yes, it is a scam! Sep 24, 2019

I think we all have been approached by scammers before but I have to tell that it took me a while to realize that this "job offer" was in fact a scam.

After checking the company and the HR Director on LinkedIn I was convinced it was a real offer and scheduled an interview but it didn't take me too long to realize they were scammers.


 
RobinB
RobinB  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 14:07
German to English
Definitely a scam Sep 24, 2019

There's a whole series of these identical scams sweeping the translation industry this year (just swap out the name of the company and the person who will supposedly interview you). No matter how attractive the offer looks, just delete it. No real company is going to email you (or anybody else) out of the blue with an attractive job offer and an interview in Google Hangouts with somebody who has a gmail or similar free email account.

Liviu-Lee Roth
writeaway
Mina Chen
 
Carole Wolfe
Carole Wolfe  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 14:07
Member (2006)
Russian to English
+ ...
I received a similar email Sep 24, 2019

I received a very similar email that had the same payment amounts, but it came from Bayer Pharmaceuticals.

I received it after I had selected the position as a Favorite on UpWork. An email about the position came to me out of the blue and said they had reviewed my profile on ProZ and were interested in me. I installed Google Hangouts but did not add the HR person to my contact list, mostly because I had overlooked that suggestion made in later email. I think I've received 2-3 ema
... See more
I received a very similar email that had the same payment amounts, but it came from Bayer Pharmaceuticals.

I received it after I had selected the position as a Favorite on UpWork. An email about the position came to me out of the blue and said they had reviewed my profile on ProZ and were interested in me. I installed Google Hangouts but did not add the HR person to my contact list, mostly because I had overlooked that suggestion made in later email. I think I've received 2-3 emails from them, and after that nothing.

Now that I think about it more, i really doubt the offer because the HR person in your case as well mine is using gmail to conduct the business of a giant pharmaceutical company. Surely, he/she has a more official, impressive address. I checked the email link that my HR person has on Linkedin, and it is NOT a gmail address.

I'm glad you addressed this offer here because I was still holding on to the hope of being contacted for this fantastic job. "If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Good luck in your future scam-free ventures.

Signing off with my feet on the ground.
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Thomas T. Frost
Thomas T. Frost  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 19:07
Danish to English
+ ...
Not at all Sep 24, 2019

Catarina Wilson wrote:

Close to the real thing:
aptarpharma.company.com


Not at all. The genuine domain is aptar.com.

The domain company.com belongs to a completely different company. Apparently, it is a social network and resource hub for small businesses in the US. Receiving an email from that is as good as receiving an email from a Facebook, LinkedIn or Gmail email address.

Don't fall for lookalike subdomains (aptarpharma.company.com is a subdomain of the domain company.com) or fake domains (could have been for example apttar.com).


Daryo
Yolanda Broad
Michele Fauble
Liviu-Lee Roth
 
Daryo
Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:07
Serbian to English
+ ...
Close to the real thing? Nowhere near ... Sep 24, 2019

Catarina Wilson wrote:

Close to the real thing...

aptarpharma.company.com



THIS is the real thing

pharma.aptar.com

a sub-domain of "aptar.com" - the domain name for all companies that are part of the Aptar group of companies.

"aptarpharma.company.com" is a sub-domain of "company.com" no links whatsoever to the Aptar group of companies, owned by someone who will happily sell the use of any sub-domain name to anyone willing to pay, scammer or no scammer ... (if they are not themselves the scammers!)

One more proof for the old saying

Acquiring knowledge is expensive? Try the cost of ignorance ...


Yolanda Broad
Liviu-Lee Roth
DZiW (X)
 
Britney Hoft
Britney Hoft
United States
Aptar Group Scam Oct 31, 2019

I received the exact same email. I was SOO convinsed this was real based on my early reseaqrch. They person was in fact an employee of Aptar, with real social media accounts. I sadly learned this is a scam. I went through the interview process via google chat and suspected it was strange but you just never know. So I continued. I went as far as receiving a $5600.00 check for start-up supplies. Why did I receive so much and for what? I asked myself this and took 2 days to think about it. Realized... See more
I received the exact same email. I was SOO convinsed this was real based on my early reseaqrch. They person was in fact an employee of Aptar, with real social media accounts. I sadly learned this is a scam. I went through the interview process via google chat and suspected it was strange but you just never know. So I continued. I went as far as receiving a $5600.00 check for start-up supplies. Why did I receive so much and for what? I asked myself this and took 2 days to think about it. Realized I could just call Aptar directly. Turns out... Aptar does NOT advertise for jobs on Upwork or ANY OTHER job board site. They ONLY list jobs on their own site. After this, I asked the fraud person that I had been speaking with to call me directly. I made up a story that the bank would not process check until I confirm the validity of the source. She had someone contact me using a Google Voice phone number. Then I was convinced without a doubt that this was a scam. I am still not sure what the scam was in the end exactly but I was not about to find out.

The best part, the second I told the person I was communicating with that I had called Aptar to reach her and was told they do not list jobs on sites and that person immediately said: "ok thank you goodbye".

Do your research before accepting jobs and make sure that the people that you are talking to are actually who they say they are.

[Edited at 2019-10-31 19:28 GMT]
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Anna Carter
Anna Carter
United States
Local time: 15:07
Spanish to English
+ ...
Scam Aptar Pharmacy Nov 11, 2019

I knew it was a scam b/c they asked for my name, SEX, city... No HR person would ask for your sex. I also asked for a phone call to verify their identity. Nada.

Yolanda Broad
 
Rebecca Ant
Rebecca Ant
United States
same scam, different name Nov 24, 2019

I'm new here and not sure if I'm able to post this, but I got the exact same thing, only with a different company, that really does exist, and from a person who really does exist, but under a different job title. I fell for it and have an interview set up tomorrow, but did some research and I won't be doing the interview any more. Are there any actual real jobs like this out there, or are they all scams?

Here's what I got.

After a quick review of your profile on
<
... See more
I'm new here and not sure if I'm able to post this, but I got the exact same thing, only with a different company, that really does exist, and from a person who really does exist, but under a different job title. I fell for it and have an interview set up tomorrow, but did some research and I won't be doing the interview any more. Are there any actual real jobs like this out there, or are they all scams?

Here's what I got.

After a quick review of your profile on

Certified Medical Interpreters Association



I write to present Scinopharm Translator job (Full-Time/Part-Time) Position;

Scinopharm is an international drug production company founded in 1997, having it's Headquarter in Taiwan. Scinopharm is one of the top pharmaceutical company around the world. It produce drugs,offers a wide array of process R&D services and API manufacturing capabilities designed to satisfy customers' exact requirements and facilitate their rapid market introductions. ScinoPharm specializes in process R&D and the production of CGMP Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).

ScinoPharm targets three market segments in the global pharmaceutical .

Hence; we’re in search of individuals, company irrespective of the current business type for a Translator Position.


Responsibilities:
- Read given material and research industry-specific terminology
- Convert text and audio recordings from one language to one or more others
- Ensure translated content conveys original meaning and tone
- Prepare subtitles for videos and online presentations
- Cross-reference specialized dictionaries and translation tools to check quality of translation
- Proofread translated texts for grammar, spelling and punctuation accuracy
- Follow up with internal team members and clients to ensure translation meets their needs
- Edit content with an eye toward maintaining its original format (e.g. font and structure)
- Network with field experts to stay current on new translation tools and practices


Requirements
- Proven work experience as a Translator, Interpreter or similar role
- Excellent proofreading skills with the ability to identify grammar, spelling and punctuation errors
- Good knowledge of content editing tools
- Familiarity with translation software
- Time-management skills
- Additional certification in Linguistics is a plus

Job Type: Full-time/Part-Time
Hourly Rate: $40/Hour-$50/Hour
Training Rate: $18/Hour-$20/Hour
Per Word: $0.10-0.30


If interested, follow the steps below to schedule your interview session:
Send the below information and Resume to:
([email protected])

Name:
Name of Company (Current employer):
Position Held:
Postal Address:
Cell Number:
Do you have experience as a Translator/Interpreter agent?
Interview Scheduled : Mondays - Fridays
Venue: On line Via Google Hangouts
Time : 9:00 AM-5:00 PM CSTs
Training is Available.


Your verification code is (ST/S2019-6533). This would serve as your identification number throughout the on-line hiring process. This is an online work from home and working hours are flexible.


Your swift and timely response matters a lot as this is an immediate hire position... We look forward to having you on the team.




Director Human Resources
Department of the Employee Representative
Council of Scinopharm Taiwan ltd.
https://global.Scinopharm Taiwan
©️ 2019 Global Scinopharm Taiwan
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Liviu-Lee Roth
 
Dan Lucas
Dan Lucas  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:07
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
The email address says it all Nov 24, 2019

Rebecca Ant wrote:
If interested, follow the steps below to schedule your interview session:
Send the below information and Resume to:
([email protected])

Might potential clients contact you? Sure, they might, but real clients use real email addresses. No company of any size uses Gmail, access to which is likely to be blocked at large companies in any case.

People in other related threads have gone as far as making phone calls to the company from which the scammer purports to be, but there's no need. A careful look at the return email address, and 10 seconds of thought, are all that is required.

Regards,
Dan


[Edited at 2019-11-24 18:52 GMT]


Kevin Fulton
Fatine Echenique
Liviu-Lee Roth
Phil Sakamoto
 
Phil Sakamoto
Phil Sakamoto
United States
Local time: 15:07
Member (2019)
Japanese to English
+ ...
I got the same E-mail, too! Jan 13, 2020

This is what I've got from '[email protected]'

'Hello Futa,

The information below is a briefing about our company; the job and instructions to assist you to get aboard our work team. If truly you’re interested; read further and follow the instructions as stated below, IF NOT please ignore this message.

We address some of the world's most pressing global challenges and continue to develop new solutions. The population is constantly growing a
... See more
This is what I've got from '[email protected]'

'Hello Futa,

The information below is a briefing about our company; the job and instructions to assist you to get aboard our work team. If truly you’re interested; read further and follow the instructions as stated below, IF NOT please ignore this message.

We address some of the world's most pressing global challenges and continue to develop new solutions. The population is constantly growing and its age is increasing. That is why it needs better medicines and high-quality food in sufficient quantities.


We dedicate ourselves to provide a superior customer experience by delivering original, adjustable and value-driven solutions. Our values: People, Virtue, Profitability, Responsibility, Imagination.


COMPANY: APTAR PHARMA

Job Type: Part-Time, Full-Time, Freelancer.

Hourly Rate: $40/Hour-$50/Hour

Training Rate: $18/Hour-$20/Hour

Location: Work from Home

If interested, follow the steps below to schedule your interview session:

You've been assigned to Eric Norman (Hiring Coordinator) of APTAR PHARMA, he would be conducting an online interview with you.

To contact him, set up a screen name with Gmail hangout https://hangouts.google.com/ and add up the Company Hiring Manager's hangouts screen name([email protected]) and instant message him to proceed with the job interview

Interview Scheduled: Mondays - Fridays

Venue: Online Via Google Hangouts

Time : 9:00 AM-6:00 PM EST

Training is available.


Your verification code is (TRA/APT11011). This would serve as your identification number throughout the online hiring process. This is an online work from home and working hours are flexible.

Your swift and timely response matters a lot as this is an immediate hire position... We look forward to having you on the team.'

I almost went to set up an appointment and then I thought, what if this is a scam....I'm glad I came to this page.
Thank you everyone for sharing your experience.

Futa
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Liviu-Lee Roth
 
Kazuhiko Kocho
Kazuhiko Kocho  Identity Verified
Local time: 12:07
Member (2009)
English to Japanese
+ ...
I've spent two hours and found this thread Jan 24, 2020

Responding to the offer through Upwork, I used two hours this morning for Hangouts interview with the so-called HR personnel, when I run a scam search and found this thread. The scammer said they would send me a check to purchase the startup hardware and software. The person asked me for a mobile banking app, which I did not have. He told me to call him when the check is cashed. He said he will designate the vendor who supplies the startup equipment (at this point I started to suspect a scam). T... See more
Responding to the offer through Upwork, I used two hours this morning for Hangouts interview with the so-called HR personnel, when I run a scam search and found this thread. The scammer said they would send me a check to purchase the startup hardware and software. The person asked me for a mobile banking app, which I did not have. He told me to call him when the check is cashed. He said he will designate the vendor who supplies the startup equipment (at this point I started to suspect a scam). They even sent me an employment letter.

Perhaps it would run like this: 1. They send a check for $5000 or so -> 2. Translator cashes the check and call the scammer -> 3. The scammer uses the translator to pay the money to the account of the fictitious vendor who is associated with the scammer -> 4. The scammer then cancels the check.

Anyway, thank you for your help, guys!
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IrinaN
IrinaN
United States
Local time: 14:07
English to Russian
+ ...
Almost, except for Jan 24, 2020

Kazuhiko Kocho wrote:

1. They send a check for $5000 or so -> 2. Translator cashes the check and call the scammer -> 3. The scammer uses the translator to pay the money to the account of the fictitious vendor who is associated with the scammer -> 4. The scammer then cancels the check.

Anyway, thank you for your help, guys!


No need to cancel anything - the check is fake from the beginning but it takes a bank up to 2 weeks to figure it out, and then you are responsible. Consider yourself lucky if you won't be investigated for bank fraud and money laundering. Jail is still a very distant threat:-) but you'll part with a lot of nerve cells for sure. I know of a case like this in the US, it already happened to at least one translator. It may not be so easy to prove that you are not a part of a scheme and in the end may have been reimbursed by some untraceable way. This is serious, very serious.


Liviu-Lee Roth
Katarzyna Slowikova
 
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