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Return Of A VO Scam

 
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Bruce
Boardmeister


Joined: 06 Jun 2005
Posts: 7921
Location: Portland, OR

PostPosted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 12:15 pm    Post subject: Return Of A VO Scam Reply with quote

The scammers used to send this offer as an email and now it's going round on CraigsList. This is from voice actor and coach Marc Cashman:

Quote:
WARNING! V-O SCAMMERS OUT THERE!

I want to give everyone a heads up about a V-O scam being posted on Craigslist. One of my students, Tony Cobb, alerted me today. This is not the first time this scam has made its way around the V-O community, but please be aware of it. The initial posting is here, typos and all:

2-21-20 "Hi, A new corporate client of mine wants to create their online Transport website.This assignment is a copyrighted script that will be provided.We have specialists,and Contract Studio Engineer who will bring the real perfection to the job.It’s a two days project and wouldn't take more than 25minutes to record for each of days.It's a $1100 voice over (Assignment) for you,

Job Location: The job and the recording will be held at a rented studio close to your location, so you don't have to worry about traveling, the name and address of the studio will be forwarded to you before the date of the recording.

Job Description: We are creating a marketing video to be distributed through web and social media. The overall video is approximately 20 minutes in length with the game show host part being about 8 Mins also. The voice must be Smooth, Friendly fun and entertaining.

Sample Script: (This is an idea of what to be expected)

(VO) Uh, I’m no rocket scientist but I’d say…traffic congestion.

(VO) Well, I’m no rocket scientist but that’s a no-brainer. Mass Transit is the better option.

Expectations: You need to be in a good mental and emotional state of mind. Basically this is all that is required of you, Kindly, get in touch with me as soon as possible if you will take the job. More details will be provided to you and we can continue from there. Please, no time wasting.
Let me know if you will take the job to commence with next arrangement. Please I'd like you to check your email on a regular basis, I might have updates for you."

Regards, Anderson Hoffeman.

If you try to check out who “Anderson Hoffeman” is, good luck. He doesn’t exist. But if you respond, here’s what you’ll get:

"Hi, I received your email indicating your interest.I am an independent consultant. I would not be able to send you the script because my client has copyrighted it and confidential is of utmost importance.Therefore the script shall be released a day before the project. I hope you understand?

As part of my working policy and ethics, I receive part payment from any client before I proceed with any job and balance you immediately after the job, this is to identify a serious client and ascertain the job. So I will get in touch with our client and part payment will be mailed to you, until you receive and confirm payment before the recording will hold. Your total pay for the job is going to be $1100 as discussed. Part payment of $400 will be mailed to you first and you get the balance on the final day of the recording.No contract will be signed for the job.

Do Send me your payment details for issuing a check as to which our client is to mail out your part payment to you in the details below:

Full Legal name for payment on the Check:
Complete Mailing address:
Phone numbers (Cell and Home):

After you confirm the part payment which should serve as transportation and mobilization. Get in touch with your required details as soon as you can. The date of the Recording shall be communicated to you once I get all the details. Concerning the date of the recording, you have the opportunity to choose the two most convenient days for the recording between 6th - 12th March and do indicate it in your next reply."

Warm Regards,
Anderson Hoffeman.

Do NOT fall for this scam. This is a ploy for voice actors who are so desperate for work that they’ll follow any lead.


B
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I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .
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Bish
3.5 kHz


Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Posts: 3738
Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island

PostPosted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 9:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

At least it's a change from the usual Game Show Host

I'm so done with all this. I just tell people to put a filter on their email that traps and trashes any email with the word "assignment" in it. NO ONE uses that word, and yet it seems to be in all the scam emails. One school of thought is that it's put there purposefully so the scam is easy to spot for those who have half a brain... and the only people who bite are the hard-of-thinking.

... and just because I'm cynical, it doesn't mean I'm wrong Smile
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Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls.
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Jack Daniel
Cinquecento


Joined: 23 Jun 2016
Posts: 574
Location: SoCal

PostPosted: Sun Feb 23, 2020 9:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bish wrote:
One school of thought is that it's put there purposefully so the scam is easy to spot for those who have half a brain... and the only people who bite are the hard-of-thinking.


I've often wondered about the terrible English used in these and other scams. Can't imagine it would be difficult for even a half-assed scammer to find someone who can write intelligently, so the thinking is "there must be a reason for the idiocy." Though I tend to believe in simple explanations ("No, they really are just stupid"), the fact they the badness is so reliable and NEVER corrected points me in the direction of intentional endumbment.

Bish, your "school" is plausible. Another variant is that the bad English is reassuring: "Oh, the bad writing proves it's a foreign entity so that explains the unusual procedure; although we'd never do that here, perhaps it is the way things are done where these folks are from." Furthermore, a well-written document would suggest the author is open to reasonable inquiry, whereas the terrible writing suggest any questions would be misunderstood anyway so it's best just to go with it.

Another thought: since it is playing on a newbie's hope and VO dreams, the bad writing serves as its own insurance policy against prosecution since the perpetrators must be in a foreign land and no one would want to admit to having been taken by such a baldly awful scam.
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Jack Daniel
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Lee Gordon
A Zillion


Joined: 25 Jul 2008
Posts: 6843
Location: West Hartford, CT

PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 12:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Based upon many tweets, Facebook posts, and even VO scripts I have seen, a third possibility is, there are just a lot of people out there with no command of the English language.
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Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
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www.leegordonproductions.com
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ShaneGraham057
Contributor


Joined: 01 May 2014
Posts: 49
Location: VA

PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2020 5:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jack Daniel wrote:

I've often wondered about the terrible English used in these and other scams. Can't imagine it would be difficult for even a half-assed scammer to find someone who can write intelligently, so the thinking is "there must be a reason for the idiocy." Though I tend to believe in simple explanations ("No, they really are just stupid"), the fact they the badness is so reliable and NEVER corrected points me in the direction of intentional endumbment.



From what I have heard from some scammers, this is in fact one of their 'tactics' of sorts - If you are dumb (or desperate) enough to look past blatantly bad grammar and spelling (with all of the technology today that will auto correct darn near everything) then chances are you will be dumb/desperate enough to swallow the entire thing.

Just like we weed out the bad ones, they are weeding out the good ones.
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