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SCAM ALERT – AA Global Impersonation / Translation Scam (WhatsApp + Fake PO)
Thread poster: Magno Saboya
Magno Saboya
Magno Saboya
Brazil
Local time: 14:13
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Jun 16

Dear colleagues,
I wanted to warn everyone about a well-organized scam using the name of AA Global (a legitimate UK translation company).
They contacted me via ProZ at the end of May 2026 offering a large translation job (17,788 words, English → Brazilian Portuguese, academic legal text about International Law / Al Mahdi case).
What they did:

Sent a professional-looking NDA and Purchase Order (PO AGG-PO-2026-0423)
Used names: Maverick Rowann / Rowan (Projec... See more
Dear colleagues,
I wanted to warn everyone about a well-organized scam using the name of AA Global (a legitimate UK translation company).
They contacted me via ProZ at the end of May 2026 offering a large translation job (17,788 words, English → Brazilian Portuguese, academic legal text about International Law / Al Mahdi case).
What they did:

Sent a professional-looking NDA and Purchase Order (PO AGG-PO-2026-0423)
Used names: Maverick Rowann / Rowan (Project Manager) and Alistair Wren
Communication almost entirely via WhatsApp (numbers kept changing)
After I delivered the full translation, they said it was approved and redirected me to a “Finance Manager” on a Canadian number (+1 437 370-3571)
Later asked for a fake “Freelancer ID Card” to “release the payment”

Important confirmation:
I contacted the real AA Global. Their Quality & Compliance Manager confirmed that:

No one with those names works there
They do not use WhatsApp for project communication
This is an impersonation scam

Red flags:

Communication only via WhatsApp (never official company email)
Personal Gmail addresses instead of @aaglobal.co.uk
Pressure to deliver fast + fake payment confirmation screens
Request for “Freelancer ID Card” or similar documents

Please be extremely careful. They are targeting translators with large academic/legal jobs.
If you have been contacted by these people, feel free to message me (privately). I can share more screenshots if needed.
Stay safe everyone. ▲ Collapse


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Andrea Capuselli
Andrea Capuselli
Local time: 14:13
SITE STAFF
SITE LOCALIZER
Thank you for your report. Could you also forward the emails to Support? Jun 16

Hi, Magno,

Thank you for taking the time to share this information.

I am sorry to hear about your experience, and I appreciate you posting these details so that other language professionals can be aware of this scam.

If you're willing, please forward any relevant information (emails, message screenshots, phone numbers, documents received, payment requests, etc.) to [email protected] so our team can review... See more
Hi, Magno,

Thank you for taking the time to share this information.

I am sorry to hear about your experience, and I appreciate you posting these details so that other language professionals can be aware of this scam.

If you're willing, please forward any relevant information (emails, message screenshots, phone numbers, documents received, payment requests, etc.) to [email protected] so our team can review the case and help identify any related reports.

We'd also like to clarify an important point for other readers: a message claiming "we found your profile on ProZ.com" does not necessarily mean the contact actually originated through ProZ.com. This wording is very commonly used in scam templates and is often copied verbatim across messages that also claim to come from organizations such as ATA, TranslatorsCafé, LinkedIn, and other professional platforms.

If the initial contact did arrive through ProZ.com's messaging system, you sharing the emails will be particularly useful, as it will allow us to remove and block any related accounts. If the contact occurred outside ProZ.com, we still appreciate receiving any additional information, as reports like this help us track ongoing scam patterns affecting language professionals.

The warning signs you describe are consistent with a scam pattern we have seen recently, which we are calling the "pay-to-get-paid" scam: I think you will recognize it quickly if you come upon it again, but this blog post outlines other common red flags: The release fee scam

Thank you again for bringing this to the community's attention, and don't hesitate to reach out if you ever want a second pair of eyes to help you assess an offer you've received! ▲ Collapse


Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 


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SCAM ALERT – AA Global Impersonation / Translation Scam (WhatsApp + Fake PO)







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