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This yells out what it is

DaveKuzminski

I received this from a writer who was initially contacted by Angela. I've copied the subsequent email he received and changed only one thing. I put "author's name" in place of his real name. I now present you with the Letter from Spain:

Dear author's name:

Thank you very much for the story. I simply loved it when I read it, and
now I'm honored to get it publish.. I hope this will reinforce our
Sànish readers to write their own stories and tales, and send them.

Thank very much as well for your kind and supporting words. What
happened last Thursdat in Madrid was, not only sad... It was like a
nightmare come true. The feeling of impotence and pain was overwhelming.
It has provoqued a change in the goverment, but I am not sure this is
going to solve all our problems. The damage is done, and now we must
face the consecuences.
In this state of things, it is very hard to focus in a moutaineerig
magazine (it seems so shallow!). But life goes on, and people has also
the right to read about dreams and beautiful places and activities.

And so, let's go ow with your story. I'd like to write, in a couple of
sentences, who are you (Where do you live and your relationship with the
mountaineering world). Let me know as well where shall I send you an
issue, once printed. I must beg for yor patience, as your story will
appear in May, so it'll take it some time.

The same can be said as far as payment is concerned. The transference
shall be fulfilled on the First of June. Any way, to gain some time,
here you are our company's data, and how to write the invoice:

The invoice shall be signed and mailed to the attention of:

Marcelo Otero
Campo Base
C/ Monte Esquinza, 28, 3ºizda.
28010-Madrid
SPAIN

The invoice shall include:
Number of invoice (01, for you) and date (May 2004)
Your complete data (Name, adress, ID or passport number, phone nº.)
Campo base data (Beware, the adress where the company is registered is
not the same of that of our headquarters!)

Ediciones Campo Base S.L.
>c/ Abtao, 28, 4º 19
>28007-Madrid
>CIF: B-83896183

Concept: Colaboration for the Third number of 'Campo Base' magazine.
(Colaboración para el tercer número de la revista Campo Base)

Ammount: 125EUR

Then I'll need your COMPLETE bank account data. (Including the name of
the bank, adrees of the bank office, All the digits of the bank account,
IBAN code and SWIFT code).

Let me know if you have any doubt about it of in case you need any
futher information. Thanks again, and best regards,

Angela.
 

James D Macdonald

Dave, that sounds a lot like a request to make a wire transfer to the author's account.

What's the magazine in question?
 

DaveKuzminski

James Macdonald, I believe it's Campo Base. What bothers me is the request for information that's not needed. All they need to do is either send a check or a money order and let the banks handle the niceties. I doubt if we're talking any major payments here as it's for a short article so those would be safe enough, though I would think that Paypal could also handle this.

What bothers me further is that they found his work on the Internet at his web page. I don't believe I copied that information from the writer's email to me, but that set off an alarm. The greater majority of publishers don't cruise web pages for writing to feature in their publications especially since first world rights are probably already burned. At least, most publications I know of feel that way about work that's appeared on the web.

If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, but no overseas publication ever asked me for that much information when they wanted to reprint some of my work in order to effect payment.
 

richardmartin555

Some guy in Spain wants his complete bank acct data?
Notice he saved that little nugget of a request till the final para.
 

JustinoIV

what in the world?

With just a little more info like a birthdate or social security number, they could access your bank account!

Red Flag doesn't describe this situation. A volcanic red mountain had erupted! Run like hell!
 

sfsassenach

It may be a benign request, IMO

I've provided that info to British and American publishers in order to get a wire transfer into my American account.

I don't want them to postal mail a check to my bank--the chances of misplacing it are too great. However, I'd only do it with a publisher I trust.
 

RealityChuck

Re: It may be a benign request, IMO

I have noticed that, in Europe, that sort of bank transfer is much more routine than it is in the US (especially with different currencies). It's not necessarily sinister that he's asking for the information.
 

DaveKuzminski

Question

But how many editors anywhere commonly cruise the Internet for stories and articles to reprint?
 

richardmartin555

Re: Question

I googled up zilch on the guy or his mag. Was the
article/story in English, or Spanish?
 

DaveKuzminski

To my knowledge

The work to be reprinted is in English on a personal web page.
 

JustinoIV

displacing

"I don't want them to postal mail a check to my bank--the chances of misplacing it are too great. However, I'd only do it with a publisher I trust."

They can add delivery confirmation to their requests at little extra cost. Or they can fedex or ups the check to you. Or if they are internet savy, they can paypal it to you.

If you don't know an employer that well, tell them to send money to you in the above mentioned manners. Otherwise, with established companies that you have a relationship with, wire transfers are fine.
 

dgkgoldberg

Re: displacing

I've done some work for non-USA based magazines, most of what I do it nonfiction. What sets off alarm bells for me is the request for a passport number or ID number.

That's really usual. I've had payment via bank transfer which can be made with the name, location, and account number of my bank account.

I've also had payment in checks and via paystone and pay pal.
 

James D Macdonald

Re: displacing

They're offering $154.64 (at this morning's exchange rate). If you're worried, give them a mailing address and ask them to send a money order. The bank fees will eat up some of the cash, but what the hey, right?
 

sfsassenach

Re: displacing

Justino wrote:
They can add delivery confirmation to their requests at little extra cost. Or they can fedex or ups the check to you. Or if they are internet savy, they can paypal it to you.

It still takes too long. I live in Central America, and have the checks sent to a family member who deposits it, or get wire transfers.

I don't entirely trust Pay Pal, and have ehard too many horror stories. They're fine for small transactions, little purchases from EBay and the like, but I don't want to use them like a bank.
 

DaveKuzminski

Way too much info

dgkgoldberg, the part about passport numbers also caught my attention. Just what exactly would they compare it to to know whether it's legitimate?

It's not that they asked for information, but that they asked for way too much that pushed the buttons for alarms with me. They can be entirely legitimate, but they're asking for too much, especially in view of the number of identity thefts going on.
 

JustinoIV

Fed EX

"It still takes too long. I live in Central America, and have the checks sent to a family member who deposits it, or get wire transfers."

I'm sure everyone knows this but both sender and receiver pay fees for wires.

Therefore, if you live in the US and your publisher is in the US, it really is best to just have the funds mailed to you.

As for Fed Ex, they do have global delivery services that could probably get documents somewhere a day or two.

It may be possible to use passport and other id numbers to look up a person's background info.

Overall, unless it's a publisher that you've been working with for awhile, I think they'd think it is weird for you to ask for a wire transfer. Unless you're formally hired and they have direct deposit. But for a onetime freelance project wiritng sounds weird.

Paypal is FDIC insured, which means you're covered there up to $100000
 

sfsassenach

Re: Fed EX

As for Fed Ex, they do have global delivery services that could probably get documents somewhere a day or two.

:rollin :rollin :rollin :blackeye

Sometimes...but "second day air" can mean "second week" out here in the sticks. You live in the First World Justino, and don't seem to understand that efficiency isn't universal.
 

SRHowen

IN Europe

I have worked in Publishing in Germany, and lived there for several years. They do not do checking there. Period. One of the weirdest things they think about Americans is checking accounts--anyone could write one--Yes?

They use a bank draft with account numbers etc., so that part would not concern me much though I might set up an account to use for only those sorts of things.

They would have no reason at all to have passport info though--unless for ID purposes--you use your passport often in Europe. But I don't think so--we never had passprot info on anybody where I worked.

And there is the fact that legit publishers DO NOT troll the Internet looking for material they are flooded with stuff.

Shawn
 

sfsassenach

Passports

In Costa Rica, everyone is issued a cedulla [certificate] # at birth, and you have to put it on all legal documents, bank papers, etc.

If you don't have a cedulla, you use your passport #.
 

JustinoIV

the board

"Sometimes...but "second day air" can mean "second week" out here in the sticks. You live in the First World Justino, and don't seem to understand that efficiency isn't universal. "

I understand that effeciency isn't universal, it took awhile for me to receive a package that was sent to me in Paraguay.

However, I do believe the majority of the people on this form live in the US, and in any of the anglophone countries I'd say a check sent through the mail. I don't think it is good for most of the people on this forum to demand that money be wired to them.

Especially if it's just for a freelance project. Considering that freelance projects are probably going to be what, a few houndred dollars at the most?
 

Roxanne McDonald

As the alarms sounded regarding content (requests for scam-worthy information), they should also have sounded regarding mechanics (grammer, spelling, syntax).

Editor? Woe hoe hoe.

RM
 

Roxanne McDonald

Re: This yells out what it is (edited. lol)

As the alarms sounded regarding content (requests for scam-worthy information), they should also have sounded regarding mechanics (*grammar, spelling, syntax).

Editor? Woe hoe hoe.

RM
 

sfsassenach

Not necessarily, since the editor is Spanish...

and probably not a native speaker of English.
 

MysticWolf1

Re: Not necessarily, since the editor is Spanish...

Yes, I agree. It looks as if some of the spellings are phonetic; I was able to understand the message. :thumbs