Secret Shopper Scam

Buyer Beware!!!!

I received a letter in the mail stating I have been selected as a Secret Shopper. I received also in the envelope some instructions and also a check for 4,700 bucks.

I started thinking about it for awhile, and was like "how often do you receive a check for almost five grand in the mail"

I called the phone number to find out if in fact, it was legitimate or not as I was extremely skeptical. After talking to the guy on the other end, I decided to call the other number provided on the instructions. Both were supposed to be different extension and different people. The SAME person answered both lines, but trying to disguise his voice between lines.

After hanging up with the guy, (not divulging any personal information) I started searching to see what this scam entails. I found it on snopes.com Click HERE if you want to read on it.

What they do is get you to cash the fake check, send out monies to 2 separate places, 1900 through MoneyGram and 2000 through Western Union. Also there would be 200 for transfer fees. 500 would be for 100 bucks an hour rated for 5 hours and another 100 to shop at a place from the list as a secret shopper. By the time the bank figures out that the check was fake, you have already sent the monies and spent whatever was left and leaving you holding the bag with a fake check that bounces in your account, thus, leaving you in serious debt and possible charges.

So if anyone that reads this gets anything similar, be reminded that if it sounds too good to be true, most of the time it really is.

Thanks for reading.

 

I have contacted the appropriate authorities, they are supposed to be giving me a call soon. I'll keep updates coming.

 

Sounds like I'm getting dead-ends everywhere.

I called the BBB which was suggested doing research through the net. They're advice -- just disregard it.

I called the Montreal Police, and they're supposed to call me back "within a few days"

I called consumer services, nothing.

How the heck are these criminals allowed to get away with this kind of stuff, maybe i just answered my own question. No one does anything about it.

 

I guess that's my next step. Weird thing about it is that the stamp wasn't "stamped" for the lack of a better description.

Had a canada stamp that hadn't had the strikethrough processing mark on it.

 

I called the bank where the check was issued from, no surprise there they've seen 11 cases today already. I asked the lady and she said people are falling for it left and right. She wants me to send the check and the letters via fax to her. All the checks apparently are made out for the same amount with different check numbers.

Wow these guys need to go down. 11 checks = 51,700 bucks. I hope they're not receiving much of this money. Imagine the people that have already fallen for it.