Is this for real, has anyone else done it?
By dismalgrin
@dismalgrin (2604)
United States
March 2, 2009 10:37pm CST
Hello, I just recieved a letter in the mail to become a mystery shopper. It's from 'Certainteed Corperation' They want me to go through their free training program and my first job would be to take a check for $4,995.00 that they have provided to my local MoneyGram location and then rate the service that I recieved. It seems real enough, but then my next training job would be to go to a store, like Target, Home Depot, or Gap and buy something with money that they would provide up front and then rate the service. I would be able to keep my purchases... that's where I'm getting hung up. Is this for real? It's not online income. I got a letter in the mail for this. Has anyone done this? Should I give it a try and see? Since it doesn't look like I would have to pay for anything that they will provide the money and pay me for me service. I'm unsure of what I should do here. The only thing I don't get is if I need to have a bank account to deposit the check in first or if I take the check directly to moneygram. Because if I have to deposite the check first, then I'm thinking it is a scame. But, I don't know. Has anyone else done this?
2 people like this
19 responses
@buggles64 (2709)
• United States
3 Mar 09
That is a scam. Do not respond to it. A real "mystery shopper" program does not send checks in the mail like that. It was just on Dr. Phil last week. This lady got scammed, even after the check cleared her bank. Her and her spouse lost a lot of money. Contact the Better Business Bureau.
@hotsummer (13835)
• Philippines
3 Mar 09
oh that is really interesting and sad to learned of that experience. how did she lost money. since she didn't deposit any money but only deposited the check she received in her mail box. anyways, i too will not trust this mail like this and will not believe easily that any thing is free at all now in this age.
@gvannorman (438)
• United States
5 Mar 09
Scam for sure. I also recieved the same check. I promptly disposed of it. Here is what will happen if you cash the check.
Your bank will give you some money. The check will be a fraud, you have to pay back the bank.
Let me guess, they want you to purchase something, which you can keep, keep some money for yourself, western union or moneygram the difference back to them....
they end up with a nice chunk of change, you have to pay it all back to the bank.
sucks!!!
@dalyme3 (88)
• Philippines
4 Mar 09
Have not received anything that has that amount of money but if everything is free why not try it. Though if they start asking you for money for this and that then watch out, that is a scam. Mystery Shopper legit companies never asks for any money at all. I know because I am in one.
@deanna2 (159)
• United States
4 Mar 09
hi i also got a email from a company asking me to be a mystery shopper and my first assingment was they sent me a 3,400 dollar check that i was to cash and then make a wire transfer of 3,000 back to a certain person and i was to keep the 400 as my pay well the check was no good and yes i beleive it to be a big scam
@irishfury187 (375)
• United States
4 Mar 09
I'd try it, but dont give any info like your credit card number or your ssn, as long as they dont ask you anything like that i'd say it isnt a scam also look up certainteed corporation on the better business bureau homepage to see what others have said, look at where the mail was sent from, if from over seas I wouldnt trust it. Ask your neighbors if they recieved the same mail, if they have it probably isnt legit. just a few pointers, hope it helps
@murugezh (273)
• India
3 Mar 09
Do not trust these kind of emails don't worry about them please simply hesitate them all and keep on do your duty online with some useful jobs please don't bother about these kind of scam mails. They are simply useless they won't make simple second into active stimulant for your betterment they will not help us. Still the world fighting against these kind of spammers what to do sure we'll get an intelligent system to eradicate these kind of spammers network. Thanks have Good Day Best of Luck. Happy My lotting.
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
3 Mar 09
Just make sure not to give them your S.S. #, bank account or credit account number and don't sign anything before reading anything! That sounds too good to be true so it's probably not! I've never tried that before but I've heard of mystery shoppers and I thought you have to go shopping with your own money. Don't do it until your sure it's safe though!
@John1983424 (1)
• China
3 Mar 09
call back to " Certainteed Corperation" and confirm whether this "matter" is ture.
@mystic888soul (390)
• Philippines
3 Mar 09
as of my opinion regarding that matters, you better be sure first before doing such things cause it may be a scam...well, good luck!
@saurav_chitchat (87)
• India
3 Mar 09
yup, try n let see.whats going to be happen.........i think everthing will be gud...if u do this then i think it will be helpful for new people...hence i am also new .......
@carolbee (16230)
• United States
3 Mar 09
I wouldn't do it without calling the Better Business Bureau and doing some research about the company online. What concerns me is the company wants to give you $4,995 and yet you aren't actually employed. I have not received anything of this nature through the mail. So they want to give you a check but do you have to give them any information as to where the money should be sent, such as account numbers? Please be careful because it sounds fishy to me.
@browneyed (2522)
• United Kingdom
3 Mar 09
It really sounds like a scam to me. I personally wouldn't risk it. Scammers can get hold of your home address too - not just your email address - so please don't let the fact that they sent the letter to your mailbox sway you. Like someone else suggested, research this so-called 'Certainteed Corperation' THOROUGHLY.
There was a similar discussion on myLot where someone received that type of letter too, so it might help to do a search on myLot. There are probably a few discussions on it.
take care...
@venkataraman_vc (5293)
• Chennai, India
3 Mar 09
Mystery shopping is not a scam. But the $4,995 check sounds odd. May be the check not drawn on your favor. They may just want you to rate the services of MoneyGram. I think you can't encash the check. Probably you may have to return it. I don't know.
I've done a Mystery shopping for a company once. It was to buy a furniture from a popular furniture showroom and to rate their services. Actually at that time I was in the idea of buying a study table for my son. So I went to the furniture show room and bought a study table. (Thank God, the study table was in their list of what should I buy) I got the entire cost of the table back plus $2.5 as incentive.
As a mystery shopper you have to just rate their services and fill up some questionnaire about their services. Somewhere in the questionnaire you may have to mention the name of the staff too. So just casually know some staff's name while you visit.
@tea512 (687)
• United States
3 Mar 09
check with the Better Business Bearue but the chekc is a fradulent check I say something on there site the other day and a blog entry at www.whatarippoff.com. i know there is a legit source for this but whatever you do do not cash that check as you will be responsible.
