Watch out for this "secret shopper" Scam!!
By dragon54u
@dragon54u (31633)
United States
February 1, 2017 12:07pm CST
I just got an envelope via priority 2-day mail service with a check for $2,890.00 and an instruction sheet on how to shop for i-Tunes cards and a list of stores to go to. First, I don't remember applying for that job and secondly, I've heard of these things before. So I started to investigate.
I found the answer on Ripoff Report by looking up the name on the check, John Shaw, and the bank which was Fox Communities Credit Union. The CU is in Wisconsin, the stuff came in an envelope from Georgia. Highly suspicious right there. The report mentioned that the writer called the CU and was told the check was no good, it was a scam, rip it up and don't follow any of the instructions.
So if you get a large check and secret shopper instructions, do NOT deposit that check without thoroughly investigating the offer!!
7 people like this
8 responses
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
1 Feb 17
In your case, the instructions were probably to deposit the cheque and then, within 24 hours, to buy a number of iTunes cards and email the serial numbers to him. You would have found very quickly that, not only was the cheque invalid and you would probably face criminal charges for trying to pass an invalid cheque, but the i-Tunes cards would also be used and invalid (you only need the serial numbers to use them online and these scammers very quickly use the numbers!)
There are many variations on this scam. Often one is sent a large cheque for supposed services to be performed and, under some pretext such as a 'mistaken overpayment', is required to keep something like 10% of the amount and send the balance back to the sender.
Of course, the cheque is invariably invalid and you end up losing the amount you sent back and very likely being charged with the criminal offence of attempting to pass a forged cheque.
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43897)
• Cambridge, England
1 Feb 17
@dragon54u Unfortunately, these scammers take precautions so that they are pretty near untraceable. The mailings cannot easily be traced back to an individual. I would be 90% certain that they wear gloves while handling the mailed items and the envelopes would be deposited in random mail boxes in several areas. Also the email accounts and the iTunes accounts used will be dummies and disposed of as soon as they have served their purpose. Many of the scammers operate from overseas, too, so they are outside the jurisdiction of the US.
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
1 Feb 17
I'm wondering if any law enforcement would be interested in knowing about it. The post office site has some education but they don't have a place to report it. It qualifies as mail fraud according to our laws. I'll look into it more a bit later, I'd really like to get these people in some trouble!
@topffer (42155)
• France
1 Feb 17
I would have bet that the bank was not existing. People do not risk anything to issue a fake check on an existing bank in your country ? They would go to prison for many years in mine, and would have to pay a fee that would dissuade them to do that again during the rest of their lives.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
1 Feb 17
Apparently they are using the name of a real credit union. My suspicions were aroused when I found that the CU was in Wisconsin (in our midwest region) while the company sending the materials was in our southern region. I wish we had your strict laws!
1 person likes this
@topffer (42155)
• France
1 Feb 17
@dragon54u No place is perfect, and our thieves are managing to open real bank accounts for their malfeasance
.
.1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
2 Feb 17
that's a new one.they just don't stop coming up with these.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
2 Feb 17
You know, if these people would use their cunning and creativity for good things they'd be millionaires instead of criminals.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
3 Feb 17
What's terrible is that there are people who think of things like this. It makes me sad.
@xstitcher (39003)
• Petaluma, California
5 Mar 17
There are so many scams out there nowadays...
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31633)
• United States
1 Feb 17
It is. What's even more deplorable is that people fall for it. I'll admit that when I looked at the check I thought my financial troubles this month had been solved but common sense stepped in and I investigated. Too many people don't investigate.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
1 Feb 17
There are more scams out there than we can count, thanks for the info.
1 person likes this
