Comments on: Mystery Shopping Scam

By: lisa b

lisa b — Sat, 08 May 2010 13:58:28 +0000

people who fall for these scams are just plain stupid

By: Peter L

Peter L — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 20:50:26 +0000

I have a friend that works at a company that was sued by the FCC over this exact scam last year Plus there is the auto shipping scam that comes into play on most phine in orders from infomercials Auto shipping is a scam in and of it’s self I have a friend that works in the industry and he tells me the following 1. Whether it is internet or a phone sale the auto ship is explained however it is never clear. They are trained to gloss over auto ships and just meet the FCC guidelines that keep them out of court. 2. This is true only for the 800 number call operators are standing by calls STAY AWAY FROM THE FREE OFFERS AT THE END OF THE CALL. They are trained to try and lull you in by using a very monotone voice and at the end of the statement saying “OK” real brightly. People they are reading you a CONTRACT and it IS binding The best way to not mess with these is as soon as they start hang up!!

By: Gregory N. Hurst

Gregory N. Hurst — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:13:54 +0000

I too have fallen victim to this terrible scam. I was sent an email from someone from Kelley Office Systems who in turn sent me a check totaling $1,873.62 by the way of FedEx. I was to do the mystery shopping assignment that involves the evaluation of any Western Union. By cashing the check, I was to keep $250 as my wage and use the remaining money to carry out the survey by sending the remaining amount to an address in Houston, Texas. I too am unemployed. However, I didn’t research this until after I deposited the check. I never did carry out the money wiring through Western Union. I’m going to contact the bank and explain to them that this was a scam! I don’t want to go to jail for this either!

By: Taylor Bradford

Taylor Bradford — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:06:42 +0000

DON’T FALL FOR THOSE “SECRET SHOPPER” SCAMS, THEY’RE EVERYWHERE!…EVEN ON CRAIGSLIST…!!!

By: Jack

Jack — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:14:21 +0000

Well, how about this one? My son applied for a job posting on CRAIGSLIST (you already know the ending, right?) for a “mystery shopper.” (My wife used to do report editing from home for another MS service, so there are legit ones). Anyhow, a check arrives in a FedEx overnight mailer, which cost someone about $12-15 to send. $2,500 check, signed by a real person with a pen. No instructions, no explanation, no communication of any sort included with it. The issuing party’s name on the check was unknown to us, address(es) on check and return address are 2 different states, area code for a phone number on the mailer is for yet a 3rd state. I take it to local the bank branch of the institution it’s drawn on and, instead of cashing it, take it to the manager and ask if the routing and account #s on the check actually exist at this bank. She says they’re legit, but that she wouldn’t pay the check based on what she could see on her screen. No further information. So she’s sending the check to their fraud/security unit to have it checked out. I’m not falling for this.

By: M

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:22:55 +0000

My sister received a letter yesterday from a so-called company called Preservation Solution Inc. located at 1163 Stratford Ave Bronx, NY 10472. Enclosed was a check for $3440.00. The instructions said it was for mystery shopping. And, my sister should deposit the money in her account. and then take the funds to either Money Gram or Western Union and transfer the money to one of four training agents who have only a city and state listed. She was to be compensated $300 for the first weeks pay. $2820 was for the wire tranfer. $170 for the money gram or westerunion fees. and $150 was for her to mystery shop at Walmart, sears, kmart, home depost, victoria secret etc. And, she could keep the merchandise. Of course you can’t find these people. I googled the location. What looked suspicious to me is that the check came from a bank called TCF Bank in Minneapolis, MN, the letter was signed from New York, and the postmark had Canada on it.

I knew it had to be a scam so I went Internet surfing and I saw to many similiarities to some of the above mentioned scams.

Beware!

By: F. Sheppard

F. Sheppard — Sun, 17 May 2009 03:33:39 +0000

Like some of you, I too received a check in the mail on May 2, 2009, for $3,996.00 from a company called “Barkley & Co. Monitoring and Research Services.” Since I was looking for part-time work, I also thought that this was an answer to my prayers and said “Thank YOU, JESUS” when I saw the check. After I deposit the check I called the company which was on that Monday morning and talked to someone named “Jennifer Bell” but her accent was more of oriental. She immediately asked me for the number of the check and the Rep. ID number. Then, she stated my name and address. And, I confirmed it. To make a long story short, after I was told me to deposit the chack, she told me to call back in a couple of days when the funds were availbale so that she can continue to instruct me on the assignment. But, when the couple of days came, my bank account was frozen and permanently closed because the check was fraudulent. This particular copy is supposed to be located at 1525 Madison Drive, Ste. 1000 in Saint Laurent, PQuebec H4L 3L3.

In the NAME of my LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST, I bind this spirit of scam and decree that the satan and his financial demons are already exposed in JESUS NAME!!! And, I decree that everyone (those thieves) that has been scamming us, others, and myself is already found and has to pay us NOW seven-fold in the NAME OF JESUS (Proverbs 6:30-31)!!! Because, The devil is a liar and JESUS is the MESSIAH!!!

As a result, GOD is already working things out for our good because satan has already lost the battle when JESUS took ALL of his power from him!!!

I have talked to an attorney who instructed me to called the Attorney General’s Office for my state (Illinois) and report what had happened along with getting in touch with the Department of Banks and Institutions to report the scam to them. I have already talked to a representative in the Attorney General’s Office who told me to send them copies of all the information that I received from the fraudulent company. Also, the attorney that I spoke to is willing to assist me until I am able to pay the amount for his services. So, for those of you who are still victims and have suffered from this scam, find you an attorney or use the information above that I’ve listed to exposed the devil and his demonic forces in JESUS NAME!!! GOD BLESS!!!

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Wed, 13 May 2009 01:01:56 +0000

I am sure glad I saw this cause I just got a check for a mystery shopper 4 3,888. I have 5 kids to support I could really not afford this scam

By: John

John — Fri, 08 May 2009 11:20:23 +0000

I got one of these checks from Direct Marketing. I Google mapped their supposed address in Florida. Does not exist. I looked closer and many things did not add up. They scammer used a legitimate company with a web site (CLS Group), but mispelled it CLS Croup, located in Oklahoma! The letter was mailed from Cananda! What a joke.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Sun, 03 May 2009 12:40:40 +0000

I received a check for $3,888.16 yesterday. We are in a financial bind too and with hardly no food or diapers, I thought this was an answer to my prayers. But I decided to do some research on it first. As I sit here looking at this “check” and with really bad credit already I actually thought about going thru with this, regardless of what it would do to my credit. But then I saw that one person might be jailed for fraud and with 5 kids I know I cannot afford to risk that. I will take this to my bank and then perhaps call the FBI. The name of the check is A&J Manufacturing L.L.C and it was sent from Sea Island, Ga. The check has a Suntrust Bank logo on it. The enclosed letter explaining the steps needed to be taken was from Sage Consumer Survey Sampling and they are supposedly located in Houston Texas. Why is the check from Ga but the company from Texas? That made me suspicious enough. I am glad that it is Sunday and no banks or open or I might have fallen for a terrible scam that would have cost me more than just money.