Mystery Shopping Scam Still Going Strong – Beware!

A while back I reported on this Mystery Shopping Scam.

I received a report from another VICTIM today!

I also received a checked from Canada, but the paper that came with it had a Delaware address on it. I spoke with a person named Paul Williams and told me to deposit the check of $1970.50 and wait till it clears. So I deposited it into my savings account in which I only had $1.30 in it and asked the teller when will the check clear and he told me the next day. I thought since I only had $1.30 in my account it was rather fast. I went to the bank and they verified the funds were clear so I did withdraw the $1600 the letter told me to send a moneygram to a Diana Blake in New York and I figured I was using the money from the cleared check until the day AFTER I had sent the money and the scammers disappeared with the money the check was returned to my bank UNPAID and marked as fraudulent. I went beserk, because I would have NEVER took out money if I thought it was fraud. I blamed the bank for allowing me to withdraw that much money when they knew I only had a little over a dollar in that account and under $12 in my other account. I then reported this fraud to the Post office invesstigation and to my local police who is now working with me to find the scammers and I will be contacting the Canadian Police and give them the info on these people

Sadly this scam continues to victimize people. While people should be smart enough to realize that in a time of recession (or any time for that matter) large amounts of money aren’t going to be sent to “TEST” a system as a mystery shopper… and that mystery shoppers don’t get paid huge amounts of money for doing tests, the lure of quick money is just too easy.

The fact that the banks a) make money available quickly (by law) but b) only come back on you days later gives criminals a window of opportunity to bilk you.

These criminals bilk those who are in the most desperate need for money without regard to how their crimes will ruin their credit or complicate their lives further.

Unfortunately, many of these criminals will never receive punishment commensurate with the damage done to even one of their victims.

Please protect yourself.

True mystery shopping jobs ARE available from through reliable sources like Survey Scout but they only pay reasonable rates and could in no way ever be confused with “get rich quick” deals like the mystery shopping scam listed above.