"Michael Carragher" - Mystery Shopper Scam

Mystery shopper scams will generally tell you that you are to check out a form of money transfer by sending money from a bad cheque by Western Union, these scams may follow any one of a number of story lines but the point is that you will be sending your own money to somebody you do not know.

You should never cash a check and forward proceeds from the cheque for anybody, at all, ever.

From: "Michael Carragher" [email protected]
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Sent:
Subject: Vac

We have a mystery shopping assignment in your area and we would like you to participate. It's fun and rewarding. After you sign up you will have access to training materials. Your job will be to help us evaluate choice establishments that we select. These establishments will be chosen in order of pressing need for evaluation. Please send the information below to sign up:
1. Full Name
2. Full Address (Inclusive City, State and Zipcode)
3. Cellphone Number

Warm Regards
Michael Carragher

Hello fellow scambusters,

Here is a new one to add to this one. Pay attention to the address. This one is different than earlier posts.

From: "Secret Shopper" [email protected]
To: undisclosed-recipients
Message contains attachments1 File (2KB)Secret shopping details.rtfDetails

Here is what he sent in the attachment also.

We have a mystery shopping assignment in your area and we would like you to participate.
Secret Shopper is accepting applications for qualified individuals to become mystery shoppers.
It's fun and rewarding, and you choose when and where you want to shop.
You are never obligated to accept an assignment. There is no charge to become a shopper and
you do not need previous experience. After you sign up, you will have access to training materials
via e-mail, fax or postal mail.
ABOUT US
Mystery shoppers providers association (MSPA) is the premier mystery shopping company, serving clients across America and Canada with over 500,000 shoppers available and ready to help businesses better serve their customers. Continual investment in the latest internet and communication technologies
coupled with over 18 years of know-how means working with EBay Secret Shopper LLC is a satisfying and rewarding experience. Mystery shoppers are either paid a pre-arranged fee for a particular shop, a reimbursement for a purchaseor a combination of both. Secret Shopper has available for immediate assignment an inspection of the
customer service of any establishment in your area. You are to shop secretly and invest just a token. During this evaluation assignment you will visit the location and make several observationsas regards the customer service. You will be required to interact with the attendant or cashier.
You may conduct the shop alone or as a couple.
The assignment will pay $200.00 per duty
Kindly Fill Out the application form below and we will get back to you shortly
with the assignment:
PERSONAL INFORMATION:
First Name
Last Name
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Age
Current Occupation
Alternate Email Address
AVAILABILITY:
Days/Hours Available
We await your urgent response.

Warm Regards
Michael Carragher
MSPA

Hope this helps someone!

I made some small edits for clarity - Ralph

Hi ccvadney, welcome to Scamwarners.

I am sure it will be helpful, thank you

Please feel free to post any more you find

This scam is still out there! I just received it today in my email....

Welcome here criddles.

I'm glad you recognised the scam!

I fell for this scam I kept gettin it n I filled it out then I thought bout it this couldn be real so then I found this it was too late I think...- got a ups mail for a check in my name for 2,850 what do I do now do I return it to ups or ripp it up please help me

Welcome to Scamwarners anglina858.

Please cease all contact with this scammer. These guides will help;

http://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3237

http://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5

If you have any questions or concerns please post - we will help you all we can.

We fell for this scam also. My husband filled out everything they asked for. We recieved a UPS envelope with a MoneyGram MO in it. The package said that it came from MN but the MO had an address on it from Buena Park, CA. The money order was not signed and where my husbands name is the last name had been gone over in a marker pen.
So we called MoneyGram to check on the status of this Money order. The Money order was for 950 dollars. Too bad this money order had been cashed back in May of 2010 for the amount of 65 dollars.
We are going to our local Police with it and all the communications from Mr. Carragher.
If you recieve anything from him don't fall for it. He is a theif.
Ken and Robin

Welcome here KRChapman.

I'm sorry you fell for this scam, but luckily you didn't loose any money, or got into trouble. If that package came from California, it could be interesting for the police. That MO could be coming from a 'mule' who thinks he is hired by the scammer, and doing a legitimate job, or doesn't want to know wether this job is legit or not. It could also being send by the scammer's associate. Either way, the police should stop this.

They are still at it but with a different name. Same email though:

Kenneth Park
to me

show details 3:41 PM (1 hour ago)


We have a mystery shopping assignment in your area and we would like you to participate" Secret Shopper(R) is accepting applications for qualified individuals to become mystery shoppers. It's fun and rewarding, and you choose when and where you want to shop You are never obligated to accept an assignment. There is no charge to become a shopper and you do not need previous experience. After you sign up, you will have access to training materials via e-mail, fax or postal mail. ABOUT US Secret Shopper(R) is the premier mystery shopping company, serving clients across America with over 500,000 shoppers available and ready to help businesses better serve their customers. Continual investment in the latest internet and communication technologies coupled with over 16 years of know-how means working with Secret Shopper(R) is a satisfying and rewarding experience. Secret shopping as seen on ABC NEWS, NBC NEWS, L.A.TIMES. Stores and organiza tions such as The Gap, Walmart, Western Uni
on, Pizza Hut, and Bank. One amongst many others pay for Secret Shoppers to shop in their establishments and report their experiences. On top of being paid for shopping you are also allowed to keep purchases for free. Secret Shopper(R) NEVER charge fees to the shopper. Training, tips for improvement, and shopping opportunities are provided free to registered shoppers. Mystery shoppers are either paid a pre-arranged fee for a particular shop, a reimbursement for a purchase or a combination of both. You will be required to interact with the shop clerk. You may conduct the shop alone or as a couple. The assignment will pay $200.00/ Assignment Kindly Fill Out the application form below and we will get back to you shortly with the assignment to this email [email protected] PERSONAL INFORMATION: First Name: Last Name: Street Address: City, State, Zip Code: Cell Phone Number: Home Phone Number: AGE: Email Address; Occupation AVAILABILITY: Days/Hours Available Monday .......

................... Tuesday ......................... Wednesday ....................... Thursday ........................ Friday........................ ... Saturday ......................... Sunday .......................... Hours Available: All emails should be sent to [email protected] we await your urgent response. We look forward to working with you. Sincerely, Kenneth Park

Tks ScamWarners for being here.

stevew50

Thank you for posting this additional information stevew50 . Welcome to scamWarners and we are glad that we have been helpful. Participation is important to our functioning.

He is still at it. I received a check via UPS today. Have not cashed it as directed. Found out the name of the person on the check is real, the bank is real, the account and signature is not. I am taking the check, UPS envelope and email to my local police. Since this is across several state lines the FBI will probably get envolved at some point.

Here is the letter from Michael:

Dear Evaluator,
As we have been mandated on our part to check on services rendered by stores, banks and credit unions across the United States in which you signed up as an evaluator. As at the time of reading this email a UPS package is about to be delivered or has been delivered to you. Inside it you will find a check for $1,650 made out to you, which you will use to carry out your FIRST ASSIGNMENT. Please follow the Instructions given to you in these letter, do not do anything outside these Instructions.
Go straight to your bank and deposit the check for 24hrs. We want to know how efficient their services are, therefore you will be required to give a concise report on how they attended to you, the timeframe, and customer relations of the attendant. Make sure you email your observations of the entire experience and also the duration it took you to complete the task. Tomorrow you are to go and withdraw the entire money and your fee of $200 from the total funds, then Proceed to the closest Western union location to evaluate their serive there and also to have the funds sent to our international evaluator (in Manila, Phillippines) waiting for their own assignment.
RECEIVER'S INFORMATION TO SEND FUNDS TO:
NAME: Lisa Manning
Address: 4896 Pasay Road,
City: Manila
Country: Philippines
Amount: Money transfer Charges should be deducted from the remaining funds before sending.
These are the other details i need from you along with your report:

* MTCN # (10 digit) On the western union Receipt
*Test question & Answer (if applicable)
*Amount sent after deduction of sending fees
* Indicate Receiver Name that you sent money to.

Reports and information must be sent in ASAP. Western union receipt should be kept for future references.
It is your first assignment so you will be judged by your performance. Diligence and swiftness attracts an increase in commission subsequently.
As soon as you are done email your report.

Best Regards,
Michael Carragher

He is still at it. I received a check via UPS today. Have not cashed it as directed. Found out the name of the person on the check is real, the bank is real, the account and signature is not. I am taking the check, UPS envelope and email to my local police. Since this is across several state lines the FBI will probably get envolved at some point.

Congratulations for recognizing the scam. You are doing the correct thing by turning this over to the police.

Please post the email address the scammer was using to contact you. This will help others who might be searching for information. We are glad you are here!

I just recieved a us postal money order for 950.00. Wow! It has to be a scam! Thanks to this Scam Warners site, I will be turning this over to my local police. Who has money to FedEx a fake money order to someone they dont even know (weird)! I went on the us postal service website to verify the money order which has a September date (weird). Today's date is 10-26-2012! The serial number didnt match any in the database (weird). Too much weird!! Yes this wonderful name of Michael Carragher is the name in question.

Thanks to the wonderful people will still have on this earth that stand for good not evil. I know what to do. I hate I gave out a little information thinking I was going to earn some extra cash (wrong). This is too good to be true and any gullable person can be hurt! People do your homework! No one under the blue sky should send you any amount of money that you don't know! No one should ever send money to you asking you to cash it only at your bank for security reasons! I was almost scammed! Thank God I have self restraint through him and the ability to use my noodle (brain)! Thank God for you wonderful people (must be God driven) at Scam Warners.

My Best Regard
Open Eyes

Welcome to ScamWarners Open Eyes, thank you for the kind words. You did a great job of sleuthing the situation out. We encourage, as you did, checking things out.