Magnum Solution "Mystery Shoppers"

A firm called Magnum Solution is taking out ads in North American newspapers to recruit "Mystery Shoppers". I got a letter from them on Friday informing me that I was hired and providing details of my first assignment, which was to report on the service provided by Canada Post Moneygram. I was instructed to cash a cheque they provided in the amount of $1,500, then use Moneygram to wire $1,300 to an overseas recipient.

Thank you for reporting this here, Flightful. Per the information posted at our sister site, 419Eater.com, yesterday, the site was investigated, added to the database of fraudulent websites kept by aa419.org and reported to its registrar. It is already offline.
Here is the database entry at aa419.org for this site: Magnumsolution.com http://db.aa419.org/fakebanksview.php?key=50371

Info from the snailmail I received:

Steve Anderson
Programme Coodinator
840 Queenston Road
Stoney Creek, ON L8G 4A9
Phone (905) 781-3446
Fax (609) 482-5775

The address is real, it's on the outskirts of Hamilton. The voice line is working and looks like it could be in Hamilton. The fax line works, but the area code indicates that it is near Scranton, PA.

The cheque was drawn on the Toronto branch of the State Bank of India. The transit and institution numbers match the info on the bank, so either it's a genuine account or they forged it. I've sent a copy to the bank.

I have also Recieved a letter and a cheque for $1500.00 from the So called Company of Magnum Solution... I have sent the original to my bank. I have called the number stated and someone had answered but was VERY VAGUE on what or how the company operates.. if any information is known about the above comapny I would like to know more

Welcome housemom,

Magnum Solution is not actually a real company. It is a fake company invented by check scammers.

The check you were sent is fake, or is written on a phished/stolen checking account, but it is probably good enough that it will take the bank days to weeks to identify the fake.. What the scammers want is for you to "cash" the check and send the money as soon as the bank allows you to withdraw money. What you may not know is that the bank is required by law to allow you to take out the cash even if the check hasn't fully "cleared."

When the bank does discover the fake, long after you have sent money to the scammers, they will take the money from you, and possibly even pursue criminal charges against you for check fraud.

Hello. I have also received the check with the instruction to send a moneygram in the amount of 1300 to someone in the UK who happens to share the same last name as me. I looked up this person and she does exist and lives in the UK. What I can't figure out is how this scam artist is going to collect on this. Does he match last names and convince the receiver to be a mystery shopper who has to collect and send them the funds? I am confused

Unfortunately, with complete information on the transfer, it is not that difficult to pick up money that was sent to someone else--we see scammers do this on a daily basis--so in many cases, the person whose name is used is not connected to the scam in any way.

Other times, the person whose name is listed really is the receiver. In this case, that person is often another scam victim. In the majority of cases, they are also victims of a job scam--only they have been "hired" as representatives of a company, receiving payment for goods or services provided by the company. They may also be victims of other scams such as romance scams.

At times the recipient may be the person listed, and he/she may be a knowing accomplice--but this is the least likely scenario, as the majority of scammers do not operate under their own names.

That's the same thing they did with me- they instructed me to send the money to someone with my surname.

Anyway, here's the latest on them- they took out another ad in the Toronto Sun, it appeared in print on August 8 & 9 but was pulled after I tipped them off. They also had two posts at Workopolis, but Workopolis pulled them after I notified them about the scam. I also notified the companies whose logos appeared on their letter, and all of them are also investigating.

Foolme- your cheque was probably drawn on the State Bank of India branch at the Royal Bank Plaza in Toronto. I recommend that you notify them.

I took the cheque into my bank this afternoon 1:30pm mountain standard time. and not even an hour later the manager of the bank called me and told me its a FRAUDULENT CHEQUE!!! I am so glad that I did research and made an appt. with the manager of the bank before I deposited this into my account!!! PLEASE BE ADVISED THIS COMPANY IS A SCAM!!!!!

Welcome housemom and foolmetwice. I'm glad you're both aware of the scam. Thanks for taking the time to post and share your experiences. You may find the information on this topic on employment scams helpful: viewtopic.php?f=34&t=44
We also have a topic that specifically explains Mystery Shopper scams: viewtopic.php?f=34&t=3250

Let us know if you have any questions.

@Flightful: Thanks again for your contributions of information!

they are still in business... i received a letter and a check today... for 1500$ with information to sent 1300 of it back to the someone by the name of Denis MacLeod in the Nine ELMS, LONDON, Uk, due t othe sensitive nature of the assignment that is all the info they can give to me of the receiver... this cheque is suppose to be drawn on the HSBC bank in Willowdale, Ontario Canada... the contact info on the letter was tel : 416-272-6704 fax : 702-548-4120 website : www.magnumsolution.com... becareful not to type magnumsolutions as this is a different company.. on the contact info there is no physical address or phone number on the website... I called the HSBC yo verify the account .. they advised me the account does not exsist and I should call the police immediately ... do not deposit the cheque... I called 911 who gave me the phone# of our local RCMP where I reported is company to the fraudlent crime unit and gave them all the info I could from the letter sent to me...THEY ARE STILL IN BUSINESS

Thank you for reporting this here, Flightful. Per the information posted at our sister site, 419Eater.com, yesterday, the site was investigated, added to the database of fraudulent websites kept by aa419.org and reported to its registrar. It is already offline.
Here is the database entry at aa419.org for this site: Magnumsolution.com http://db.aa419.org/fakebanksview.php?key=50371

Wow, I am surprised that this scam has been going so long!!! I received a letter and $1500.00 cheque today (November 22, 2011) from Magnum Solution at 795 Paramount Dr, Stoney Creek, ON. I knew immediately it was a fake because although I had applied on line for a position for mystery shopper, I never gave my home address only a postal box number. The envelope was not official, had not return address and the postal code was from a different province than the one on the letter. After checking the phone and fax number on line I was convinced as the phone number is in Toronto and the fax in the USA...glad I am not a victim of this one...cannot afford to loose any money let alone $1500.00.

Similar tale, but different locations and names. I received the $1,500 check (as they spelled it) and the instructions to wire money through Western Union in their word, "to EXIE FARRELL, a 'supposed' relative living in the UK, and to inform them of the Western Union Control Number by email and by fax.

This company that was Magnum Solution has morphed into Custodian Solution "based" in Hamilton at 1211 Barton St. E Hamilton. Their phone number is Toronto based, yet their fax # is set in Utica, NY. They refer to using ISO 9002:2002 - there isn't an ISO 9002 protocol yet.

The programme (their spelling again) coordinator is listed as Steve Dawkins. Custodian display a BBB symbol on their website, however according to the BBB worldwide database, that company name never appears.

If the pay seems too high for the service rendered, yes, Virginia, it is too go to be true . . . or legal!

This fake "company" has an F rating from the BBB.

See

http://www.bbb.org/kitchener/business-r ... on-1246536

The company has a history of violating BBB name and logo policy and has falsely stated BBB membership or referenced the BBB name in an unauthorized manner, despite the Bureau's efforts to alert the company. Misuse of the BBB trademark constitutes trademark infringement and is a violation of trademark rights of the Council of Better Business Bureau, Inc.