by Arnold
Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:26 am
Beware of any "job" that requires you to send money through Western Union or Money Gram!
There are genuine businesses who employ Mystery Shoppers, but they don't recruit by bulk unsolicited emails. It's just another overpayment scam. There is never a legitimate reason for anyone to overpay and ask for much of it back, but this is a slightly more plausible pretext than most for asking the victim to make a Western Union payment.
The way the scam works is that you are supposedly sent money to spend at businesses to evaluate them. The businesses will include Western Union or Money Gram. Usually you are "paid" with a fake check, but sometimes by a wire transfer direct to your bank account. While this may seem safer, it isn't when you're dealing with a scammer. The money will come from the account of someone who has fallen for a phishing scam and will be clawed back when the account owner notices. It's known as flashing a bank account. After you have received the "payment" you will be instructed to wire money through one of these services. The check or bank transfer will be fraudulent and any money you have wired will have been stolen from you and received by the scammer.
Sometimes the advert will ask for mystery shoppers, and sometimes not go into details. The nature of the "employment" is mentioned later once someone applies.
Exceptionally you may be asked to evaluate another business such as a restaurant as well, possibly to make the job look more genuine.
Here is a sample Mystery Shopper scam email:
There are genuine businesses who employ Mystery Shoppers, but they don't recruit by bulk unsolicited emails. It's just another overpayment scam. There is never a legitimate reason for anyone to overpay and ask for much of it back, but this is a slightly more plausible pretext than most for asking the victim to make a Western Union payment.
The way the scam works is that you are supposedly sent money to spend at businesses to evaluate them. The businesses will include Western Union or Money Gram. Usually you are "paid" with a fake check, but sometimes by a wire transfer direct to your bank account. While this may seem safer, it isn't when you're dealing with a scammer. The money will come from the account of someone who has fallen for a phishing scam and will be clawed back when the account owner notices. It's known as flashing a bank account. After you have received the "payment" you will be instructed to wire money through one of these services. The check or bank transfer will be fraudulent and any money you have wired will have been stolen from you and received by the scammer.
Sometimes the advert will ask for mystery shoppers, and sometimes not go into details. The nature of the "employment" is mentioned later once someone applies.
Exceptionally you may be asked to evaluate another business such as a restaurant as well, possibly to make the job look more genuine.
Here is a sample Mystery Shopper scam email:
Path: <[email protected]>
Authentication-Results: mta185.mail.ac4.yahoo.com from=mspa.org; domainkeys=neutral (no sig); from=mspa.org; dkim=neutral (no sig)
Received: from 207.115.36.131 (EHLO nlpi117.prodigy.net) (207.115.36.131) by mta185.mail.ac4.yahoo.com with SMTP; Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:39:36 -0700
Received: from User (c-68-43-214-30.hsd1.mi.comcast.net [68.43.214.30]) (authenticated bits=0) by nlpi117.prodigy.net (8.13.8 smtpauth/dk/map_regex/8.13.Cool with ESMTP id n5REdDqV025563; Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:39:14 -0500
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
Reply-To: <[email protected]>
From: "De Light Mystery Shopper Inc"<[email protected]>
Subject: Mystery Shopper Wanted
Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:39:18 -0700
Dear Applicant,
De Light Mystery Shopper,Inc is a company that conduct surveys and evaluate other companies. We get hired to go to other peoples companies and act like customers in order to know how the staffs are handling their services in relation to their customers. once we have a contract to do so, you would be directed to the company or outlet, and you would be given the funds you need to do the job( either purchase things or require services), after which you would write a comment on the staffs activities and give a detailed record of your experience.
Examples of details you would forward to us are
1) How long it took you to get services.
2) Smartness of the attendant
3)Customer service professionalism
4)Sometimes you might be required to upset the attendant, to see how they react to clients whey they get tensed.
And we turn the information over to the company executives and they would carry out their own duties in improving there services.
Most companies employ our assistance when people give complains about their services, or when they feel there are needs for them to improve their customer service. your Identity would be kept confidential as the job states (secrets shopper) you would be paid $200 for every duty you carry out, and bonus on your transportation allowance, and funds would be given to you if you have to dine as part of the duty.
Your job will be to evaluate and comment on customer service in a wide variety of shops, stores, restaurant and services in your area.No commitment is made on this job, and you would have flexible hours as it suits you.If you are interested do send in your full name contact address and telephone number, so we can look at your distance from the locations which you have to put your service into, and your address would also be need for your payments.
I would have to put you down in our data base system as one of our agents, And you would be covering your area,and some close cities around you, you would find this job interesting.An acceptance e mail would be sent to you,we have evaluation activities around your city,that is why we need your services I would have to get you the full details of the services which you would have to partake in.I would like to know what your schedule is so I know what days to fix you in. as soon as you are taken for this job, you would be given full details of every activity you have to carry out, and you would be told what to keep for records, and your payment information would be included in the mail.
If you are still very much interested, Please reply this e mail with the follow information
FULL NAME: ...............................
MAILING ADDRESS (no P.O.Box please):...............................
CITY:...............................
STATE:...............................
ZIP CODE:...............................
CELL PHONE:...............................
HOME PHONE:...............................
GENDER:...............................
D.O.B:...............................
MARITAL STATUS:...............................
BEST TIME TO CALL:...............................
PRESENT JOB STATUS/POSITION:...............................
EMAIL: ...............................
Thanks for Your Total Understanding and Co-operation.
Regards,
Bobby Blunt
De Light Mystery Shopper,Inc
PERSONNEL AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Phone # - 206-337-1055
Email: [email protected]
