Craigslist Secret Shopper [email protected]

My charity has become the latest victim of a secret shopper scam on Craigslist. Fortunately, people have been calling our charity office telling us about the checks they got from us which are all around $2000 - $3000 each.

One of the emails that a check recipient got from the scammer is below:

------------------------

From: Paul T Nichols < [email protected] >
Date: Jun 14, 2014 10:22 AM
Subject: Your First Assignment *Treate As Urgent Get Back To Me With Money Gram Transfer Details & Survey Report
To: HIDDEN
Cc:

Hello,

I am really happy to informed you that the payment for your first
assignment will be deliver to you today USPS Here is the tracking
number for the package UPS{1Z0X06V84471001098} you can confirm at
http://WWW.UPS to know when to expect it today...

The payment is sum of $2707.28

I want you to have the check cashed or deposit at your bank and
withdraw the money immediately and deduct $455 which is your fee for
the first assignment once the first is completed, you would get
another payment to start the 2nd assignment, I want you to send the
rest funds (after deducting your own $455:00

$455 for your assignment fees
$100.28 to purchase any electronic at walmart
You will deduct the Money Gram transfer charges from the remaining
$2152 and you will send the rest to other secret customer.

You are to make a purchase of any electronic item worth $100 from any
Wal-Mart location in your area (to be kept by you) and is now your
duty to take survey note of the following activities at the Walmart
location and Money Gram location you send the money from

i) How long it took you to complete the shopping/sending the money and
report on service, quality of product
ii) Name of the agent / his or her attitude towards customers.
iii) Poor working skills and customer relation
iv) Slow services and cleanliness of the establishment.

You are to make the survey reports for your first assignment at
nearest Walmart/Money Gram location around you.

Please send all Money Gram transactions to the details below in A
Minute Service. You are to send it to our evaluation agents in
Pasadena , CA ....

Here is the information for the other secret customer you are to send
the money to:

Receiver's Name: Valerie Banuelos
Address:- 184 Grandview St,
City:- Pasadena,
State:- CA
Zip Code:- 91103
Once you have sent the funds at the location, I'll want you to send me
the information below:

Sender Name and Address
Amount sent (After deducting Transfer Charges)
Reference Number
Detailed Survey Report in English
The Address of Walmart/Money Gram you survey

Thanks

-----------------------------END

I have already put a hold on the account that the checks are associated with and have informed the bank's fraud department. I have written a letter to Craigslist and told all the recipients to report it to their local police and to Craigslist. Is there anything else we can do to catch these people?

- Paul
http://www.ffl.org

You can publicly post all the details you have on them . Such as a link to their craigslist ad , all emails and email headers , phone numbers . etc. This will help warn others as well as allow members here to investigate .


See also post here:

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=86035