How I Kept Myself From Becoming An Internet Fraud Victim
71How Mystery Shopping Could Lead you Into Financial Ruin
I've been looking for a job for quite some time now. My schedule is somewhat difficult to work around, having been a stay-at-home mom for some years now. When my daughter is in school I only have between the hours of 8AM until 1 PM to work, and after looking for months I still hadn't found anything that worked for me in that time slot.
Perusing the Chicago want ads had become a daily morning ritual. I had seen the want ads for Mystery Shoppers before, but this morning while sipping my first cup of coffee for the day I decided to fill out the online application and see where the process took me.
It was a whim, I'll admit, but after hearing a little more about the process involved I was pumped, this was a job I could get behind. After working in the customer service field I knew what it took to be a good customer and I'd plenty of examples of bad customers to guide me in case I needed to “get angry” as part of the job.
Within hours my future “employers” sent me an e-mail informational kit, asking me to survey two stores, & to write them back within the next day as to the addresses of the stores I had chosen in my area. Also included were the questions about the stores they wanted answered and I supposed this was my informational kit. It seemed a little scarce. The stores were a Walmart and a Money Gram service.
I wrote them back, giving them the appropriate addresses and asking when my evaluation kit would be arriving thinking there would be more information included with the kit. They informed me that a check & evaluation kit would be arriving within the next day or so that would provide me the funds and information I needed in order to complete the store surveys, just cash the check at the bank and start shopping.
In a matter of a few days after filling out my online application they sent a check to my apartment via DHL. It was for four thousand dollars. Immediately I was suspicious. There was no evaluation kit, no further information. I wrote an e-mail asking why the check was for so much and why I hadn't received an evaluation kit yet. I got no response for hours from a company that usually had written me back within minutes.
The check was out of state, (not unusual,) but listed the bank on the check. I looked them up on Google which gave a listing, including a phone number. I called the bank which asked some simple questions about the check, then informed me there was not four thousand dollars in the account and asked me not to cash it without confirmation from them. They asked me for my phone number then proceeded to call the primary account holder for further information.
While I waited for them to call me back I inspected the packaging from DHL which I found to have at least three different men's names on the return address.
The bank returned my call and told me that the primary account holder had not authorized the check I had received. He was grateful for my diligence in calling the bank to make sure everything was legitimate.
I then proceeded to give this information to the website which I had found the want ad on. They removed it, banned the user and thanked me as well. I'm happy I didn't invest anything other than time and hope in this endeavor. I could have been in serious financial trouble if I had tried to cash that check, not to mention possible legal troubles.
Some tips for avoiding Internet mystery shopping scams:
- Money Gram services do in-house customer quality assurance surveys. No one should <ever> ask you to survey these companies, it is a scam if they do. Also, using Money Gram services for anything other than their intended purpose is against company policy.
- If you are asking questions and getting responses which contain no answers to the questions you've asked in e-mails more than once, chances are you're being set-up for a scam. Legitimate companies shouldn't have any problems answering your questions.
- When receiving checks from a third party you do not personally know, do as I did, call the bank and verify the account information. You'll save yourself time & emotional investment if the check is a fraud. Your bank <will> fee you for bounced or bad checks, regardless if it is your fault.
- Websites that sell directories of companies that provide mystery shoppers. Usually these are out of date, including nothing more than broken links and discontinued phone numbers. They refuse to give refunds and generally don't even bother to respond to e-mails asking for refunds.
- Sell “certification.” Companies that use mystery shoppers generally do not require certification.
- Guarantee a job as a mystery shopper. There is no such thing as a guaranteed position in any company. Think about it, would you really want to work for a company that guarantees you a job with no more information about you than your e-mail address?
- Ask a company what name will be on the return address & on the check they are sending. They should easily be able to give you this information. Any return addresses with more than one name on them, (other than company names) could be fraudulent.
If you think you have encountered a mystery shopping scam, file a complaint with your local consumer protection agency, the Better Business Bureau, your State Attorney General, or the FTC.
ID Promotionz Link
- ID Promotionz: Scam or Unsound Business Model?
I am fed up. I've been looking for a job since the election, (GO OBAMA!,) when my job at the Board of Elections ended with a bang. After not breathing anything other than politics and having not seen my...
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Comments
I've found a wonderful online mystery shopping site:
https://evaluator2.second-to-none.com/evaluator
I found it through this organization: www.mysteryshop.org
I've done a couple of jobs for them so far & everything seems legitimate. Happy hunting everyone!
Thank you for exposing this scam. I hope you find a flexible job soon and I was going to suggest maybe applying at your local city hall. City positions at libraries are often very flexible and wonderful, as I can speak from my current position :).
Aw. SweetiePie, you're awesome. Thanks so much for commenting and your advice! I've been living on what my Grams calls: "short-breaths," meaning... "hand-to-mouth" and brain to "what-needs-to-be-done-right-now?", and I am 100% positive within the next couple of months that between the support of everyone I've been talking to on HubPages and the advice of Patty Inglish on job hunting / interviewing techniques I am going to find something steady and worthwhile! Chicago is kind of one of those towns that you've to "know somebody" to "get somewhere..." when it comes to working for "the city," but I've definitely been exploring some options there. Thanks!
Great expose and well done on detecting the potential fraud. We have an extension of the "get a cheque from a company"scam. They would then follow up check if you got the mail and then say they gave you too much money - No problem please refund he difference of say $2000 dolloars. In all innocence you would do this . The cheque meanwhile bounces and you are out of pocket for the refund and the bounced cheque fee.
Great Hub and happy job hunting.
Thanks, sixtyorso! That is <so> insidious. I am so happy that I didn't fall for any of this, I can't even begin to explain how much it would have messed my life up. Right now I'm trying to sell my IPOD online through craigslist & the Chicago Reader and I probably get at least one mail a day with some such scumminess like this.
So sorry there are people in the world that have no "guilt genes" in their brains. If people would put as much effort into making a good life for themselves as they do in working to rip others off they'd probably have just as much money and sleep better at night!
Hope things work out better for you in the future. When you sell that IPOD, be sure to do if for cash only. Don't let anyone into your house or better yet don't give them your address--meet them in a public place with lots of other people around. It's better to be safe than sorry!
Thanks, Ruthie17! Being an old-time internet pro, I am totally hearing you on FM, I've met a lot of people off the internet and the #1 rule is: Meet them in a public place. I keep telling people to stop wasting my time, (with the IPOD,) because the ad clearly states CASH or MONEY ORDER only, looking for someone to meet me around the city. <shrug> I know it's mean of me to say this, but I don't think they sleep bad at all, Ruthie, they've no guilt, otherwise it wouldn't be so prevalent.
It is incredible the number of scams being carried out on the internet. Thanks for informing us of this one!
There is a popular scam being operated by people pretending to want English teachers. It involves receiving funds and returning part of them (for one reason or another).
There are some nasty people out there in the ether.
Yes, Tom Kay, there sure are! Thanks so much for stopping by & commenting.
Great hub, I'm glad that you didn't get taken in by it.I've heard about this search engine called Cha Cha that employes people as guides. I don't know a lot about them but here's the link if you want to check them out.
Thanks for the awesome link, Karen N!
good job! There are a lot of scams out there, and I'm always happy when someone (like you!) comes along and shares their experience. There is a trade association for legitimate mystery shopping companies. It's Mystery Shopping Providers Association at http://www.mysteryshop.org/ -- they have information about legitimate companies, mystery shopping opportunities, notices of scams, and more. Anyone who wants to be a mystery shopper should definitely go have a look.
Thanks! I worked, (have worked,) for a company listed through them for about 3 months, & I think it's wonderful. Thanks for reading and commenting, it was a harrowing experience, especially after I heard I could be held legally responsible for trying to cash a check involved in such scam. Unless I had called, I wouldn't have known that the check was a fraud! Scary!
Great information on a very innocent-looking but sinister scam. These people will go to any lengths to get into your bank account - unfortunately, not everyone is as vigilant as you.
pjdscott: Thank-you so much! It's terrible, isn't it? I hope more people start reporting these guys to the FTC and other boards of comission.
Thank you for sharing !! wow!! I learn so much from this hub!
Thanks, tinacarla! I'm happy to be of service.
I feel sick to my stomach, wondering how or if I may have been scammed without realizing it. I feel pretty internet savvy too and always back out when other junk pops up when "applying" for a job. This morning I received an unsolicited email about a "job for a client", I figured it was coming from a job I had applied for on one of the many job sites. Luckily, the only thing this person has is my resume. Does anyone know what harm "they" can do to me with my employment history, name and address? I didn't order the software, give out my social security number, mother's maiden name, none of the obvious....but now I'm nervous.
This email was from Sky Shout:
"I have a client looking for an office manager. Duties include supplyordering, light secretarial duties, scheduling, accounts payable andreceivable, and other misc. office duties. This position requires anexperienced office manager with excellent QuickBooks skills. If youare interested in this position, please reply to this email, pay isbased on your experience and skills, and has a range from 38k-44.5kper year with full benefits including 401k and fully paid healthinsurance after 90 days.
If you can learn Quickbooks quickly, I'll see what I can do to get youplaced in this position in the next couple of weeks, as the client iseager to find someone.
Through a special promotion with our agency, you can free QuickBookstraining! There is a shipping charge of $6.95 but if you're not 100%happy with the training, you will get $10 sent back to you. It'sactually better than free!http://www.skyshout.com/train
Shannon WhiteSr. Recruiter"
Thanks for this great informational hub and the geniune link you provided! Hope you find a job soon.
Thanks, Alberto! I appreciate it, I hope so, too.
Great information! I am currently out of work myself and I hope to return back at the beginning of Jan. Got my fingers crossed and I will keep them crossed for you too. Best of luck to you. Thumbs up on your hub :o)
Thanks, darlin'! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for both of us, as well. hopefully things will pick up in or after January... we'll think positive, right? Good luck!
THANKS for informing others ! I have dedicated my life to this very purpose !
Good Luck and God Bless !
Thank-you Dan L! I appreciate you taking the time to read my hub and comment, good luck to you, too!
God, that is so scary. A lot of this goes on on Ebay. A buyer will scam a seller out of a lot of money, and the item. Ive heard some pretty horrendous stories, but never in a mill thought they'd strike mystery shopping jobs as well! That is insane!
Thanks for the 411, and tips.
MellasViews: Aw, you just reminded me of my Uncanny X-Men DVD collection I never got from a seller on E-Bay. *sigh* Yes, scammers are everywhere! We as consumers and citizens must be ever viligant. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read & comment, always love hearing from you!
Great hub - thanks for sharing your expereince - hopefully others will find it and save themselves some grief.~Jennifer
learntosucceed: Thanks! I wish the best to you, Jennifer and I appreciate you coming by and reading / commenting.
Nice job Nicole, very interesting read on a subject that affects many individuals.
dwaynewade3: Hey, thanks for stopping by and reading / commenting, I appreciate your feedback. Welcome to Hub Pages! I look forward to reading more from you in the future.
FoursX2 says:
17 months ago
Good article. I've seen a similar ad and wondered about it, but didn't follow up.