Well, today started with an email getting through the filters offering to give me big money for a 20 minute store visit... After checking out the email, I got the following result.
It is hard to believe that there are so many people who are trolling out there looking for unsuspecting people. It makes me wonder what the resultant effects are. I know I have become much more cynical about receiving any email from someone I am not in regular contact with.
If you get one of these fantastic emails...report it and move on. Something even crazier will come along.... just to make your day.
SCAM: Secret Shopper, Mystery Shopper and Detective Shopper Scams
There are several of these emails going around. I have listed a few of them below.
How The Scam Works
This scam is similar to many other scams, however, this scam is disguised much better. Here are the steps of the scam:
- First, you receive a recruitment email from a secret shopper service, sometimes called SS-Network. The recruiter tells you that you have been selected for an assignment as a secret shopper in your area. You will get $200-$300 dollars and will receive a packet that will have the funds for shopping. All you need to do is send them your name, address, age, occupation and an alternative email address.
- After they receive your information, you will receive another email with your instructions and a USPS tracking number. In this you will be given instructions. The instructions are listed below.
- You then will receive by mail a money order for a large amount of money. This is normally several thousand dollars. The money order looks legit. Per instructions, you are to cash this at your bank, subtract your payment ($200-$300) and then proceed to Walmart and spend $20 on any item you want.
- Now you are to survey you experience at Walmart. This is where the scammer is trying to gain your trust. Their goal is to make this secret shopping scam seem real so that you don’t expect anything.
- Your next assignment is to either send the money to another secret shopper or secret shop Western Union. You are to send the remainder of your balance to the person listed in your instruction email. Once the money is sent, you are to take note of how the service was and send them back an email letting them know your survey results as well as the transaction number.
- A few days later, or even a week later, your bank rejects the money order since they realize it is a fake and the funds are removed from your account.
As you see, this is just a play on many other scams. If you receive an email asking you to be a secret shopper and it smells fishy, DELETE IT! Most secret shopping networks will have an official website where you setup your account. Normally, the amounts they have you performing your secret shop with is lower amounts. They also never ask for you to send back the remainder of the balance.
Read more: http://www.708media.com/scams/secret-shopper-ss-network-scam/#ixzz3rlMeh4zH
No comments:
Post a Comment