Mystery Shopper and Fake Checks
There is a scam out there that combines two classic scams of “mystery shopper” and processing “fake checks.” To start off this does not mean that all mystery shopper real and fake documents employment opportunities you see are scams or that there isn’t any legitimate work at home opportunities available. Many retail companies do employ mystery/secret shoppers. They need to for quality control of their stores but also to see what their competition is doing to stay competitive. As usual there are scammers out there who are finding a new twist to make some dishonest money.
Here is how the scam works. The soon to be victim receives an email or responds to an ad they see to apply for a position as a mystery shopper. The person who has applied to the position is required to submit a resume and there is also the impression given that a significant back ground screening conducted, sometimes with references actually being checked by the scammer. This adds to the appearance of legitimacy to the soon to be victim.
Once the person is “hired” for the position they receive a check (fake) and very detailed guidelines to shop at specific retail locations, for a certain amount of time, purchase certain items, etc…They also receive instructions and training on what to note about the store (environment, colors, special items, employees’ appearance and more). The victim then has to report this all back to the scammer who is still thought to be a legitimate employer.
This is where they get you. One part of the evaluation of the retail site is the ease of being able to wire money from the location. The money that is to be used for the wire is from the check the victim received minus what was spent on purchasing products and the applicants pay.
Now when the bank finds out that the check the victim used to buy