I just recently started tracking the "keywords" used to visit my site. In the past week, I've noticed I'm getting a lot of visitors (mostly using Google) searching the keyword "Secret Shopper scam. I'm also getting seeing a lot of visits from "keyword searches" on counterfeit Travelers Express Money Orders.
In many cases the keyword searches contained both phrases.
In the Secret Shopper scam, people are solicited to become "Secret Shoppers" - sometimes known as "Mystery Shoppers" - and go into (normally) Walmart to negotiate a bogus check (Walmart recently got into the business of cashing checks). They are then asked to wire the money using Walmart's MoneyGram services to Canada and report on the "customer service" aspects of their visits.
The checks, in most cases, are counterfeit! The person cashing them will be the one held responsible, which will mean a "financial hardship" and (possibly) criminal charges for their labor.
Once the money is wired, it's normally picked up immediately, and can't be recovered.
Here are some other posts regarding this scam:
Secret Shopper Scam Targets Walmart, Again
Secret Shoppers Scammed
Counterfeit Travelers Express (MoneyGram) Money Orders Showing Up ...
And here "cut and pasted" (from an earlier post) is where you can report these scams:
Internet Crime Complaint Center (FBI)
And Canada (where most of this seems to come from) has a site of their own to report activity:
Phonebusters
Also, if you are seeing this scam, please feel free to e-mail me (edwarddickson@sbcglobal.net) , or leave a comment on this post. I'm curious to see how well the "keyword analysis" works.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
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16 comments:
Saw this one show up recently.
I can't use my real name but someone came into where I work with one of these.
narrowly escaped being a victim to this very same scam. My wife received a letter from Secret Shoppers who got her contact info from a job hunting website. They were supposed to send her written info only on home based businesses. Instead they sent a check for $3450 with this secret shopper assignment of going to moneygram at Walmart. Same scenario. Deposit the check in your bank. Within 48 hours, wire $3035 to a fake relative in Canada. Pay $115 for the wire fee, and keep $300 for ourselves. I even called the number listed on the front of the check to verify that the check was legit. That company is a fraud too! I initially deposited the money thru the ATM. The whole thing just didnt feel right, so I got online the next morning at work and discovered its a scam. I was thankfully able to retrieve the check before it was deposited!
I fortunately researched the information, before falling victim to the exact same scam posted here.
I received $1,800 in Traveler's Express Money Orders. I was also instructed to purchase a Moneygram from Walmart in the amount of $1,620, and send it to my fake relative in Canada. $150 was to be my paid training to become a Mystery Shopper for: Barret Service Solutions, and $30 was for the Moneygram purchase.
Thank you so much for this blog/information, without it I too may have fallen victim. It is my hope that others will also be saved from becoming victims after seeing this information, and that we will continue to spread the word.
I fell into the scam for a company called barret service solutions. I am now $3600 in the hole and will soon lose everything, possibly my car!!! I am in tears writting this because I know there is almost no recovery for me. Stupid kid trying to make some extra money on the side of having a full time job and going to school full time too!! Hopefully I won't go to jail, but the chances are now very likely due to my lack of funds!!!
All I can say is "Thank You". My desperate search for ways in which to subsidise our income has led to my receipt of one such letter.
This scam has hit the UK. I have received one of these checks. Variation - It's Marks and Spencer, but still wire via Western Union to Canada. I am in IT so naturally became suspicious. Rang the number on the cheque ( 24 hour banking for Royal Bank of Canada). No way was this guy ( who told me he was called Andy Glover) worked for a Bank ! Didn't even know his own Sort Code ! Rank RBC - they advise their Bankers Drafts have an 8 digit number on the top, this has 6.
Will ring the RBC in Jersey tomorrow where draft claims to have originated from to warn them.
Left a message on the answaphone of "Paid Surveys" where this alleges to have come from, claiming to be interested. Hope somebody calls me back so I can advise them that I am not impressed.
Thanks for the update - and for warning the bank!
"I fell into the scam for a company called barret service solutions. I am now $3600 in the hole and will soon lose everything, possibly my car!!! I am in tears writting this because I know there is almost no recovery for me. Stupid kid trying to make some extra money on the side of having a full time job and going to school full time too!! Hopefully I won't go to jail, but the chances are now very likely due to my lack of funds!!!"
-I too work full-time and am a full-time student. I fell for the exact company scam as the post quoted above and now I'm in the same situation. I just finalized a loan for my car- plus insurance- and there is NO way I can pay it back...I am past tears right now and into the beginnings of depression the doctor says, because now, I might lose my car and if that happens, there goes any chance of keeping my REAL job I have already since no car means no transportation (I live in the suburbs...) and I won't even be able to get another!!!
Just got one in the mail today. A check for $3860. The check is from The Bank of New York. I'm sure a fake. The letterhead on the letter is Consumer Media Agency with a Canadian address in Saskatoon.They are requesting I cash the check immediately. Go to Wallmart buy something, return it 30 minutes latter, then buy something worth $100 for myself to keep,then fill out a Consumer report on a Research form. The funds distributing schedule is:
1. part-Time payment $230
2. Money gran to be transfered: $3360
3. Funds needed for Shopping: $100
4:Travelinling fund: $20
5. Transferring fees: $120
It all must be done within 1 week. At the end I would end up having deposited a fake check, and monigraming them $3360. Since the bank wouldn't get back to me befor I sent the moneygram (within 1 week), I would be left to pay the bank back, plus who knows crimianal charges!!
Be careful when you login to www.frontlinefocus.com a mystery shopping scam. You will be cheated. 2-3 payments you will recieve on time. But the rest you will never get. This company does mystery shopping for Pizza Hut and KFC. Karim Khalil is the king of this ring. Operational base Dubai.
same scam from a company calling itself Dudon Research, P.O. Box 390 Atlanta, GA - check is from Moody International, Inc., Amelia, La. Bank is Captial One of New Orleans.
There is a Moody International Inc, but its business is not mystery shopping.
They are also sending the MoneyGrams out that have the name Albertsons' with their logo. Have seen 5 of them each worth $870.00 and had something to do with "secret shoppers" . The purchaser name was Art Wedge with the address 8524 37th avenue Kenosha, WI 53142. All 5 were dated 7/9/2008. Unfortunately I know this because of an old joint checking account I had and thought was closed over a year ago, in fact was not closed and thats where they were deposited and now I'm responsible (being the joint owner) for half of the money
I too almost fell victim to this scam. Receiced a check for $3983.00 and was told to deposit the check in my checking account and withdraw all but $383 the next day which I could keep the next day for training pay and expenses. The other was for a $100 walmart purchase, $3400 wire transfer to Canada and $100 for the money gram fee. After being skeptical I looked this up and realized what was going on. Dont fall victim. This perticular person is calling thereselves MarketStar...Consumer Research Group with a phone number of 1514-638-8792 which I looked up and is a Canada number. Please dont fall victim to this scam.
Just got this offer via email signed by
Howell Martins
Secret Shopper®
The assignment is BELIEVE IT! WALMARTS! I live in New York, don't get a lot of spam but they found me. Be on the lookout for this email.
Thanks for the update - and for warning the bank!
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