Does anyone have knowledge of a company

[oldlib]

that promotes a program called "Mystery Shopper". I have not fully committed myself to their program and today I received three $500 Travelers Checks, with instructions to deposit them into my checking account. I am to keep $200 and send the remainder on to someone else by Western Union. Does anyone know what I should make of this?

[ChandlerJr]

1. Scam alert

n/t

[lifesbeautifulmagic]

scam

rip the checks up

on edit - link for scam

http://moneywatch.bnet.com/saving-money/blog/devil-details/mystery-shopper-scam-alert/381/

[DURHAM D]

2. Could I put my name on the list of those you are to send it on to.?

[cbayer]

3. I have heard of a scam like this.

Basically, the checks are no good, but your bank will not initially know this. So you will withdraw your own money, send it on and be stuck with the bad checks.

[Avalux]

4. I have heard of Mystery Shopper, however what they're asking you to do doesn't involve shopping.

Usually, you will go to a store and purchase an item or go to a restaurant and eat, while there you make observations and send comments back to them. You are paid a fee for your work.

Sounds like a scam , please don't do it.

[coalition_unwilling]

5. The travellers checks are bogus. They will eventually bounce and

you'll be on the hook for them with your bank. Meanwhile, you'll have sent $200 of real money (yours!) via Western Union to the scamsters.

Rip them up.

[Earth_First]

9. This ^ n/t

[Orrex]

6. Scam

I was approached with a similar offer about 18 months ago. The pitch at that time was that I'd receive money wired into my account that I would then wire in turn to several designated recipients.

Whatever its real purpose, it practically screamed money laundering, so I opted not to do it.

[Earth_First]

7. Do NOT deposit those checks!!!

http://www.snopes.com/fraud/employment/shopper.asp

[laylah]

8. Immediately destroy them.

It IS a definite scam!

[DCKit]

14. No. Send/take them to law enforcement. nt

[librechik]

10. Spam a scam! do not exchange money with them!

[Orrex]

11. Send them $200 in Monopoly money

The same as they did to you, as a matter of fact.

[lunasun]

16. I like that because when they see the envelope they

will be a salivating thinking it s a grift and then bwaaa when open
do it!!

[MedicalAdmin]

22. But send it postage due....

:evilgrin:

[yella_dawg]

12. I'd get someone to validate those traveler's checks before I tried to deposit them.

[Zoigal]

13. Definitely a scam...please don't fall for it.......z

[1monster]

15. Turn them over to law enforcement and copies of any e-mails you received on this.

It's another scam and could cost you BIG $$$$.

[oldlib]

17. Thanks to everyone for your input.

I will not deposit these checks. Unless someone knows of an enforcement agency, I intend to take them to a manager at my Wells Fargo bank, and see if they are aware of this scam. Thanks again to everyone who responded to my message.

[gratuitous]

20. Good plan

Often, your state Attorney General's office will have a Consumer Protection Bureau or some such thing. They too might be interested in whatever information you can give them, presuming your bank manager doesn't suggest it.

[MedicalAdmin]

21. Not to be a pain ... but does Walmart accept travelers checks?

I'm just sayin'...:evilgrin:

[oldlib]

23. Definitely a Scam

I went to Wells Fargo bank and the manager checked on the validity of the American Express checks. He found that they are indeed bogus. He was aware of this scam, although, never with American Express checks. Thanks to everyone once again.

[BrendaBrick]

18. Yep. That's a scam

There are however legitimate "Mystery Shoppers" and it is usually involves either purchasing a product and/or critiquing a restaurant...and the fees paid are nominal...very nominal ~ (I do it periodically when it calls for a higher end restaurant, in which case the meal is paid for...but there are lots and lots of questions).

If you are interested in this type of work, there is a credible organization known as MSPA - Mystery Shopping Providers Association:

http://www.mysteryshop.org/

Incidentally, I just went there myself and this is what I found regarding your situation and steps you might want to take:

Selected Article
Title Fake Check Scams: Do Not be Fooled!
Date Published 05/24/2011
Author MSPA Staff
Publication MSPA Website

If someone claiming to represent the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) sends you a check and asks you to cash it, wire most of it to someone else, and report on your experience with the wire service....don't do it! It's a scam! Someone is doing that very thing and, in some cases, is providing a toll-free number for their scam targets to call...and they answer the phone as if it were really MSPA. It is not.

Fake check scammers have been around for many years, adopting identities that suit them, trying to appear legitimate. They may represent themselves as officials from a lottery, telling you to cash a check they send you and wire a portion back to them because the check mistakenly was for more than you supposedly won. They may respond to your ad to sell your car by sending you a check for more than your asking price, then contact you to ask you to wire the difference back to them so they can fly out to pick up the car. Fake check scammers have a thousand stories. Don't fall for them. Especially don't fall for a claim that MSPA wants you to cash a check and do some mystery shopping! We will NEVER send you a check and ask you to wire a portion back to us. Anyone who claims to be MSPA and asks you to do that is a fraud.

If you receive a check, regardless of who it is from, asking you to cash it and wire a portion to someone else, DON'T! Instead, immediately contact the organizations listed below.

Call police (they may not be able to do anything, but filing a police report can help if discover later if the scammers are caught)

File report with your state’s Attorney General

File and report with www.phonebusters.com.

File a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center www.ic3.gov/default.aspx.

File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by telephone at 1-877-FTC-HELP or at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov.

If the package with the check came by U.S. mail, contact your local post office and ask for the Postal Inspector (be sure to take a copy of the stamped envelope and its contents).

A useful resource about avoiding mystery shopping scams and finding legitimate mystery shopping opportunities may be found on the Federal Trade Commission's website at www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt151.shtm

[saras]

19. There are lots of 'Mystery Shopper' programs. They aren't scams, but they don't pay well.

The thing with the travelers checks, etc. sounds like a scam. Possibly one that's just using the Mystery Shopper name because people mostly don't know what it is or how it works.

You are essentially a corporate spy, doing upper management's job for them. You go to the store/restaurant/etc. and buy what you're supposed to (you have some latitude in this, but if they want you to check out a pizza place you have to eat at the pizza place). Mostly what you do is take careful note of how things look (you will face a long checklist later - entrance swept? posters neat? displays in order? how long before you are greeted? are all the lights on?) and/or provide narratives providing similar information.

None of them, as far as I know, pay enough, but some pay worse than others, some pay poorly enough that they may as well be scams, and undoubtedly there are some that are actual scams. But so far all the ones I've heard of (I know people who do it for spare change, so to speak) do pay you. It's just not much money, and you get the stuff you buy paid for, but that's only good if you want the stuff.

The real mystery shopper things don't do anything like that with travelers checks AFAIK. You do have to go buy the item yourself - a friend is actually going out to pizza tonight. She gets $45 when she sends the report in, and the profit is whatever is left from $45 after she pays to get there and pays for the pizza.

[RebelOne]

24. Total scam!!! Tear up the checks!!! I cannot believe you would fall for that. n/t