Secret Shoppers ripoff Cashier's Check Fraud Winnipeg Nova Scotia
The company called me to tell me that they saw my resume online, and they offered me a job with Secret Shoppers. They are looking for people in my area. Someone would contact me with more information. No one did, so I let it go. But on February 6th, 2006, I received a letter in the mail, with no return address, and opened it.
It said, Congratulations! With reference to our earlier conversation, I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected to become one of our representatives in your region.'...and on and on.
The instructions are: Cash the $3,715 cashier's check at your bank, make a Money Gram for $3,250 to 'Jack Ratzlaff', a relative of yours in Nova Scotia, Canada. Then, pay the $115 Service Charge for the Money gram, and the remainder of the Cashier's check is $350, that's suppose to be my wage for the job.
I called the Phone Number listed to verify if I needed a complete address, and was told that I don't. I spoke to Jim Richardson, and told him that I was surprised that I have a relative in Canada. (He said, "you really don't, its' just part of the job.") Ok. So He told me that I can use any place that does Money Grams, it wouldn't have to be at the Walmart.
I did per the instructions. I was excited to have a job! And was done in 2-hours.
7-days later, today, 2/14/2006, my bank called to tell me that the Cashier's check was a fraud. No money in it, so I owe the Bank $3,715. I do have that in my Savings Account, but I'm suppose to live on that money. Now, I'm broke.
I've been scammed before by company's trying to get my money, or trying to sell me things. So, I've learned to keep my wits about me. Especially, after getting hurt by my Mortgage Company, I've been especially careful.
I went to the bank and got the cashier's check back, then went to the Police. Because it was in Canada, they can't do anything. And the only signature is my own; there's not even a signature on the job letter. The police officer said I could sue my Bank for cashing the check, but I don't feel that's right either. It looks like a real check. It even has the phone Number to call on the check to verify the check. I called it, and its disconnected.
Sheila
St. James, Minnesota
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Sheila
St. James,Minnesota,
U.S.A.
SCAM ALERT! Beware of Secret Shopper "Jobs" in Want Ads
#2Author of original report
Wed, February 15, 2006
Beware of employment advertisements that offer a secret shopper job. A Canadian firm in Winnipeg, Manitoba has been advertising for secret shoppers who are assigned to conduct a test shopping of money wire transfer companies such as Money Gram and Western Union.
It's a scam and here is how this company victimizes job hunters who think they have a secret shopper contract.
The company tells you they'll hire you, but they want you to do a probationary job, first. It sends the victim a casher's check or sometimes postal money orders for anywhere from $900 to $2000. The secret shopper is instructed to deposit the check or the money orders in their own bank account. Then they are told to go to a Wal-Mart and to use the Money gram office there to send the money to a made-up name at an address in Canada. It all seems official. The secret shopper fills out a worksheet that rates the experience, the efficiency, the customer service at the Money gram office. Actually, they're being victimized by thieves.
The casher's check turns out to be a fake and it bounces, or the money orders turn out to be counterfeit and they also are returned to the victim's bank account.
That leaves a major hole in the bank account and the victim wired real money to Canada! Usually, that's money that the victim will never recover.
Bureau experience shows that sometimes it takes weeks to discover that a check ... even a cashier's check ... is fake, or counterfeit. Some people have lost thousands of dollars in this swindle.
The country is being flooded with counterfeit postal money orders and fake cashier's checks. Most are sent to people who are notified they've won a foreign lottery and the check is to be used to pay "insurance." Some counterfeit money orders arrive as an overpayment, far beyond what your asking price is, for stuff you're trying to sell in a classified ad. The thief tells you it's to pay the shipping charges.
All these schemes have one thing in common. They send you checks or money orders and require you to do a fast turnaround and transfer money by wire.
Be extremely wary of any situation that requires you to process someone else's check or payment through your own checking account, and then to wire money.
This was from the North Brookfield Savings bank, where the Secret Shoppers Cashiers Check came from.