Complaint Review: US Marketing Firm Inc.

I am unemployed & like every other person who is, I've filled out hundreds of applications on-line through various job search sites. Apparently, I filled out a bogus application. Yesterday I received a letter in the mail that was congratulating me for being hired to be a "Secret Shopper" in the area I live in. Included in the envelope was a Cashier's Check from Sandy Spring Bank in Maryland for $2495.00. I was supposed to send $1995 through Western Union to someone or place I was to find out after I called the number in the letter. $200 was to cover the Western Union fees, & the left over $300 was my payment for the 2 hour training session I was to complete.

I was supposed to fill out a form & let them know how the experience with Western Union was. Like I said, I'm unemployed, so to open an envelope & find a REAL check for that kind of money, red flags were immediately flying. After I really started to study the letter I noticed a lot of things "wrong." The return address on the envelope was from Ontario, but the address on the letter itself was in Maryland. The phone number was a 905 area code, which is from Ontario. Someone did answer when I called, but they sent me to another person whom did not answer. The bank & check was real, but on the bank's website there were stories of similar scams. The bank is a small, local branch, that's easy to target. For those of you who are unemployed, beware of these false job opportunities!!