Dennis Gardner had sent me a check from UPS. They have given me the instructions to wait until the check is cleared before cashing. I had waited two days to see if the check was cleared. I am a workacaholic. I had wanted a second job. I was a mystery shopper. Dennis Gardner had asked me to email him the #'s. So i did. But when i had went to the bank after sending the money, they had said that they were returning the check. I had asked the whole bank tellers if the check was real. They took the check in the back and had said that it was.
I would like someone to catch these folks so i can get my money back. I work to hard to just give money away. I am paying the bank back until this is resolved. Please help me. I have the western Union # and everything. The first person who had received the money was Linda Brooks at 159 Corsica Ave. Manila Philippines 1905. And the second address Dorothy Bates 56 Ivey Lane Manila Philippines 1591. I had tried to get my money back, but it was too late. Please can someone help me. I am a Katrina victim. I need help bad.
Stacey
Dallas,#2Consumer Comment
Wed, September 04, 2013
This an old scam - there is no such thing as a 'mystery shopper" and no legitimate company sends out checks.
From the Federal Trade Commission
Some retailers hire companies to evaluate the quality of service in their stores; they often use mystery shoppers to get the information. They instruct a mystery shopper to make a particular purchase in a store or restaurant, and then report on the experience. Typically, the shopper is reimbursed and can keep the product or service. Sometimes the shopper receives a small payment, as well.
Many professionals in the field consider mystery shopping a part-time activity, at best. And, they add, opportunities generally are posted online by marketing research or merchandising companies.
Dishonest promoters use newspaper ads and emails to create the impression that mystery shopping jobs are a gateway to a high-paying job with reputable companies. They often create websites where you can “register” to become a mystery shopper, but first you have to pay a fee — for information about a certification program, a directory of mystery shopping companies, or a guarantee of a mystery shopping job.
It's unnecessary to pay anyone to get into the mystery shopper business. The certification offered is almost always worthless. A list of companies that hire mystery shoppers is available for free, and legitimate mystery shopper jobs are listed on the internet for free. If you try to get a refund from the promoters, you will be out of luck. Either the business won’t return your phone calls, or if it does, it’s to try another pitch.
You may have heard about people who are “hired” to be mystery shoppers, and told that their first assignment is to evaluate a money transfer service, like Western Union or MoneyGram. The shopper receives a check with instructions to deposit it in a personal bank account, withdraw the amount in cash, and wire it to a third party. The check is a fake.
By law, banks must make the funds from deposited checks available within days, but uncovering a fake check can take weeks. It may seem that the check has cleared and that the money has posted to the account, but when the check turns out to be a fake, the person who deposited the check and wired the money will be responsible for paying back the bank.
It’s never a good idea to deposit a check from someone you don’t know and then wire money back.
Becoming a mystery shopper for a legitimate company doesn’t cost anything. Here’s how you can do it:
You can visit the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) website at mysteryshop.org to search a database of mystery shopper assignments and learn how to apply for them. The MSPA offers certification programs for a fee, but you don't need "certification" to look – or apply – for assignments in its database.
In the meantime, don't do business with mystery shopping promoters who:
If you think you’ve seen a mystery shopping scam, file a complaint with: