I applied online for Mystery Shopper opportunity. I recently received a letter explaining program along with a business check made out to me for $1,992.42.
I was asked to deposit the check into my personal account and wait until the check clears your bank, usually 2-5 days. The letter says that part of the check is your 1st weeks pay and that you must go online to register to get your 1st & 2nd job assignment.
1st assignment is to test Western Union by sending $851.00 plus $62.00 handling fee to Madrid Spain.
2nd assigment is to test Western Union by sending $619.00 plus $50.00 handling fee to Madrid Spain.
Funny thing is that the person I was to send it to had the same last name as mine. (this was the 2nd RED FLAG)
1st RED FLAG.............why would I send funds via Western Union and then why would I send them overseas. They do not have Western Union as one of their clients on the letter.
If you were to cash the check and send the required funds to Spain they of course cash the funds in Madrid and then a few days later your bank notifies you that the check did not clear the final drafting process.
YOU.......are stuck with no funds with your bank and must repay your bank while they run off with the money you sent them.
They take advantage of normal banking system delays when clearing business checks. YOU LOSE!!!
The KEY to the SCAM is they always ask you to send money somewhere usually out of the counrty where they are never found. Strange how they choose the Money Gram or Western Union first to test and not your local market place.
I was almost taken by this scam, mostly because I thought this was how the mystery shopper thing worked. But, once I logged on to their website and clicked on "generate 1st assignment", sending money overseas is ALWAYS A TELL TELL SIGN of some type of scam. Don't be taken by this. They prey on people that want to make extra money at home.