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Discussion Boards => Payments => Topic started by: jenniferhoder on July 12, 2011, 05:02:17 pm
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FYI, I have been a mystery shopper for about 4 years. I have used very well known companies, but I received an e-mail from someone, who apparently I didn't read into too well. I received 2 postal service money orders each for $995.00 and was given instructions on how my shop would be performed. I was to receive $200.00 for this shop. Now, because I know better, I did a little research. The money orders are counterfeit, and I looked a little closer at the info sent to me. An envelope from one person, but the names on money orders something completely different! Just BEWARE! Mystery shopping companies normally don't pay that much! Keep your eyes open! I am trying to decide whether I should report this to the police, or contact the post office since that's where the money orders were drawn from???
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FYI, I have been a mystery shopper for about 4 years. I have used very well known companies, but I received an e-mail from someone, who apparently I didn't read into too well. I received 2 postal service money orders each for $995.00 and was given instructions on how my shop would be performed. I was to receive $200.00 for this shop. Now, because I know better, I did a little research. The money orders are counterfeit, and I looked a little closer at the info sent to me. An envelope from one person, but the names on money orders something completely different! Just BEWARE! Mystery shopping companies normally don't pay that much! Keep your eyes open! I am trying to decide whether I should report this to the police, or contact the post office since that's where the money orders were drawn from???
@jenniferhoder hello you should definitely contact the Post Office and the police but first make sure you make copies of everything because the authorities will need the money oders I used to work for a bank and I had a customer that received Money orders and after he deposited them and wrote checks against them he found out they were counterfeit Created a huge mess So yes take them to the Post Office but make sure you copy everything first and note what you did Just To Be Safe Good Luck :heart:
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Thank you for the advice! I will certainly make sure to make a few copies... it's weird b/c the person has used multiple different e-mail accounts too; I am glad I didn't give him any personal info tho; I hope this guy gets BUSTED!! Thanks again for the advice!
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yeah i had someone send me a foney check and i deposited it but i never took ne thing out as i was supposed to and then they charged me with handling a bad check. great. :angry7:
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I got that one time also I threw it away cause the police sai there was nothing they would cause it was to hard to track
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I would never even consider mystery shopping. I hate to shop to begin with and the threat of scams is just too much. Id much rather spend my time on established sites where I can see valid payment proofs. Thanks for the heads up though.
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I heard that some of the mystery shoppers were scams, I think Secret Shopper is well known for this. I know there are some legitimate ones that do pay. You were smart to take notice of the checks and everything. It is a shame that there are so many s ams out there when people are just trying to make a living.
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Being a secret shopper isn't difficult, but it certainly doesn't pay well. My neighbor does them, and the most he was ever paid was $20, but that was one of those rare ones. Personally, I don't bother because the amount of gas I would have to use to get there would mean I'd have to spend more money than I would make.
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whats a mystery shopper?
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I am not a fan of the mystery shopper my sister got a check put it through my account so may bank after three days gave her some of the money because it looked like it cleared and it did't and my bank charged me a bounce fee. I my sister took care of my account but she ended up loosing money I don't trust that proram at all.
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Thank you for sharing this information with all of us. A good friend of mine had a problem with a Scam through a company claiming to be a Mystery Shopping Company. Its always good to do a little research if something just doesn't seem right or is to good to be true.
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alsoyoutube: mystery shopping is where you are paid to shop! The ones I usually do are calls to dealerships to inquire on a new car, or the internet shops. Those are the best ones and easy money....They also have ones where you go to say a well known store and shop for things like Appliances, TV, Gaming system, etc. You do have to make a small purchase for those types, which they will reimburse you. If you want to send me your e-mail address, I can send you a really good company (since we aren't suppose to post those things here) My e-mail is jenmplu@yahoo.com if you are interested.
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THanks for da heads up...thanx for sharing..
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FYI, I have been a mystery shopper for about 4 years. I have used very well known companies, but I received an e-mail from someone, who apparently I didn't read into too well. I received 2 postal service money orders each for $995.00 and was given instructions on how my shop would be performed. I was to receive $200.00 for this shop. Now, because I know better, I did a little research. The money orders are counterfeit, and I looked a little closer at the info sent to me. An envelope from one person, but the names on money orders something completely different! Just BEWARE! Mystery shopping companies normally don't pay that much! Keep your eyes open! I am trying to decide whether I should report this to the police, or contact the post office since that's where the money orders were drawn from???
Thanks for the information! I got a lot of e-mails about Mystery shopping but never try to do them.
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I recently received a check in the mail for nearly $5,000 from what appeared to be a legit mystery shopping company. The old saying "If it looks/sounds too good to be true, it probably is!" popped into my head immediately. I did some researching thru the internet and BBB. YEP! Scam! The check noted: CITIBANK, N.A. as well as Smith & Barney Financial Group~~both supposedly located in Wilmigton, DE. The envelope was posted from Canada with no return address on it. The correspondence referenced a company website: SERVICEEVALUATIONS.COM and indicated locations in NJ & NY, yet the phone # was in Canada. I spoke to my local "authorities" who did nothing more than make me feel like an idiot for bringing this to their attention >:( A local bank representative confirmed the check was fraudulent--although a Very Accurately "forged" item. So, Yes....Everyone needs to Beware and practice Due Diligence.
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I completed a questionare that promised I would get samples and mystery shopping and didnt get credit for it or anything but lots of emails asking me to buy things. :sad1:
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hey jenn i completely relate to what u posted. we never ran into that problem, but i hope we never run into that problem.
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I had a simular situation happen to me and I was not sure what to do but luckely I knew a police officer and was able to ask him what to do. First Report it to the Police and then the Police will handle contacting the post office. This is a good lesson for everyone to make sure that they read every thing dont skip anything and if you dont know if it is real the best thing to do is contact someone who can tell you if it is real or not! Hope this helps for people in the future!
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At least it was just a bad check fee....nothing compared a bad check fee + $3000 (or however much the fake check was made out for). I've received a few checks once in ONE day........one from Fairfield University...an "employee paycheck." I called and hundreds of calls were received from them that day lol amazing what these people come up with these days.
yeah i had someone send me a foney check and i deposited it but i never took ne thing out as i was supposed to and then they charged me with handling a bad check. great. :angry7:
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Thanks for the tip, I've always been worried about which ones are trustworthy or not.
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Yep. I am a full-time shopper and I got the same email. I get a lot of different "Opportunities". If the company is not on Sassie, Prophet or Metric online systems I do not not mess with them. If it sounds like it is too good to be true, it's not true.
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I got an actual check, I tried contacting the Arizona AG's office, post office, and the bank where the check was issued.
Nobody gives a rat's fart. So I gave up.
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hey guys :D
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Thanks for the heads up! I have also received checks similar to that before for mystery shopping! And you are right, you don't make that kind of money mystery shopping!
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I, too, have received a wonderful deal in the mail. Very authentic looking. I knew it was too good to be true so I shredded it.
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Jennifer,Thank You for the warning.Please report these people (I will be polite!) and hopefull it will prevent others from being used.
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whats a mystery shopper?
im not quite sure my self but i believe its were a company pays random people to go shopping at a competitors shop and buy items and compare the recite to the other store and they pay u for it. sounds really fishy so i steer clear from those its aaall fusion cash for me. :icon_rr:
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A legitimate "mystery shopper" is hired by the company for which they shop. I was once a mystery shopper for a fast food chain. I was given a series of questions to fill out; would go to the establishment, eat a meal, follow certain things I was there to check, pay MYSELF, mail in the form along with the receipt and was reimbursed. That was the form of payment. A FREE MEAL. Twice a week, (different locations), and twice a week at the drive thru. It is designed to test how the different locations are performing.
So I would be very skeptical of anyone that paid a large amount up front! :bs:
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Yes, I got hooked into one of these offers for mystery shoppers several months ago, not on this site but I never heard anything from it, shen I signed up the site promised lots of activity in my area but then it didn't have anything in my area so in my case I think it wasn't a scam exactly but didn't pan out, did see one offer two towns over bor a well known restaurant but you had to spend so much money and you just got paid back for your meal and no payment otherwise. I never went back to the site.
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I have done a lot of mystery shopping. Some jobs pay you more than the purchase amount & some only reimburse you for what you spend. You do have to be careful because there are many scam shopper sites. A real shopper company will NEVER send you a check in the mail prior to completing a job. They will NEVER ask you for money. They will not pay you thousands of dollars for any job. You can make a little extra spending money, get a free meal, see free movies at the theater, purchase products which will be fully or partially reimbursed & even get paid to take a trip to an amusement park. The list is endless. Sassie & Prophet are legit but I haven't heard of the other one. I have a list of about 50 companies that are legit & always pay. PLEASE DO NOT ACCEPT JOBS FROM "ShadowShopper" & if someone sends you a check in the mail prior to a job being accepted & completed, do not try to cash it!!! It's fake.
I hope this helps :wave:
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I received one of those once. I sat on it trying to decide what to do until the check expired.
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Thanks for the info. I see those scams mentionad a lot. I like mystery shopping just wished I lived in a better area for it.
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what is a legitimate site to become a mystery shopper?
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Certified Field Associates
Corporate Research International
BestMark
DSG Associates
At Your Service Marketing
Confero
Beyond Hello
All of these are good & they pay. :thumbsup:
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Thx for the advice :binkybaby: