I became a mystery shopper with Mintel on Feb. 9, 2012 and completed some assignments on Feb. 18, 2012 from my Controller (Howard O'Reilly). I have been trying to contact him since then with no luck. I have also been trying to fax the completed reports with no luck. The numbers I have are Phone 1-347-201-9166 or 1-888-906-5507. Fax 1-888-243-3809.

Dale, I have an uneasy feeling that you have been scammed. I have never heard of Howard O'Reilly at Mintel and I have worked with the real Mintel for years. They are in Chicago, which is area code 312. The 347 area code is in the New York City area.

The way Mintel works is that you register at their website. Once you are accepted as a shopper, you select work from their job board to request or self-assign the work. You then perform the jobs and put in your reports on line at their website. Several weeks to a month AFTER you report your work you will be paid and most jobs pay between $10 and $15.

They DO NOT send you a check before you do your jobs, they DO NOT send you work you did not register and pick from their job board, they DO NOT pay more than $10-15 and you DO NOT fax in your reports. I just hope you didn't drop a large check into your bank and go wire funds to a third party by Western Union because that is the standard scam scenario. The Western Union money is unrecoverable and the large check will bounce, leaving you responsible for covering any money you have sent on.

From the website of the real Mintel there is a warning about scams because scams have used their name as well as the name of other legitimate mystery shopping companies:

"Remember - Never accept an assignment from Mintel that has been mailed through the post - initial communication will always occur online or through email. Also, any communication from us will always direct you back to our Chicago or London offices, not to a P.O. Box.

The most common scam in mystery shopping involves being sent a large sum of money in advance for completing multiple mystery shops. One of the shops is typically at a check (cheque) cashing centre in which you are requested to make a deposit. Mintel typically does not advance money for any mystery shops outside of special circumstances. Please be wary of any offers that involve a large cash advance."

You really should use the blue edit link on the bottom right hand side of your post to remove your phone number and e-mail address. This is a public forum and it will open you up to more scams and spam.

Hopefully this is okay to post it - (Mods or Jacob, please remove it not)

Dale - Here is the correct contact information for the "Real" Mintel - I've taken it directly from an email received for a job my Account MANAGER assigned me.

Mintel International Group
Registered in England; number 1475918; VAT Number: GB 232 9342 72
Registered Office: 18-19 Long Lane, London, EC1A 9PL, +44 20 7606 5932
Chicago: 351 West Hubbard St, Floor 8, Chicago, IL 60610, +1 312 932 0469
Sydney: Level 20, Tower 2 Darling Park, 201 Sussex, Sydney NSW 2000, +61 2 9006 1062

Also in the email it has this:

Mintel Group Limited | 351 West Hubbard Street Suite 801 | Chicago, Illinois USA 60654

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Mintel Shopper Log in page: [shopper.mintel.com]
Mintel Registration: [shopper.mintel.com]

If you DID deposit a check and then wire a portion of this money to someone, you have, unfortunately, been scammed.

There is not much you can do, as yes, you will be responsible for paying back the bank all of the money they are out (basically the amount of the check) because the entire check is a fraud. The bank will clear out your account and put you in the negative - if necessary - until they get their money back.

ALSO - important to remember, now that these fake people have gotten you to fall for their scam.. THEY WILL HOUND YOU! They will call you, email you, threaten you, everything else to try and get more money out of you. Now that your "name" is on a list of people who will fall for this scam, you will probably ALSO get emails from OTHER scammers using DIFFERENT *Legitimate* Shopping Company names.

From now forward - COME HERE FIRST! Read and Research. Google is your BEST friend! Google a person's name not just a company.

Oh these scammers just irk the hell out of me, wish there was a way to get back at them at their own game!

Not good - and googling the first phone number gives the exact details of the scam with Howard's name in the first line.

Liz

Traveliz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not good - and googling the first phone number
> gives the exact details of the scam with Howard's
> name in the first line.
>
> Liz

Hello

This is Paul from the real Mintel. Our name is being used in a fraud and we are currently looking into how we can track them down. Mintel will never send a check for $4,000 so please alert anyone you can, not to cash a check they receive in the mail and to contact me at 8777 447 1234 or 312 932 0400 so I can get the information to use as evidence

Thanks
Paul Philliups

Dale Mize Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I became a mystery shopper with Mintel on Feb. 9,
> 2012 and completed some assignments on Feb. 18,
> 2012 from my Controller (Howard O'Reilly). I have
> been trying to contact him since then with no
> luck. I have also been trying to fax the completed
> reports with no luck. The numbers I have are
> Phone 1-347-201-9166 or 1-888-906-5507. Fax
> 1-888-243-3809.


This is a scam. Do not cash the check. Call Mintel at 877 447 1234 so we can get your details to use as evidence in our investigation

Thanks
Paul Phillips