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CheckMark, Inc.

June 12, 2018 03:11PM
I have never been a Mystery Shopper.................
I just received an invitation via LinkedIn from someone I know. It was an invitation to shop for CheckMark, Inc. They sent me a check for $2750 and an instruction letter stating what the "assignment" was. The "assignment" is to purchase E-Bay gift cards with the funds that were sent and keep $300 for myself as payment for the shop and report on the staff that sold me the cards.
My question is; does this company still exist? And is this a scam? The check came from a company called "West Texas Utility Contractors" in Amarillo, TX. I have not deposited the check yet for fear this may open up a can of worms. Please advise.
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June 12, 2018 04:04PM
The company exists but they DID NOT send you that fake check! That is a scammer who has, as usual, hijacked the name of a legitimate MS company for a fraud. If you deposit that check your bank has to "clear" the funds for you to access in a day or two. That's when you will be asked to keep a small part of the funds and either wire the rest to someone or buy some products for a large sum and ship them. About 15-20 days later your bank will be notified officially that the check was fraudulent and YOU will owe the bank all $2750, plus fees for a fraudulent check. You may hear also from police, and you may be put on a list that banks share, warning all other banks not to let you open an account.

Think about it. Why would any legitimate company trust someone they do not know with such a sum BEFORE that person had performed any work for them. In addition, typical strater jobs in Mystery Shopping pay about $5 to $15.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
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June 12, 2018 04:11PM
Oh yes, I have already determined that this is a fraud. I have reported this to the authorities; US Postal, BBB, bank, and the company whose checking account was used. I googled CheckMark, Inc. and nothing comes up but a company that offers payroll and accounting solutions for small businesses, no Mystery Shopping company by that name. I believe that they used to exist, but no longer.
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June 12, 2018 04:13PM
Meanwhile, welcome! You might want to hang around and read up on the major topics "pinned" to the top of the list in the New Mystery Shoppers area of the forum.

Enjoy.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Reply
June 12, 2018 06:58PM
A scam from someone you know? Wow. Good thing you didn't fall for it.

@mendijocgmail.com wrote:

I have never been a Mystery Shopper.................
I just received an invitation via LinkedIn from someone I know.

Kim
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June 12, 2018 07:47PM
I almost fell victim to the same scam. My husband was skeptical so I searched online for further information and that’s when I came across this forum. Thank you so much for this valuable information.
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June 12, 2018 07:57PM
I only knew the person that had their LinkedIn account hacked, the scam did not come from them................the scammer used my friend's contact list to send out the fraudulent invitation. Coming from someone you know, you tend to believe it, but not for long....................they have been found out!!
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June 13, 2018 01:11PM
[www.google.com]

Do not cash that check
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June 13, 2018 01:51PM
Cashing the check would not be the dangerous part, buying the gift cards would be......not doing either one. It is being forwarded to the appropriate party as evidence in an ongoing investigation.
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June 13, 2018 02:25PM
I have evidence that I could forward as well. Who should I send it to?
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June 13, 2018 02:44PM
To the company whose name appeared on the fake check. (I called and spoke to them.) I also filed a report with the BBB & the USPS since they sent it via the postal service.
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June 14, 2018 04:21PM
Be very careful. I got something like that a while ago ( not from this company) but they wanted me to buy money orders and send them to an address in TX. I was supposed to take the first $200 then go buy these money orders. Thank God my bank figured out the Check was bogus. Just be careful
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June 14, 2018 04:27PM
@mendijocgmail.com wrote:

To the company whose name appeared on the fake check. (I called and spoke to them.) I also filed a report with the BBB & the USPS since they sent it via the postal service.

Who did you file a BBB complaint against?
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June 14, 2018 04:30PM
CheckMark, Inc.
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June 18, 2018 08:24PM
Why would you do that? They are not the scammers.

Kim
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June 18, 2018 08:46PM
That is the name of the company that the scammer is using, that is where you start. I think we have all figured out that CheckMark, Inc. does not exist as a Mystery Shopping company (maybe they used to but not any more). I also have names and numbers and addresses, all forwarded to the organizations named previously, not just the name CheckMark.
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June 20, 2018 05:08AM
Yes it's a total scam
Run, RUN fast
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June 29, 2018 01:34PM
I too received a check for $2750. So, this is a scam.??? !!!!! Yikes !
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June 29, 2018 01:56PM
Total scam, by folks pretending to be Checkmark! DO NOT deposit that check or if you did DO NOT spend any of that money! In 2-3 weeks your bank will discover that it is a fake and YOU will be on the hook legally and financially for the full amount, plus fees, plus a possible interview with police/prosecutors.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.
Reply
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