Just because they use the name of the bank and reputable stores doesn't make it legitimate. With all the printers and copiers have available, it's pretty easy to make a check that looks legitimate even if it isn't. Then they just tack on whatever information they want. I can post that I'm going to send $1 million check to the first 10 people who send me a private message. It doesn't mean I'm actually going to do it. I could also claim I am the Queen of England. People need to learn to use a little bit of skepticism when things look too good to be true.


Yikes, used voice to text and didn't slow down and read last night.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/2012 01:23AM by Shelly.

Tiff42 Wrote:

> Does anyone have any advice about how to handle a
> situation like this?


1. If you receive a check in the mail from a stranger, you are being scammed. Strangers do not send money to you unless they are scamming you.

2. Unless you have signed up on a company's website and provided your social security number, a company cannot legally pay you to do any work for them because they are required to report any earnings over $600 to IRS. So, BE SUSPICIOUS of any company or individual that wants to employ you without taking your social security number.

3. DO NOT provide any personal information, including address, phone number, social security #, etc., in an e-mail or a telephone call if you are solicited to work for someone. Apply only if they have a secure website on which you can apply.

4. The majority of legitimate mystery shopping jobs pay between $5 and $20. It is not reasonable to expect that you will earn $50 or $100 an hour or more. If you are offered that much money, you are likely being scammed. Scammers count on people getting excited about how much money they can make for doing almost nothing. If it sounds too good to be true, it truly IS too good to be true.

Once you have deposited a scammer's check, there is little to do but pay the money back to the bank.

Tiff, yes, I have some advice. We generally accept that mystery shopping companies will not pay us in advance for work.

The average job will pay from $10 to $25 including reimbursements, and will pay only after the report is accepted. You will always have to pay your shop expenses up front yourself and wait to be reimbursed after your report is accepted.

A check for a large amount received in advance will always be a scam, and if you deposit the check to your account you will be responsible for paying back the money. Mystery shopping/auditing is hard work and there will be no windfalls of large amounts of cash.

I agree with everthing that evone is saying I too got one of those checks and believed it was legit considering the fact that I have been looking for a job and sometimes you do things that you do not rember applying for. Unfourntanly i did cash the check and what they asked me to do. However first thing Monday morning I'm going the the federal beura of investsigations because one company can not continue to defraud people. Some of you did not chach you check but just think of all the people who did I'm more pissed than hurt and I get to the bottom of this. I'm a college student so I'm at home alot watching T.V and there are shows that people go after people like this and I'm getting to the bottom of this

Tiff42,

So they sent the (fraudulent) check, asked you to cash it, keep some and use the rest to complete assignments. What happened to the merchandise you purchased? Were you supposed to mail it on to someone else? Do you stil;l have the stuff to return so you you can take the money back to your bank?


Tiff42 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello,
>
> I too recieved a check in the mail for 1795.78,
> and was asked to activate the check online; which
> I did. Then deposited the check and withdrawl
> amount so that cash could be on hand to complete
> the assignments. There were two, one was a
> moneygram and the second was to shop at certain
> stores then to evaluate the service of the stores.
> Which I did. Got online completed the assignments
> and have been waiting for the coorinator to call
> within two days. Today is the second day and I
> just received a call from my bank saying that the
> signature in not a resender, what ever that means.
> It is a Wells Fargo Check.
> I am trying to work from home and I keep getting
> scammed! This just cost me.
>
> Advice for everyone. Burn the check!
> You would think with a reputable Bank and some of
> the top leading stores involved that it wouldn't
> be a scam.
> Does anyone have any advice about how to handle a
> situation like this?

I hope you get to the bottom of this. I also recieved two of these cheques. I took them and all the paperwork to the RCMP. They just said all they could do was tear them up and tell people not to fall for that. The people move around, and the company name and everything are not real and they can't track them down. Very sad that there are people doing this fraud and not getting caught.

Best of luck to you.


avonette Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I agree with everthing that evone is saying I too
> got one of those checks and believed it was legit
> considering the fact that I have been looking for
> a job and sometimes you do things that you do not
> rember applying for. Unfourntanly i did cash the
> check and what they asked me to do. However first
> thing Monday morning I'm going the the federal
> beura of investsigations because one company can
> not continue to defraud people. Some of you did
> not chach you check but just think of all the
> people who did I'm more pissed than hurt and I get
> to the bottom of this. I'm a college student so
> I'm at home alot watching T.V and there are shows
> that people go after people like this and I'm
> getting to the bottom of this

I am the lastest victim of this "company". I did research online about becoming a mystery shopper within my local area so when I received a check to do complete my first assignment I was excited because I thought it was legit! I mean I went to the website to research the company more, called the bank to find out if the check account was real and even went to the Wells Fargo website to do a account check before I took any further action. It all seemed to check out but deep down inside I knew something still was not right so I held on to the check for a month before I tried to cash it. Thankful the bank and the teller I went to were both understanding and did not call the police on me when I tried to cash it. I explained to them what I was supposed to do with the check and they even tried to call the "company" themselves but did not get an answer, so that right there verified it was a scam!

Even now (before I found this website) I tried to go on the website listed on the paper I was sent but it is not valid and the number is disconnected! Wow! I know now to be more careful of what I do and be aware of who is sending it to me because these days people will try their best to screw you over, clean out your bank account and risk you going to jail over something that is not worth it!

So everyone please beware if you get a check from this address ( "company " ) DO NOT CASH IT! IT IS A SCAM! SCAM! SCAM! SCAM! Cannot be any clearer than that! The sad thing is I always said I would never be a victim of something like this, it would never happen to me because I knew how to spot a fake check from a real check but here I am sharing my story of being a victim of check fraud! Thank God I was lucky to come out of it without doing any damage!


TD BEST STATS CORP.
14-5 PIONEER ST.
ASHLAND, OR 97520
TEL (503) 388-9062
FAX (541) 708-5092
www.beststatscorp.com

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/02/2013 12:54AM by MsMB66.