JACKSON – Attorney General Jim Hood is reminding consumers to be cautious when responding to advertisements and mailings for employment as a mystery/secret shopper or customer service evaluator, adding that many of those ads are scams.
Hood said the scam starts when consumers respond to an advertisement or mailing looking for a mystery shopper, secret shopper or a customer service evaluator. When consumers contact the company about the position, the consumers are told they can earn money by purchasing items at different stores, dining at different restaurants or by evaluating a store’s service.
The company then sends an employment packet, which includes business evaluation forms and a cashier’s check.
Consumers are instructed to cash the check, pose as a customer, and wire the money to an address in Canada.
The scam is that the check is fake.
The check bounces after the person wires the money, leaving the person responsible for the fake check. Many times, scammers use a legitimate company’s name on the mailing or advertisement to make the consumer think everything is legal.
Just recently, the Attorney General’s Office received a copy of such a scam mailing.
The name of a valid mystery shopping company, National Shopping Service, was fraudulently placed on a mailing. When contacted by the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s Office, a representative from National Shopping Service confirmed that the company is aware of these mailings and has been actively working with the Mystery Shopping Provider’s Association to help combat this type activity.
“Consumers need to know that a legitimate company will never send you a cashier’s check out of the blue or require you to send money to someone you have never met,” said Attorney General Hood. “Scam artists use realistic looking documents and a short deadline to pressure consumers into cashing the check and wiring the money quickly before the bank or the consumer can determine it was a fake. By then, it’s too late and the consumer is responsible for the entire amount of the check.”
The Attorney General’s Office urges consumers to be skeptical of any mystery/secret shopper or customer service evaluator solicitation that: (1) Appears in a newspaper’s classified or “help wanted” section or through unsolicited email. Legitimate secret shopper companies generally do not advertise for jobs in this manner. (2) “Guarantees” a job as a mystery/secret shopper or as a customer service evaluator. (3) Charges a fee for applying or for access to secret shopping job opportunities. You should not pay any fee to apply or to obtain job information. (4) Appears to be located in places outside the country, such as Canada. (5) Gives you money and then asks for you to wire all of it or a portion of it back to a third party. There is usually no legitimate reason for such a request.
“Don’t do it,” Hood said.
Anyone who suspects they have been a victim of this scam or other scams should contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s Office at 1-800-281-4418.
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