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Thread: Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

  1. #1
    Michael Harris is offline Lifetime Professional Management Member

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    Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

    Success!

    I have been trying to follow one of the confidence games from start to finish without risk to my own bank accounts or lying to anyone. I think that we need to keep our pretexting down to a minimum. I cannot remember lies well enough to do this.

    I do some local mystery shopping – the money is not great, but I can get a free fast food meal and get paid $5-$7 for it. Back to the issue – I am registered with one of the bigger mystery shopping “networks” so the following was not unreasonable.

    On May 7, I came home in the early afternoon to find that DHL had left a Sorry We Missed You notice on my door. I was a bit annoyed since DHL has my signature on file, but I called to complain (UPS and FedEx never give you phone numbers with a live person). The DHL delivery guy came back an hour later – he apologized for his brain lapse. The package label [computer generated] is dated May 2. I tracked the movement of the package:

    Tracking history Help
    Date and Time Status Location
    5/7/2007 6:05 pm Shipment delivered. East Windsor, NJ
    11:27 am Delivery attempted; recipient not home East Windsor, NJ
    6:56 am With delivery courier. East Windsor, NJ
    5/5/2007 8:38 am Arrived at DHL facility. East Windsor, NJ
    4:23 am Depart Facility Wilmington - Clinton Field, OH
    2:01 am In transit. Wilmington - Clinton Field, OH
    5/3/2007 3:39 am Depart Facility Wilmington - Clinton Field, OH
    1:16 am
    Transit through DHL facility Wilmington - Clinton Field, OH
    12:33 am Shipment on Hold. Wilmington - Clinton Field, OH
    5/2/2007 10:57 pm Depart Facility Toronto, Canada
    10:24 pm Processed at DHL Location. Toronto, Canada
    9:00 pm Picked Up by DHL.
    [Note to readers: This was a beautiful table in the original.]

    The package was a letter sent through Purolator, which was transferred to DHL. The package was sent from W NORTH YORK, ON M3H 1T1 Canada. The phone number listed is a fax machine. I did not check to see if this is a real address. [Aside to Legal: If you think that posting a criminal’s name and address is wrong, please go ahead and delete the details.]

    Keep in mind that I do legitimate mystery shopping, so the setup did not seem too farfetched. The contents of the letter (from CompanyEvaluationService) reads:

    **** ****
    Quebec, H3G 2A9

    RE: MICHAEL HARRIS Position: Customer Service Evaluator
    Rep ID#: C.S.E 101

    CONGRATULATIONS! With reference to our earlier correspondence via email, I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected to become one of our representatives in your region.

    Please be informed that there is one probationer training assignment that you are required to complete within 48 hrs. This training assignment takes about 2 hours to complete and is a PAID training. Training pay rate remains $120 per day. The aim of this training assignment is for you to familiarize yourself with the practical feel of what investigative shopping entails. Please note that enclosed is a CASHIER' S CHECK in the amount of$980 USD.

    This assignment has been put together to be completed at any Wal-Mart location or Money Gram store. The objective of this assignment will be to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of a payment system called "Money Gram" which is available at any Wal-Mart store or local Money Gram agents.

    You are required to cash the enclosed CASHIER'S CHECK at your local bank or check cashing facilities and take the cash, minus your fee(s) and do the following:

    You will pose as a potential customer sending a Money Gram payment to *** *****, a relative of yours in ****, Ontario, Canada. The fund needed to complete this transaction assignment has been arranged and has been enclosed with this letter. For our verification of assignment completion, please call the number above and also e-mail our office at ******** to provide the Money Gram Reference Code immediately after completion. Below is the breakdown of the attached fund:
    Amount Sent------------------------------------------------------$980.00
    1-day Evaluation training pay ---------------------------------$ 120.00
    Service Charge by Money Gram -------------------------------$ 30.00
    Required fund to be sent ---------------------------------------$ 830.00

    In the process of this evaluation assignment, please take note of the quality of service in order to be able to fill out a fair and unbiased opinion on the Customer Service Evaluation Tool (CSET) form enclosed with this letter. This form should be faxed back to our office after the completion of your assignment.

    Also attached is a copy of the weekly time schedule request sheet, which will need to be filled out and faxed back to our office so that we may know your available hours for the upcoming week.

    HAVE FUN!! HAVE FUN!! HAVE FUN!! HAVE FUN!! HAVE FUN!! HAVE FUN!!
    The bottom of the letter has the logos of nine of the best-known names in merchandising. Nice touch.

    The tone of the letter and the instructions are all consistent with the better mystery shopping companies. The attachments are a nice touch.

    This morning, I went to my bank and talked to the Teller Coordinator (this used to be the Head Teller, but in the politically-correct world, someone objected to it.). The Teller Coordinator examined the cashier’s check and suspected by the feel of the document that it was not real. She called the ‘issuing’ bank in Maine and confirmed that it was not real. The person at the issuing bank knew the account number before the Teller Coordinator provided it.

    I could have deposited the cashier’s check into my account – no one would have questioned it. In four to five days, it would have come back as a non-existent account. And my bank would have charged it back to me. The instructions indicated that I only had 48 hours in which to complete the transaction. I would have sent the money away several days before my bank learned that the cashier’s check was not good. Also, the Money Gram was to check on Wal-Mart or Money Gram stores – where the staff would not be as knowledgeable as the bank tellers.

    The cost of this confidence game is high. This was a well-written, well-executed con. It is easy for people to fall for it. I am glad that I was able to follow this one through.

    I contact the RCMP and sent them a fax with all the materials.

    The following website has some interesting tools. http://www.rcmp.ca/00000/index_e.htm#reporting.
    Michael E. Harris

    Badge #6718

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    Re: Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Harris
    [Aside to Legal: If you think that posting a criminal’s name and address is wrong, please go ahead and delete the details.]
    Thank you. Yes, we did make a full backup copy of the personal details, largely because the name they used is a well known CNBC broadcast person.

    It looks like you, Michael, dodged a bullet! Congrats on your detective work.

    Another related topic is here:
    http://www.ipiu.org/forums/showthread.php?t=29739

    And I suspect this should be reported to the FBI at www.fbi.gov .

    All my best,

    Robert
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  3. #3
    Michael Harris is offline Lifetime Professional Management Member

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    Re: Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

    Robert,

    I never thought that they would use a real person - one not known to me.

    I have an appointment with the police on this issue. I may learn some things about false documents.

    I will contact the FBI - I have their numbers memorized.

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    Re: Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

    Michael,

    Wowsers... That is some work you did, like you said that if any other person would have fall for that and be con... You got skills to know these things and check on it.

    Good work sir.

    Ed

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    Michael Harris is offline Lifetime Professional Management Member

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    Re: Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

    Ed,

    I am glad to see you in the IPIU forums - I see that your post count is still climbing.

    This was the best con I have seen. I contacted the RCMP - you have to check out their fraud site. And we need to let the RCMP know that we appreciate their work.

    I contacted the local FBI office (in Newark, NJ). I am also going to get some guidance (I hope) on what to look for in fake checks. If the locals can help, I will post the information. It seems that the bank tellers can tell by the feel that the check or cashier's check is not legit. And they got fingerprints all over it.

    And this one was so good!

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    Edward Taguba's Avatar
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    Re: Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

    wow, hope they can find the people on this.. I don't know how stupid these people can be.... but anyways glad to see you on the forums

    Oh, yeah and my post counts is still climbing Want to make it to 20K

  7. #7
    Michael Harris is offline Lifetime Professional Management Member

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    Re: Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

    Ed,

    This one was reasonable. I had just signed up with several mystery shopping companies a few weeks ago. This could have been legitimate - except the dollar values were too high.

    The ones I worry about are the ones that say you have won a lottery that you never entered. This is the big one in my area - according to the bank employees.

    I think I will do a little survey on the local banks. After all, I am in an MSCJ program.

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    Re: Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

    Perhaps a courtesy alert to WalMart Headquarters to be on the lookout that they are now a target.

  9. #9
    Michael Harris is offline Lifetime Professional Management Member

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    Re: Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

    Robert,

    I will do that. They are not a victim. The only 'person' hurt is the one cahing the cashier's check.

    It will not hurt to alert Wal-Mart or Money Gram about this.

    Thanks.

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    Re: Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Harris
    Robert,

    I will do that. They are not a victim. The only 'person' hurt is the one cahing the cashier's check.

    It will not hurt to alert Wal-Mart or Money Gram about this.

    Thanks.
    I would think that cashing anything at Walmart would place the paper item (money order, cashier check) into Walmart's checking account as a deposit, while they gave the store customer the cash. Then a few days later the paper item would return to Walmart's checking account stamped "Returned Item - Refer to Maker", which would leave Walmart looking for the store customer as the potential criminal.

    A "refer to maker" is also used for any third parties who cash a check or money order on behalf of the person who is getting the cash.

    Another example is what you did, by taking it to your personal bank. In this case they would cash the check and have recourse through your personal account with the bank who cashed it. But if you went to a different bank where you do not have an account, then that bank would have to come looking for you, while they were out the cash.
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  11. #11
    Michael Harris is offline Lifetime Professional Management Member

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    Re: Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

    Admin,

    The assignment was to cash the Cashier's Check at my bank, get the cash, and then go to Wal-Mart or Money Gram store for the mystery shopping of Money Grams.

    The bank would give me the money and then take it back in four or five days. The Wal-Mart or Money Gram stores would only get cash - they cannot get hurt, but can be a party to it.

    Since this sounded like a legitimate mystery shopping assignment, failure to follow the rules is always bad. These are sharp operators.

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    Michael Harris is offline Lifetime Professional Management Member

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    Re: Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

    To All:

    I told you that I had informed the RCMP (since the correspondence originated in Canada), local FBI office, Wal-Mart, and Money Gram.

    I never expected the RCMP and FBI to respond - they did not. I expected Wal-Mart and Money Gram to respond. Wal-Mart did, but the HQ sent the information out to who knows where.

    I learned this afternoon that this confidence game has been in existence for at least a decade - in the same form and format. The game is played with multiple "Counterfeit checks". The second check in this game was caught on 27 April 2007 at the Port of Cleveland, OH.

    U. S. Customs and Border Protection
    6747 Engle Road
    Middleburg Heights, OH 444130

    May 07, 2007
    Telephone No. (440) 891-3807
    Port of Cleveland Case No. 2007-XXXX-XXXXXX

    Michael Harris
    XXXXXXXXX
    Browns Mills, NJ nnnnn

    Dear Sir/Madam:

    The records of this office indicate that you may have an interest in (1) Counterfeit check in the amount of $980.00 and (3) Papers seized by Customs and Border Protection Port of Wilmington, Ohio on April 27, 2007. The property was seized under provisions of Title 19, United States Code, Section 1595a(c) as it was determined to be in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 513. After examination of the shipment, it has been determined that the Check(s) were found to be fraudulent.

    The value of the property was determined to be under $250.00.

    Under the provisions of Title 19 United States Code, Section 1618, you may petition for relief from the above liability. The enclosed Notice of Seizure and Information for Claimants explains your options with regard to the remission of the forfeiture of seized property. If you wish to petition for relief from forfeiture, you must provide an express agreement to defer judicial or administrative forfeiture proceedings until completion of the administrative process. Completion of the enclosed Election of Proceedings form will provide this express agreement.

    Your petition for relief must be received within 30 days from the date of this notice and should be filed in triplicate at the following address: 6747 Engle Road, Middleburg Heights, Ohio 44130. If you have any questions, please contact Paralegal Specialist, Elaine XXXXXX, at the above telephone number.
    I hope I redacted it in an acceptable manner. It was signed by the FP&F Officer - have not figured that out yet. I scanned the letter into editable text and proofed it prior to redaction, but I may have missed a word or two – actually, MS Word only found one mistake – and “of” came over as “sf”.

    I called Elaine who explained the game to me. She sees hundreds of these – every day. Since the “property” is legally mine, they have to notify me prior to destroying the property. They also have to notify the sender. What a waste of paper and postage!

    The letter had a four-page attachment – Notice of Seizure and Information for Claimants – Form AF-Post (three pages) and Election of Proceedings (one page). Apparently, I have the right to request a hearing to get the property. I will follow up on this issue later.

    My understanding is that the FBI have no jurisdiction in these matters. I know that we submit this kind of junk to the local FBI all the time. Do they do anything with it? I suspect that they do not.

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    Re: Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

    To All:

    The http://www.cbp.gov/ (Customs and Border Protection) website has some interesting information.

    They did not make it easy to find out what FP&F meant (remember, that was the title of the Officer who signed the letter). FP&F is Fines, Penalties, and Forfeitures.

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    Re: Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

    To All:

    This is from the June 2007 issue of Reader’s Digest. This is so new that RD has not even had time to turn on the URL they reference at the bottom of the article. The word after the slash (/) is the four-letter word that turns into zeroes (0000).

    Don't Be Fooled

    Phony check fraud is surging. Here's how to spot this 0000.

    By Ed Shanahan


    What do Alcoa, Welch's, and Bank of America have in common? They all have had their corporate identities stolen and placed on fake checks in a new 0000 that rips off consumers.

    The average victim of this type of con – in which people trade their own cash for a counterfeit check – loses from $3,000 to $4,000, according to the National Consumers League (NCL). And consumers aren't the only ones who suffer. The reputations of legitimate corporations whose names are being hijacked are also tarnished. Our own company, Reader's Digest, has fallen victim to these thieves, as have other well-known firms.

    "We are highly concerned about reports of 0000 artists using our name and good reputation to try and deceive consumers through these fake check 00000," says Chris Irving, a senior executive with Publishers Clearing House. "If you have received what appears to be a legitimate check with a request to send a portion of that check back, stop immediately."

    There are several versions of the 0000, which is spreading, probably because technology allows hustlers to create convincing counterfeits.

    In one scenario, a potential victim gets an unexpected check from what looks to be a trusted source. The check is labeled as an award, prize, lottery, or other windfall.

    The "lucky winner" is instructed to deposit the check into a personal account and then wire back a portion of the funds to cover fees, taxes or other charges.

    Inevitably, once the money is sent, the bank discovers that the check is a fake. By law, the person who deposited it must repay the funds.

    In another version, a person selling an item on eBay or via an online classified ad is contacted1by a potential buyer who offers to pay by check. The catch: This person insists on sending a check for more than the purchase price and wants the extra amount wired back. The seller who agrees to this deal later learns the check is no good.

    In yet another version, scammers recruit so-called secret shoppers. Each is sent a check and instructed to cash it and wire most of it back to the sender. They're also told to keep a portion as payment for rating the performance of the person who handles the transaction. The check, of course, proves to be bogus.

    Fake corporate checks are so real looking, they fool even bank tellers. Counterfeit cashier's checks are also popular with these con artists, who are savvy about bank rules. In many cases, the amount of a cashier's check must be posted to a depositor's account by the next business day, before anyone is likely to verify its legitimacy.

    Such swindles are on the rise: The NCL says that from 2005 to 2006, fake check cons shot from fifth place to first on its list of the most common telemarketing 00000. Adds Steve Baker, director of the FTC's Midwest region: "We became aware of these schemes about three or four years ago, and lately, the incidence is really going up."


    How to protect yourself


    • Discard offers from sources that ask you to pay fees, taxes, or other charges to claim a prize. No legitimate company would do that.
    • If selling something, never accept more than the sale price.
    • If accepting payment by check, ask for one drawn on a local bank or on a bank with a local branch. That lets you personally verify the check's validity.
    • And remember, if something seems too good to be true, most likely it is.

    Additional reporting by Laura McClure

    rd.com – For web resources on fake check fraud, go to www.rd.com/0000.

  15. #15
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    Wink Re: Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

    Michael

    I know this is hard to believe but my in-laws niece actually bought in to this and totally destroyed her mother's bank account. Unbelievable!

    You have listed so many resources. Which can I pass along to them for some relief? The bank is making them pay back every penny. This is causing a great hardship on the family. And I thought she was the smart one.

    Valerie

  16. #16
    Michael Harris is offline Lifetime Professional Management Member

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    Re: Mystery Shopping Confidence Game

    Valerie,

    First, I am sorry about your in-laws' family. I know that too many people are sucker into these confidence games. I am not too sorry for the the greedy suckers, but the others who may have needed something immediately.

    Anything I post is free to anyone who wants to read it. I do not know if there is anything that will help people once they get into trouble.

    I assume that they have seen a lawyer about this.

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