Scam Shopping Deals: Offers You Should Refuse!
Secret Shopper,
"There is a vacancy to be filled in our company. We need in employee for “Secret Shopping"”
This "Secret Shopper" email is yet another scam
from a so-called Nigerian 419 scammer. The email could
originate from a scammer anywhere, but it is always the
same: a complete fraud. If you read through the
email, you will notice that there is no company named,
no company website, no street address, not even a phone
number. Just an email from a name and email
address, claiming "they" want to hire you to be a
"secret shopper". You'd have to be both naive and
desperate to believe, for one moment, that this is
legitimate.
If you write back to them, it will turn out to be the usual "advance
fee fraud": they will send you a check, you cash it, keep some amount and
wire the rest of the money to them. Or they send you a check which you
deposit in your checking account, go shopping, you buy something and ship it to
them.
In any event, about 4 to 6 weeks later the check will bounce when the bank
discovers it is a forgery using stolen account numbers.
Here is an example of the email they send. Look for the typical clues
to a scam:
- They are writing from a free email account, not a company address.
- Poor grammar, spelling, punctuation, improper capitalization and odd syntax (a real business would
proofread several times and make sure it is close to perfect before sending
a single email)
- Often the is no website for the business, which in this era, is very
odd, to say the least.
- No contact phone number (or it goes straight to a recording) and no
physical address, or an implausible address (eg, in the Trump Tower).
- Urgency - you are told you must act very quickly.
- And of course, the number 1 sign: "wire transfers", "Western Union", "MoneyGram",
and you will "accept payments", or "transfer funds".
There are other scams that use secret shoppers of mystery shoppers. See this page for more
information about Mystery Shopper scams.
Here is an example of the Secret Shopper / There is a vacancy to be filled in our company. We need in employee for “Secret Shopping”
scam:
Hi.
There is a vacancy to be filled in our
company.
We need in employee for “Secret Shopping”.
“Secret Shopping” is the know-how that
allows evaluates customer service performance.
When people complain about company’s
services or when company executives feel there is a need for them to
improve upon their customer service they address to us.
Salary: You can choose between $5000 a
month or $1400 a week.
Requirements:
- Adults only
- You must be USA citizen
- Explains well in writing and in oral form
- Is Fair and objective.
Duties of “Secret Shopper”:
We direct our employee to company or outlet
with all funds(information) to do the job.
“Secret Shopper” usually evaluates and
comments establishment like: supermarkets, hotels, restaurants,
retail stores, casinos, shopping malls, banks, repair shops).
Our agent(“Secret Shopper”) always act like
usual customer, and don’t do anything that would reveal him as a
shopper.
“Secret Shopper” without preconceived notion
evaluate the level of staff professionalism, ability to dial with
difficult clients, quality of service.
After gathering all aforesaid information,
“Secret Shopper” composes a detailed report of his(her) experience,
including various details like: “The hotel was not cosy…”, and send
us this report.
If you are interested in applying for
consideration as a “Secret Shopper”, please forward us following
information:
[Full Name]; [Age]; [Occupation]; [Phone
number]; [State]; [Address]; [Zip code].
in this E-mail:
lec984@gmail.com
Best regards.
--
Be Yourself @ mail.com!
Choose From 200+ Email Addresses
Get a Free Account at
www.mail.com
Another example:
“Secret Shopping” (“SS”)
We want to offer you well paid job!
Work as “Secret Shopper” and earn $ 1,400 a
week or $ 5,000 a month!
Your job will be to evaluate and comment on
customer service in outlets like: supermarkets, restaurants, retail
stores, casinos, shopping malls, banks, hotels etc.
Most companies employ our assistance when
people complain about their services, or when they feel there is a
need for them to improve upon their customer service.
“Secret Shopping” allows gathering
information regarding customer service performance.
“SS” is a reliable tool to cut down current
annual facility maintenance spend and reduce corporate risk, this
know-how helps company executives to carry out their own duties in
improving their services.
When we have a contract to do, we direct our
agent to company or outlet with all funds to do the job.
Our employee act as a regular customer, so
service staff don’t know who he is indeed, in this wise he evaluates
customer service professionalism and ability to deal with difficult
clients.
Our employee founding on their experience
writes a detailed report about: how long does it take to get served,
customer service politeness and professionalism plus own opinion.
Requirements:
1. Adults only.
2. USA citizen.
3. Good communication skills.
4. Full Internet access.
5. Computer user.
Please forward following filled form to:
xmp893@gmail.com
- Full Name -
- Age -
- Occupation -
- Phone number -
- State -
- Address -
- Zip code –
Thank you.
CFR's Recommendation:
AVOID
Secret Shopper! Do NOT sign up for it!
What to do and How to Report the Scam:
Anytime a scam involves a cashier's check, official check, or money order
from a financial institution and you believe that it could be counterfeit, you
should contact the issuing bank directly to report receipt of the check and to
verify authenticity. Only the issuing bank can verify the authenticity of the
item. When contacting the bank, do NOT use the telephone number provided on the
instrument, as this number is generally not associated with the financial
institution but rather with the scam artist.
To locate a bank's contact information, you can check the FDIC's website at:
http://www2.fdic.gov/idasp/main_bankfind.asp
Consumers who receive a counterfeit or fictitious item and associated
material should report it or file complaints with the following government agencies,
as appropriate:
-
Federal Trade Commission (FTC):
by telephone at 1-877-FTC-HELP or, for filing a complaint electronically,
via the FTC’s Internet site.
-
Royal
Canadian Mounted Police (Canadian Scams): by
telephone at 1-888-495-8501 or via e-mail at [
info@phonebusters.com ].
Their Web site provides additional
contact numbers.
-
Better Business Bureau – The
BBB system serves markets throughout
Canada, Puerto Rico, and
the
United States, and is
the marketplace leader in advancing trust between businesses and consumers.
The international Web site offers contact information for local BBBs,
objective reports on more than two million businesses, consumer scam alerts,
and tips on a wide variety of topics that help consumers find trustworthy
businesses and make wise purchasing decisions.
-
Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) Internet Fraud Complaint Center for Scams that may have originated
via the Internet.
-
If correspondence is received via the U.S. Postal Service,
contact the
U.S. Postal Inspector Service at their website or by telephone at
1-888-877-7644, by mail at U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Office of
Inspector General, Operations Support Group, 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite
1250, Chicago, IL 60606-6100.
Additional information concerning this matter that you believe should be
brought to the attention of the Office of the
Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) may be forwarded by email to:
occalertresponses@occ.treas.gov
or by mail to
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Special Supervision Division, MS 6-4
250 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 20219
or Fax: (202) 874-5214
What are victims saying about Secret Shopper?
See this page for emails and
comments from
victims!
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