Fraud Tip of the Day - July 2
How to Avoid Secret Shopper Scams
If you've heard about Secret Shoppers and what a great gig it is read on. Secret shopping does exist and can be considered a legitimate job, however, scam artists are targeting consumers wanting to get in on the action by advertising "secret shopper" jobs that are nothing more than scams designed to trick honest job seekers into passing counterfeit checks.How Secret Shoppers Scams Work
Here's how it works: You answer a secret shopper ad in the local newspaper. The ad, including web site and phone number, looks genuine.
Once you are "chosen" (which is always the case in this type of scam), you will receive a letter in the mail stating the first assignment -- to complete a training course within a short period of time. Enclosed in the letter is a valid-looking check, which is to be deposited into your account and immediately returned to the secret shopper company by wire from a local retail store.
The training course is made to look as if you will be using this wire process in the local retail store as your first secret shopper experience. The valid-looking check ends up being fraudulent and the funds you transfer are your own. As the "shopper", you can be out hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars.
Tips for avoiding secret shopper scams:
- Always check the credentials of any organization hiring through classified ads that you do not know personally.
- Never use your personal account for making "business" transactions. Legitimate businesses will not ask you to do this.
- Never accept a check from someone, or a business, you do not know without checking to assure the check is real and the funds available. Your financial institution can assist in helping you determine if the check is valid.
- Never give out your personal account information, passwords, or other personal information on the Internet or by phone unless you have initiated the transaction.
