This story is about “two scams for the price of one” (and I can call it that without violating the BBB Code of Advertising, because we have “a scam within a scam.”) In fact, this scam is so good (I should say, bad) that it might deserve Scam of the Year recognition.
In this case, the Louisville consumer originally responded to a classified ad for a “work at home” offer to make money as a “mystery shopper.” She went to the website, www.shopuntilyoudrop.net, and signed up and paid her $24.95 (scam # 1).
Next, the consumer received a letter, including a “customer service evaluation tool” form and a very detailed “Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.” You might think a company with a detailed Code of Ethics would be trustworthy. Well, no! Whatever the case, this “Code of Ethics” contains an unusual provision, stating, “Disobeying the law, both in letter and in spirit, is the foundation of this Code.”
Included with the letter, form and code of ethics was a check in the amount of $4968.00.
This is where the scam gets beautiful (no, a scam can’t be beautiful, but you’ll get the point): the consumer is instructed to “contact our office immediately” upon receipt of the check. When that call is made, she is instructed to deposit the $4968 check, of which she will get to keep $704.00 for “evaluation training pay + expenses.” Then she is to begin evaluating customer service, using the remaining money to make a couple of minor purchases at Walmart and Gap….and doing two substantial wire transfers, to evaluate customer service at Western Union and Moneygram. Wire transfer # 1 is $2640, by Western Union. Wire transfer # 2 is to be $1320 by Moneygram. And of course, the check for $4968 includes an allowance to cover the wire transfer fees of $139 and $75.
Have you guessed by now? The check for $4968 is counterfeit, bogus, not worth the paper it’s written on. (Scam # 2) Of course, the consumer who deposits the check and wires the money will never see that money again – and will be “on the hook” for $4968 once the bank discovers that the check is counterfeit.
Charlie Mattingly
BBB/Louisville
PS: BBB/Louisville staff member Hazel Rucker identified this as a scam during a conversation with the consumer and had the consumer fax the documents. Also there is the BBB report (www.bbb.org) and “WhoIs” information on the website, which ties back to what I am sure is a non-existent address in Mississippi. The letter sent to the customer uses a Waterloo, Ontario address that matches an address shown in the BBB report, which is probably also non-existent.
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