As a freelance writer I’m always on the lookout for new (even bizarre) money making opportunities. Several freelance writers have recommended becoming a “mystery shopper”.
Having been on the receiving end of this service (I was called out for not asking if she would like a bag for her one miniscule item. Which, I’m sorry Petco, but even five years ago some of us were already well aware of the shameful waste that is the plastic bag) I am aware that these types of jobs exist.
So yesterday I spotted an ad for mystery shoppers on Craigslist and responded. This morning my inbox had a response from “the company”. Now, let me tell you why I think this is a scam: too many red flags. What red flags? Well, let’s tick them off:
Non-corporate email address: secretshop87@gmail.com
Signature: The email was signed “John Owen, Recruiting Officer” – this is only a red flag because of the next bit
Mistakes: So many grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes littered this email that it was surely written by an idiot or a non-native English speaker.
Request for personal information: Rather than sending me a link to an online application, this email asked for all my personal details, I copy and pasted below -
If you are still very much interested, Please reply this e mail with the follow information
FULL NAME:
MAILING ADDRESS (no P.O.Box please):
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
CELL PHONE:
HOME PHONE:
GENDER:
D.O.B:
MARITAL STATUS:
BEST TIME TO CALL:
PRESENT JOB STATUS/POSITION:
EMAIL:
Checked company website: The company this email refers to is Southwest Mystery Shoppers, Inc. The company actually exists and has an official website where people can sign up and apply to become mystery shoppers. There was no contact info as far as email or phone to get in touch with anyone to comment on this bizarre occurance. Through other means I tracked down a phone number for the company but it is disconnected.
23 comments
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February 13, 2009 at 11:38 pm
XYZ
Even I got the same e-mail this morning.I was actually going to reply to it,as it seemed like a good opportunity.
Thank you posting it.
February 20, 2009 at 3:38 pm
ABC
Shit! I thought it was not fake and was genuine. So I went ahead and provided him (secretshop87@gmail.com- John Owen, yess that was the name!) the details. Today the first thing in the morning my money order arrives and I am supposed to do the so called “Assignment” ! Please do suggest me some solution to this. Think I have got involved in a huge scam. Do I report it to the local authorities?
February 20, 2009 at 5:44 pm
poetreearborist
You should certainly, whatever you do, not try to cash that fake money order. You can get in trouble for fraud yourself. You might call Western Union or perhaps take it in there and turn it into them. They might be interested in tacking down the party behind the scam. Otherwise, you could simply “return to sender”. Good luck!
February 22, 2009 at 11:39 pm
Metoo
Wow, I got the same exact thing. I gave Mr Owen all my info, none of which was essential (so I dont think they can use it to tap my bank account, fingers crossed), and now I can await a fake money order? Have you guys found anything else? ABC, did you report it to the local authorities? I found Southwest mystery shoppers on this “safe” list: http://friendsinbusiness.com/board1/archive2/index.cgi?read=99036.
March 28, 2009 at 9:32 pm
caslin
I recieved some money orders yesterday and it seemed too easy… i looked at them closely and they do NOT in fact look real. I was gonna take them to the post office because that’s where they were supposedly purchased from and I think they should be told what’s going on as well as wells fargo maybe. but i think it’s too late on a saturday … won’t be able to make it till Monday now. crap-o-la.
April 1, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Mars
I got a email from Mr. Owen too and he has a new address now
southmysteryinc@aol.com however I dont know how to approch reporting this to authorities do I just go to the police or should I call someone.
April 7, 2009 at 10:19 pm
Anonymous
Wow. Me too. This shit has got to be a scam.
April 13, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Lady Lu
I also replied to a craigslist ad a week ago, gave non-essential information and got an e-mail this morning saying that my “money orders” would be here today via UPS delivery. We’ll see how this all plays. I went against my better judgment of researching every job opportunity. I guess I will keep everyone posted on what happens next. I am going to look into who I should report this to and I might even send to the local media here.
April 13, 2009 at 9:11 pm
mimi
I was told by my bank (go chase!) that you need to report it to the police station. It’s best to bring a copy of all of the emails that you’ve sent and received and keep the ups packaging the money orders came in. Luckily my banker caught it cause of course just like you all, I thought it was too good to be true too. You might want to also notify where ever the money orders came from because more than likely they dont have it in their system either. Good luck to you all!
April 14, 2009 at 1:59 am
Lady Lu
Well luckily enough for me some red flags went, although a little later than I had hope but timely enough for me to save myself some money and fraud charges. The thing I should have done was look in the envelope before reporting to the IC3 because I was assuming that there was going to be money orders in the envelope but there were none. Well I just made myself look silly but the fact of the matter is that this person victimizing innocent people. I hope this person gets caught.
April 14, 2009 at 8:10 pm
dmp
Well, i fell for it. I didn’t do enough research before. I saw red flags but maybe just didn’t want to believe it. My bank cashed the money orders for me…no questions asked. I did the transaction at the Western Union and now my bank tells me my account may be closed and I will owe all the money. The only reason I found this out is b/c today I went in again and they wouldn’t cash them. I was laid off four months ago…I was just looking for some work and thought the mystery shopper thing was legit.
Don’t be as stupid as I am.
May 1, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Watch out
I thought I would take the chance to when I saw it through careerbuilders.com I applied to the job ad and was sent the email. I will not sending any more information though. If this dude got through careerbuilder.com then he has all of the information already. We will see.
Watch out everybody.
May 13, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Jon
I had the same guy email me – John Owen secretshop87@gmail.com and I had the entire reply email filled out with my information, when I told myself, this sounds way too good to be true, and I went on Google to research the company, boy am I glad I did that, I just got out of prison, and am having trouble finding work, so I almost fell for it
BE CAREFULL
May 14, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Naj
I got the same email back this morning also. Once I saw that in the first SENTENCE there were grammatical errors I was tipped off that this could be a scam. At first I thought, maybe it’s the journalist in me kicking in and I’m always correcting everything. But when the errors wouldn’t stop…. I was convinced. So i did what I always do: GOOGLE IT! Glad to know I’m not the only one who is skeptical.
Thanks for this post!
May 26, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Jeff
Great comments and thanks for sharing them. I saw the same ad on Craigslist. The only difference is the guys name. The e-mail I got was from Isaac Sandler. This blog likely saved me some money and egg on my face.
May 27, 2009 at 2:05 pm
sufferer
my dear friends this is a big fraud scheme of all i have ever seen.
at the end the program you will really see a big loss. when you get the money order, you can deposit into into your bank account and you can see the balance in your account. But you take the money out of your bank account and do the job for them like sending the money to some other pre-defined name via western union in your assignment, your bank account shows that all the money orders were under hold after whatever time it takes to complete your assignment.
so my dear friends please be careful and if some one sent you the money orders, please do one thing for me, just collect all the money orders and send me a scanned copy of them to me at: pmreddy19@gmail.com as i am trying to file a big complaint against them.
Note: Also inform to your bank manager about tracking the money gram money order sender information as they will keep a hold on your account and take your own money from all your accounts within one or two days
thank you very much,
June 17, 2009 at 5:31 am
Teresa
Glad to read these comments so I can steer clear of this company. They currently have a few ads on Craig’s List so good thing to do would be go on there and flag them all. After so many flags the ad(s) will be removed.
September 11, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Enid Salamanca
Suffer hello can you please elp me out do you still have the checks that were mailed to you. I do not have the check anymore the police took it as evidence however I still have the UPS tracking number for you and the tracking number and all of the e-mails that I can send you. Can you send me copy’s of the checks/slash money orders. PLeeeeeeeaaaaase!!!
June 19, 2009 at 3:15 am
Art
Oh, boy, am I happy that I decided to investigate this further. I am looking to move into NYC (my gf just got accepted to Columbia) and am exploring every possible way to get money, including any side job that I can find. I played along with this up until the point where I got three checks, totaling around $3,000.00. The question that I asked myself is why? Why would anyone give me three grand without the possibility of its return? I did not give them any information that my resume did not contain. I did not sign any contracts.
July 18, 2009 at 5:55 pm
2 in a row
This is the 2nd job that is interested in me and they are both scams. The first one was polaris inc. Which is a total scam and this mystery shopper. Damn I really need a job.
July 20, 2009 at 2:28 pm
smarter than i look
I am always on the lookout for a few extra bucks so I did like all of you ad aplied. i then thought better of it and took the legal obligation aproach. the following is what transpired:
me:Hello,
I am interested in the position you have posted……..
……Please see my attached resume.
Thank you for your consideration.
him:(the same response as you all)
me:Hello John,
I am very interested in the position…..
….I apologize but I do not feel comfortable sending my information in an open email. Please answer a few questions for Identity security.
Does your company have a website?
Can you provide me with a contract and a 1099 tax form? (overall earnings would exceed reportable amount).
Please also provide a company address.
him:we will provide you the 1009 tax okay pls fill required information
August 19, 2009 at 9:28 pm
losttosk
I also got the same exact email. I unfortunately did send my info before researching. Sucks how needing a job can make you do some stupid things. I’ll watch out for the money order and will report it.
September 11, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Enid Salamanca
Hi, A
Actually all of you are going to laugh. But I actually filled out the info went to verify ( I called my currency exchange and asked the teller if she could verify if it was real or not) the check and I was put in Jail for it!!! I just wanted to know if it was real or not so I could report it to craigs list and to the polce. I told the Officer my story and he did not believe me. I am being charged with a felony it would be much help to me if you could all e-mail me your experiences with detail or if you still have the original e-mails that you could forward me. So I can take with me as proof with me to court, or if many of you still have the money order or check you received if you could scan it and send me a pic of it. It would really Help I’m a single mommy and college student. I have have never done anytihng wrong in my life!!! NOt even parking Tickets or speeding tickets. PLease and thank you anything would help!!! My email is enid.salamanca@everest.edu