Mystery Shoppers Beware!

I recently received a very official-looking letter in the mail. It was from a company I had never heard of, but upon later Googling, was a real company. Also enclosed was an actual check from an actual bank. The first thought that entered my mind was, "Scam! Run, Forrest, Run!" But Hubby said he checked up on it and it looked quite real.

I read every word of the document, which seemed to make sense. It said it was looking for mystery shoppers. Well, who wouldn't want to get paid to shop??? There were very specific instructions...spend $100 at a certain store and fill out this evaluation form. The second part was to evaluate Western Union. I was supposed to wire a specific amount of money to an unknown person and rate how professionally this was handled. The check was for the exact amount of both assignments.

But I wasn't born yesterday. I thoroughly check out anything in which I take part. So I decided to ask my mother, a business banker, if she had any thoughts on the matter. She said she'd never seen a letter like that but surely wouldn't believe it. She said that most people probably wire their own money before waiting for the check to clear. And then the check ends up bouncing. BINGO! She nailed it on the head! I found this article online and it totally confirmed all her suspicions. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/crime-scene/cons-scams/loudoun-authorities-uncover-my.html

So, if you happen to receive one of these letters in the mail, don't waste your time investigating it. Tear it up and go on with your day. It's fraud.