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Beware of These Mystery Shopping Fake Check Scams

Even though it’s been a while since my car wrap scam posting of 2013, I see that fake check scammers are still going strong.

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Yesterday was a “red letter” day for me; I received not one, not two, but three fake checks in my mail box.

Fake check scam #1: Mystery Shoppers Agent

The first fake check scam involves mystery shopping through the company website Mystery Shoppers Agent.

mystery shoppers agent2

At first, I wasn’t sure if this company was also a scam or just caught up in the cross hairs of the scammers’ ploys. You see, when it comes to fake checks, scammers don’t hesitate to “plug” legitimate businesses into the mix. Completely legitimate banks and retailers will appear to be sending cashier’s checks, and USPS or FedEx envelopes will feature actual return addresses.

In the case of Mystery Shoppers Agent, however, the stench of scam was almost immediately apparent. Aside from the site’s broken English, it states that it offers a “Minimum amount for each assignment is $600 USD, payable by check.” Also, on its application page, you find the following statement: “We would like to inform you that you will be handle two assignment per week and the minimum payment for the each assignment will be $600 which make it $1200 every week.”

I’ve been a mystery shopper since 2010; several of my friends have been mystery shoppers for 10+ years now. No one in my immediate group has ever heard of assignments paying $600.

Also, for high-paying assignments of $60 or more, mystery shop assignments came with pages upon pages of instructions. However, read the letter I received and posted below for an assignment that supposedly pays $300:

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For this “assignment,” you are requesting wire transfers to two individuals living in the Philippines. You are then generating a report about the “customer service professionalism.” No directions are provided on how to generate this report.

But it gets even better- I received not one such letter from Mystery Shoppers Agent, but two! In one day, I found the exact same letters addressed to me and sitting in two identical 2-Day Priority Mail USPS envelopes. Along with those two identical letters were these two identical $3,775 checks:

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The same day, I also received the following email from Jo.DanieLS@Kash.info. His questions and my replies are posted below.

> Subject: First Task
> From: Jo.DanieLS@Kash.info
>
> First task is to be delivered to your address today or Tuesday at the latest and your assignment info and instructions would come in the mail along with your salary,please kindly follow the instructions that came in the mail along with your Paycheck…Did you recieve the payment yet?please reply back…thanks

On Mon, Jun 22, 2015 at 4:23 PM, Halina Zakowicz wrote:
Yes I did.

From: jonathan.daniels1950@gmail.com
did you made the deposit yet and when would u send the funds?

On Mon, Jun 22, 2015 at 4:26 PM, Halina Zakowicz wrote:
I deposited the funds this afternoon.

From: jonathan.daniels1950@gmail.com
when would u send the funds?

On Mon, Jun 22, 2015 at 4:38 PM, Halina Zakowicz wrote:
I’m going to do it later this week. Probably Friday.

From: jonathan.daniels1950@gmail.com
why friday?the check would clear tomorrow…so you should send the funds tomorrow please…also,i have been calling you and you didnt pick your calls

What I found interesting was that never during our email interchange did “Jonathan” ask about the actual review that I was hired to complete. No, it was all about sending the money ASAP.

Two days later, Jonathan was texting me about the money. I’ve copied our conversation below and highlighted my answers in green:

Have you completed the assignment. Please reply now

Yes

Can I have the details for the assignment the ref no for each name

Hello Why did you stop replying

The first number 65189544

I got the first number. I hope you sent the funds to the new details I sent to your email please ?

I called moneygram. It says the first number is invalid

Sorry about that. Let me check

And why are you not picking up your calls? And what’s the ref no for the second one What’s goingon

Ok, I need to check with moneygram again about those numbers.

You are a liar. Why are you lieing ?

You can’t even pick your calls. You didn’t even send the second number. This is bad of you

Please check this link

Which link

Tinyurl.com/p77xuoy

Stupid woman

I’ve also filed this scam with the FTC

I should add that the phone number of this California-based operation is (657) 529-0008. If the “business” is based in California, why are the checks originating from Arkansas? And also, why are the USPS envelopes coming from New York & Company at 2655 Richmond Ave., #1070, NY, NY 10314?

mystery shoppers agent

Fake check scam #2: Walmart Money Transfer

The other fake check scam came to me courtesy of “Joshua Baumfeld” of Secret Shopper. The email that I first received from this Joshua went as follows:

Dear Secret shopper ,

This is an update on Your first secret Shopper assignment which has been mailed and will be delivered  today or latest tomorrow  via USPS.Your secret shopper assignment will be done at any nearest Walmart store close to you,which will include shopping and testing other services available at Walmart.

Instructions on how to proceed and email your first assignment report has  been included along in the packet.

Kindly notify and verify that you have received this email,and also notify via email as soon as you have received the assignment.

Regards,

Joshua Baumfeld
Head of Recruitment.

About a week later, I received an official-looking 2-Day Priority Mail USPS envelope containing a letter and a $1,680 cashiers check.

Joshua wanted me to deposit this check and then make a “Walmart to Walmart Money Transfer.” I was also supposed to report on such details as “smartness of the attendant(s),” “reaction of personnel under pressure,” and “rudeness and agents inefficiency to customers.”

There are many obvious red flags in this letter, including poor English, sketchy directions and a payment of $200 before I even do my job. Another point of concern is the state (Grenada) and city (Mississippi) names being reversed. Meanwhile, the address on the envelope states that the correspondence is originating from Joshua Baumfeld, 7072 Wnchester (typo included) Rd., Memphis, TN 38125.

Finally, Walmart has stated that it doesn’t engage in any Secret Shopper services.

The entire contents of my letter and check are provided below.

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What is the point of these fake check scams?

When you receive a fake check from scammers, the point is to have you deposit that money into your bank account- and then withdraw or wire most of it to the scammers (or their associates). The deposit and withdrawal must be completed within 1-2 days or ASAP.

By doing so, you and your bank won’t catch onto the fact that the check is actually fake and will bounce in roughly 3 days.

By the time your deposited check bounces, the scammers will be long gone, as will your withdrawn or wired funds.

If you don’t yet believe me, please click on the following list of complaints from duped secret shoppers.

The lesson to be (hopefully not) learned here: Don’t fall for these fake check scams.

Bonus: Halina’s fake check collage

I just wanted to show off my assembled collage of fake checks to all our I’ve Tried That readers. In total, I’ve received $21,835 now in fake check money. Woo! Also notice that some of these checks are made out to my cohort Hugh G. Rection. I’m sure my mail carrier was highly amused.

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72 thoughts on “Beware of These Mystery Shopping Fake Check Scams”

  1. I just recieved a check in the mail today on the check it says charles denton the bank is regions. 2 day priority mail envelope then on the letter it says Charles cole task supervisor from vocalmysteryshoppers.com… the check is 2450 dollars and it says 200 is my commission. I haven’t done anything with it yet i wanted to get an opinion first

    Reply
  2. Hello ice reasieaved a check in the mail from oakdale credit union with the same instructions I didn’t deposit in the bank because I was skeptic. In glad I looked it up thanks everyone

    Reply
  3. They used an actual business and manager for my letter… 2330.00 check to do a “secret shopper” for Wal-Mart… The checked to company on the letter and it’s an actual company, even used the manager’s name… I called Wal-Mart and they don’t do secret shoppers… The address on the check, the company it was mailed from and the address from the actual company were all different… The number they gave was text only, so I texted it and they answered from this number…

    Reply
    • They do attach real businesses and names to these checks, but the bank account (the important part!) is what’s fake. Nice work Sara on reaching out and trying to verify the information. You saved yourself a few thousand dollars.

  4. Received one from Dianne Budd for 2,900.00 stating it’s from amegy bank of Texas but it was only the check in the priority mail 3-days went to Walmart to cash it and it wouldn’t go through. The names on the check are Randy naumann & Kay Yeager it had to be fake but since I’ve had it I been getting texts from a unknown person that want me to open up a bank account and cash it!!??

    Reply
  5. My son (who is legally blind so I read his mail) received 2 envelopes today. Both are mystery Walmart shopper assigments. Both full of grammatical errors. Check #1 is from Nathan Kimmel Company, LLC in LA Cal. and the 2nd from Cache valley Bank in Logan Utah. Knew it was a scam so googled it to find this post. Thank you for the extra heads up!

    Reply
  6. Today I received a check from Arthur Williams in the amount of $1890.00 with instructions to buy $1700 in iTunes cards from each stores of $50 or $100. The check came from NE PA Community FCU 337 Clay Avenue, Stroudsburg, PA 18360. What a scam! His address list was RICHARD SMITH, FRRT SERVICE CORP SPC 6 9934 N DOS OALOS RD FIREBAUGH 93622-9742.

    Reply
    • I got one from him today as well for the iTunes. Almost thought it was legit. Thanks for having this post

  7. Hi! First, I want to thank you for all the articles that you have written on this subject, Halina. I too got a letter today via USPS priority mail 2 day with a money order dated 10/31/17 for $994 and a letter that seemed a little fishy. Thank God i googled and ended up on this site and read a few of Halina’s articles.

    The letter was printed on a single piece of paper and said the following in all caps and bold at the top: “Customer Service Evaluation Tool (CSET).” There are grammatical errrors sprinkled throughout as well as a note asking me for acknowledgement that I received the letter via text yo a phone number listed. And was addressed to “esteemed Secret shopper” instead of my name was another red flag I noticed. Coincidentally, I have been applying for shopping jobs that I know are legitimate so at first I thought this one might be an offer coming from one of those sites, especially since the first sentence says “This is regarding the Online Survey/Evalutuon you got few days ago.”

    It provided instructions for 2 evaluations. One for Wal-Mart and one for money gram. It asks me to cash the $994 money order and keep $150 of it as my commission and an extra $20 to cover the cost of the money gram transfer.

    The Walmart part seemed too simple- just asked me to purchase something for myself and make sure it’s not more than $10 and then evaluate the cashier when checking out but the instructions were vague.

    For Moneygram, they told me to act as if i was transferring the remaining $814 to a friend or family member in Texas (btw, the address that the package came from which seemed to be a supermarket or grocery store in Plano, tx based on the name and the address of the Moneygram recipient are located in Texas but the phone number is based in San Diego- did a google search of the number and this number actually calls people to steal credit card numbers like scammy secret shopping assignments aren’t enough for them!). The alleged owner of the phone number is listed on the bottom of the letter as Dawn Williams with the email address shopper@reportsevaluation.com. The phone number is 619-577-4882 and even requested that only texts be sent to the number. They even claim charity as the reason to get the money to them ASAP! Oh and btw, the receiver of the money is a different person- Richard Spence in Comfort, TX. It made me think I was getting involved with white supremacists or the alt right or something as I remember that name as a speaker in Charlottesville.

    The Walmart part of the evalutuon seemed shady in itself as they didn’t really ask me to do anything useful. Part D asked me for a general observation receipt/invoice. What does that even mean? For money gram, they asked me to check for cleanliness in bathroom, how long it took to complete services, and stuff like that which made sense.

    I’m just confused as to what they can do with a money order as the cash (and my part of it) is already in my hands as the assignment is being done? I confirmed via a google search of the phone number that this is definitely a scam but I was just curious about the money order. I never used one. I never had to. lol.

    Now since I know it’s a scam for sure, I feel like texting the scam artist just to screw with them. lol

    Reply
  8. I also got the same thing sent to me today! Except mine was for 980.00 and the directions said to buy 800$ worth of itunes gift cards, scratch off the back pin number and and send a picture of the card to the email for Arthur! I havent heard of this scam before but something sounded funny so first thing i did was google! Glad i did!

    Reply
    • I received a check yesterday from Arthur Williams in the amount of $1890.00 with instructions to buy $1700 in iTunes cards. Same instructions. Take a picture of the card, scratch off pin number and send clear picture to Arthur Williams4557@gmail or arthurwilliam@cableone.net with a set of instructions about store names, cashier name etc. What a scam! His address list was 1212 Defoor CT NW #1B, Atlanta, GA 30318 845-243-0052 text messages only.

    • I just got the same Arthur Williams letter & check for 980. & I get to keep $100 as commission.
      Do I shred all of this? Report it?
      What did everybody do

  9. This scam must be successful. I got one in the mail this week past for $2950.49 from Kevin Stark mysteryshopperinc@post.com. The return address on USPS Priority Mail with the letter and check is from Maksim Andersen, Tran Service LLC, 4810 N Donald Ave, Bethany OK 73008-2736. The letter is asking me to transfer $1300 to “Frank Adams {301 Weatherford St} Arlington} TX} 76016” and “Steven Smith {19 E McKinney St} Denton} TX} 76201”. Once I transfer funds using Moneygram email my report along with picture of receipt, reference numbers and some other information regarding my report. The check is from Citibank N.A. One Penn’s Way, New Caste, DE 19720. I hope others don’t fall for one like this.

    Reply
    • I just received a 2 Day Priority USPS manilla envelope with a $980.00 check in the mail from PIONEER VALLEY CREDIT UNION and instructions to deposit check into my bank account & to purchase $800 ITUNES giftcards in $100 & $50 denominations as part of some secret shopper survey. Contact persons listed are
      arthurwilliams4557@gmail.com AND
      kennethwilliam43@aol.com

  10. Hope this helps others.
    I got an email in my spam box about being a mystery shopper for $100 per visit. The scammers email is from an Arthur Williams at jmiller2021@wi.rr.com, which led me to this site (Thank you for the commenter Joe in CA who included the scammers email address). I got a envelope in the mail from Jennifer Frink, ESS Service LLC, 650 Tupelo Trl Apt 3B, Hinesville GA 31313-3429 with a fake check for $2810 and bogus instructions that are “confidential”, Basically deposit the check and buy $2500 worth of iTunes gift cards and send pictures of the cards and pins to the Scammers at arthurwilliams4557@gmail.com and kennethwiliams43@aol.com. He closes by saying: Best Regards, Arthur Williams (I’m a Scammer) 3235 Roswell Rd. #718 Atlanta GA 30305. Phone 912-434-2607 (test messages only) <– I looked up the address, its for rent! P.S. the "I'm a scammer" part was added by me

    Reply
    • I just got the same check in the mail today from Arthur Williams. I pray others think to google before falling for this BS.

    • Yup…I got a check for $2810 from Pioneer Valley Credit Union…SCAM! They wanted me to do Customer Service EValuation for iTunes cards and listed an address also up for sale.

  11. Hello, I also just received a check on the mail for $2,865 with the same premise of sending the money via Walmart right away if I wanted an extra $100. I also thought it was strange that someone would send me a check for this money saying that my payment of $300 was included. I get paid ahead of time? What if I decide to keep all the money? Very fishy. The first thing I did (I am doing now) is looking it up. At first I looked up the name of the guy who signed the check and it happens to be some kind of war hero in UK. Also their own company name was misspelled!

    Reply
  12. …received one of those cheques the other day and felt something was a bit “fishy” as I am retired and no longer looking for work.

    The most obvious part that raised suspicion was the letter looked like it was composited on a copier and did not follow the format of a standard business letter evne using a fairly fancy font that was almost unreadable instead of the standard Arial or Times Roman one. So did a bit of digging.

    The cheque itself was written on a credit union in Cuyahoga Falls OH, in looking them up I discovered the name of the credit union on the cheque was misspelled (missing an “s” at the end) and part of the name was not capitalised. So next I checked location of the phone number on the bottom of the letter (which is an SMS, eg, text number) to discover is located in Columbia South Carolina. When I checked the address from where the letter was sent on Google, it was a local department store in Breadenton FL. Finally this morning I received a text form the “project manager” listed on the original letter, the only catch, the number she texted me from is in Rochester New York, not Columbia South Carolina.

    Yeah, total scam

    Reply
  13. How do I no if I’m working for a legitimate company or a Scam error? I got my letter today and a check but it’s not a cashiers check and it’s not from the guy that I’ve been reading About! Please help me no the difference

    Reply
  14. My check was from UNITED BANK, South Windsor, CT, dated 1/16/17 for $997. Letter same… Attn: Esteemed Shopper Associate, etc. SHREDDED. I don’t even know how I got it.

    Reply
  15. Got a letter today through priority mail, from William Hall. Same scam different method. I was to purchase iTune gift cards, scratch the cards, send the PINS, pictures of the scratch page, etc. you get the idea. The check was for $2830. I was supposed to keep $320 as my pay. These people are really bold and think we are really stupid. I’m tearing up the check right now. This is sad. Go find a real job and earn your money and stop ripping off people who are willing to work for pay!!!!

    Reply
  16. Hi TBoo,

    Thanks for the comment and story about Milan. Bottom line here: If any company asks you to send money to it or a third party, it’s almost certainly a scam.

    Thank you again for reaching out to us!

    Reply
  17. The letter starts off:
    Milan Supply Chain Solutions
    P.O. BOX 699
    Milan, TN 38358
    Mystery Shopping, Market Research, Securities, Training & Consulting
    13325 ST. ALBERT TRAIL, EDMONTON,AB T5L 4R3
    Please contact your assignment co ordinator at
    TEL: 1-868-286-3836 FAX: 470-235-1824
    I received this letter and check for $3,986.50 from a company called Milan Supply Chain Solutions. This check has a heat sensitive lock on the middle of it so at first I’m like WTF that is a lot of money. On the back of the letter is a form you have to fill out that asks questions about the company, how they treat you and their efficiency and you have to fax it to the above number. I tried to call the 1-868 number and my phone directly cut off. There was another number given for further “enquiries” 1-470-274-6691. I called that number and asked the man about why when I called the 1-868 number did my phone hang up. He told me I may have to get a long distance card to call the number. I left it alone but I wanted to know if this job could possibly be real. They don’t ask for account info in the letter or tell you to deposit this check into your account like yours did. I looked up the name of the woman who “signed” the check Gail Spain and she’s real and she works for Milan Supply Chain Solutions. I had no way to contact her though but by creating an account on linkedin, but once I did that, it wouldn’t let me message her because I have to have a premium account with linkedin. So then I looked up the Edmonton address located at the top of the letter and it lead me to a company called Chrysalis. Chrysalis is a company in Canada that provides shelter and food for the needy. The site stated that they provide a home, jobs and many other services to people in need in their community. So then I was like why did they give me an address to a company of a different name. “????” :-/ Then I checked out Milan Supply Chain solutions in TN online and the company is legit but the company is for transporting goods to warehouses. The site is milanexpress.com but the letter never stated an internet address. The site said “MILAN is a full-service transportation company. We work with companies that want to build freight velocity, eliminate supply chain frustration and move their business forward.” After that i typed in “milan supply chain solutins in canada” and no results. Well then I tried to see if the companies were connected because maybe they had something to do with transporting goods to or for the Chrysalis company and what do you know, NO RESULTS. Then I came to your site about scams. I reread the letter and it says that “you will be requested a paid training within one week.” It also states “after this training your salary will be increased to $450.00 per week for the first three months. Additional increment of $600 per week will follow after another three months if you choose to stay with us.” “Even though this is a training exercise for you, it should be considered a job interview (in underlined bold letters).” That last statement about “job interview” really hooked me in when I first read the letter. Without even stating in the first week of training what I would be making, all these things raised a alot of red flags for me but not all the ones you’ve raised on this page. The way the letter is worded it didn’t flag to me as a scam but I’m definitely skeptical now. Someone has really stepped their game up because this thing really sounds legit with the exception of the things I learned about it. Someone could really fall for a letter like this. I don’t have a scanner to show you the letter but it is worded very carefully. Maybe you could look into it yourself and see if I missed something as well as maybe registering this as a scam. I don’t know if it is but it sure sounds like it now.
    PS> No internet address or email was given on the letter.
    Thanks, TBoo…

    Reply
    • I got a very similar one. Right down to the professionalism, and heat sensitive lock on Check. My red flag was the large amount to transfer from Western Union. An evaluation could be done on a much smaller amount. Plus, I was given the option of shopping at any one of 5 stores. Two of which are even in my area. I was concerned by multiple companies and addresses from the envelope, letter and check so I started looking up companies when I ran across this site. I assumed it was a scam. Much better prepared then the “buy your item sight unseen and oops my secretary sent you a check for too much, but I know you are a Christian and will return the over payment” scam.

  18. I got one today. The guy that emails me is named arthur something… Got a check for 3,725. The remitter name is James Roche…. The name on the postage says Philip Ziegler…which i find strange because that is my last name..wtf???

    Reply
  19. i just recieve the same check for 2875.00 and the bank agent tell me that check its fraud its not a real check

    Reply
    • I got the same check for the same amount today and I went to western union and they tell me it’s fake so I contacted the number I was given and this guy was telling me why did I do that I should’ve deposited into my account it would have been easier

  20. I actually got a check from someone called DiamondPeak Inc, and one of the checks was from a bank called Citizens National Bank, and the check is $1,820. Sounds too good to be true, but what happens if I don’t deposit the check? Should I just rip it?

    Reply
    • Rip it up. My bank cashed 2 never even asking about the large amounts. Now my account is frozen and my bank is taking me to court.

  21. I just got the letter with a check for $2875!! I feel bad,
    because people are getting more money then me!! Ha Ha
    I knew as as soon as I got the check and was told to deposit into my account and send the money to Turkey of all places, it was a scam!! I wrote them a letter and told them what they could do with themselves!! And also said I was reporting them
    to the FTC. You would think after all this time, with so many people reporting this scam, something would have been done to them!

    Reply
  22. I just received a checked yesterday from an Alfred Konibaje from the Eagle Federal Credit Union in Baton Rouge LA for 1899 as an independent shopper. I am to deposit the check and then call to get the fund released. Then from that fund I am to deduct 200 dollars as my commission+ 29 dollars for processing fees. Send $835 to two different people. Son and so on. I am fit to be tired that people have that kind of time to mess with others trying to steal their information. I know from the minute I opened the envelop, this check was nothing but a joke because I do not have that kind of time with two jobs to go around to money gram wasting nothing but my valuable time. My only hope is that these individuals get caught and be brought to justice for theft.

    Reply
  23. I received something very similar yesterday. My “2 day” USPS, had a ship date of 3-31, with a expected delivery date of 4-2. Hmmm, the first clue here is a 2 Day delivery was only delivered to me on 4-20!!!

    Then everything else seems close to what others described. A check for $1,810, buy something at Kmart, $300 for yourself and send the remainder back in 2 separate moneygrams.

    Envelope came from NY, “cashiers” check was on a bank in MO, send remaining money to 2 different individuals in 2 different cities in TX.

    the letter was very unprofessional. While I am by no means and English major, and I’ll admit my spelling may not always be correct. This unprofessional letter mixed upper and lower case in street and city names.

    Letter came from Richard river in NY,
    Told me to email 2 individuals: ljones012@tampabay.rr.com, and jmiller2021@wi.rr.com. Both of which are a Time Warner email site, not a business).
    Then send the remainder of the $$ to Alex Villalobos in Richmond, TX, and Jerry Higgins in Allen, TX
    Lastly the actual letter came from Aaron Merriweather in Port Arthur, TX

    Reply
    • Hello- can you please give more details? Alex Villalobos from Richmond, TX? I think I know who this is.

  24. AFTER READING EVERYONES COMMENTS, THIS JONATHAAN DANIELS IS A PIECE OR WORK. SO WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DEPOSITED THE CHECK AND THE MONEY IS SITTING IN YOUR SAVING ACCOUNT ?

    Reply
  25. I just received a check from Johnathan Daniel’s myself for 7520.00. I guess he’s still at it. Anybody know Who to report this too? Please and Thank you

    Reply
  26. I just received a check in the amount of $7520.00! Jonathan Daniels is upping his ante I guess. I really want to put this scumbag away. How do I complain or where do I send the complaints?

    Reply
  27. I also received a check for 2875.00. If that rat bastard has the cohones to call or email me I will direct him to the Govn’ers Office of Consumer Affairs.

    Reply
  28. There are at it again please be careful my grandson got a check for $ 1190 and was told to deposit it and return $850.00 to him in texas The Check came from MCU with a PO box in NYC news flash MCU only use address on their checks PO box..so he was suppose to keep $ 350 for himself lol..So check with your bank before you put check into your because is he or she is taking your money.

    Reply
  29. I got a letter and check saying I was selected to do mystery shopping I was supposed to go buy vanilla gift cards and the rest of money was mine .All I had to do was send # to cards to them my check was from Fidelity bank looked very real the only thing that got my attention was was I was supposed to be regulating the worker in the store it wasn’t about the gift cards so why did I have to purchase the gift cards why didn’t they just send me the check in the amount for the job. This was at a time I needed bad just lost my job beware check is an the amount of 3,753.50 from Fidelity bank signed Glenn brack hope this can help someone not make a big mistake .

    Reply
  30. I also to make some extra money for Christmas my daughter was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer so I’m not at work as much as I would like to be. I enjoy shopping and always thought I would love to try to become a shopper. Fooled me shame on this loser.

    Reply
  31. Thank you all, I got the letter and a check for $2875 I thought it was legit I’ve been looking for work with no success so I said let’s try this. He’s been texting me asking me when am going to send him the money. I haven’t deposit it yet and now that I’ve read the comments I won’t thank you all God bless you.

    Reply
    • I too have gotten caught by Jonathan Daniels. Now I owe my bank nearly 3000 dollars, and I don’t know how I’m going to pay it back. Wish I’d seen this site a little earlier.

  32. Hi, I was just a new victim of this scam. I found a email looking for a secret shopper and the email was from a Jonathan.daniels1950@gmail.com. I received two money orders in the mail for 933.50 each and was shocked at the amount that was sent to me but I didn’t worry too much about it since it was a money order. I deposited it and sent them $1600 in the mail the following week. Needless to say I was scammed! I file a police report already but the banks will require for me to pay it all back! I don’t know what to do! Please advise.

    Reply
    • What would Happen? Really?
      Someone, somewhere down the line..who doesnt deserve it, would suffer a loss. Knowing its a scam, would make us lower than the lowlife, scamming asshole that tried to con us!

    • I asked my bank what would happen if i cashed the check and spent it , they said you would have to pay it back in increments by a certain date.

    • Just do not deposit the check.
      If the person calls u about the status, just play with him that u deposited the check,,u have no time to go to walmart/moneygram…

  33. Even i received a letter mail from this bastard jonathan daniels, He pesters you till you complete the task.
    Finally i lost $ 3500.00.
    My hard earned money got lost. Anybody sue this rascal,,,idiot cut him to pieces and put to street dogs,,,

    Reply
  34. I too have received that exact same letter except for the names of who to send the money too. How dumb can one be to fall for this? This is the second time I have received a letter like this and yet it’s the same email address and phone numbers. Wake up people! Take an active role in your life and pay attention to what you get in the mail. If it seems too good to be true, then 9 times out of 10 it is.

    Reply
    • I actually did a search how to become a secret shopper and this application came up. I’m sure the loser is on this site reading that he is caught too bad folks do this for extra money or because they can’t find work shame on him!!

  35. I received nearly the exact same thing today. The only difference is the names to send money to, my letter is not in broken english, the return sender on envelopes is a man in Tulsa, Oklahoma yet the cashiers check is from Glendale, CA. My letter states ” go ahead and cash it at your bank or deposit the check in your bank account and wait for it to clear, the check will clear within 24 hours after you have deposited it.”

    Reply
  36. I just got a few versions of this mystery shopper spam:

    From: MS TEAM® (agents@mediacomcc.com)
    You have been selected for assignment as a Detective Shopper in your area.
    You will get $350 being a Detective Shopper.
    Your employment packet will include funds for the shopping.

    We want you to participate because it’s fun & rewarding. You will have access to training materials.

    As a detective Shopper U work and shop together for pleasure, and You only work 2-3 hours twice in a week. We wait your good response.

    Reply
  37. the money was also supposed to be sent to the same people in your letter as well. I guess originality bit them on this one!

    Reply
  38. I also received this scam the mystery shopper one with the same exact letter you have posted above with the same amount of $3775.00 I had received one of these about 4 years ago so I immediately knew that it was a scam. Thanks for posting about it

    Reply
    • The check came from a credit union in Pennsylvania and the and it is dated 6/2-/2015 as well. God knows how many other people fell for this. I said what mystery shopper job?! Never applied for one.. no one just sends you money for no reason and before you complete an assignment. Stupid people

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