Scam Alert: “Mystery Shopper” Fraud

In this fraudulent scheme, victims receive emails, or letters, stating that they have been selected to be “Mystery Customers”, or “Mystery Shoppers”. The letter will state that the company they represent was contracted by several clients to ascertain the quality of their customer service. The victim is asked to visit several retail stores, and make purchases, then offer feedback to the “Mystery Shopping” firm by using an enclosed “Customer Service Evaluation Tool” form. To pay for their purchases, the victims are sent a check, and instructed to deposit the item to their financial institution account, then contact their “coordinator” for further instructions.

At first, the victim is asked to make purchases of $40.00 to $50.00 at retailers such as Wal-Mart, The Gap, or Old Navy. However, the instructions then direct them to make wire or money transfers for larger amounts (often $1,400.00 - $2,600.00), via Western Union and MoneyGram. Again, the victim will be told this is for “Customer Service evaluation” purposes, and they are to offer feedback in regards to the “friendliness”, or “professionalism” of the clerk who assisted them. For their efforts, the victims are “paid” from the proceeds of the deposited check, and may keep the goods purchased for $40.00 - $50.00.

As you can guess, this is a scam, and the check that was enclosed with the letter is worthless, and will eventually be returned to the victim’s financial institution, probably as “Counterfeit”. The victimized mystery shopper will lose the amounts that were wired out, usually to places in Canada, or overseas. These wires could total $4,000.00 dollars or more! If you receive one of these letters, the best course of action would be to destroy it, or report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Their complaint form can be found online at: https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01.»

As always, you may contact the Risk Management Department at Coastal Federal Credit Union, at (800) 868-4262, extensions 8282 or 8184.

Sample of the Letter