Just another scam -- Electronics Shop

Today, I got contacted over Facebook by a Mystery Shop Scheduler asking if I was interested in doing a mystery shop of a large big box retailer. I was to go to the store, buy one of three "preapproved" items, and meet the scheduler at a parking lot less than a mile from the store.

A few red flags:
Scheduler asked me to pay for the device in cash (or preferably check).
Scheduler highly bonused the shop ($120!!!)
Scheduler wanted to meet me at a parking lot to go over the audit.
Scheduler couldn't give me the name of the company they were working for

Be careful out there! If the shop is too good to be true, it probably is.

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Would be all too enticing to meet with an undercover policeman in tow.

Latest here is a phone scam where the caller identifies themselves from the police department and asks:
How many people live in the household
How many of these are children, their names and ages
When will the parents be home so they can meet with them.

Supposedly they are doing fingerprint identification kits so that if something happens, they can identify the child. The police department is actively getting out the word that they are NOT doing this and that no one should be asking questions on the phone about your kids names and ages and when you will (or won't) be around.

Wow. That's creepy as ****. I wonder what they are even planning to do with that. Seems like you could potentially use the kiddies' prints to sell fake IDs to families with illegal immigrant children, but asking when you will or won't be around...? I don't even have kids, but the thought of someone that dishonest getting that close to any child makes me absolutely sick to my stomach. Who knows what else they could do? On top of whatever else they could do at the home (Stake the place out for robbery, plant some kind of listening device to obtain personal information, et cetera) , they could also potentially harm the child in much more serious way than identity theft, which is serious in itself....just extremely creepy in all kinds of different ways. No wonder the police are being proactive.

Good info. I had not heard of either of those two specifically. Scary stuff to be sure. Please keep the stories coming. As soon as everyone is "on to" a specific scam, the bad guys just change it up a little hoping no one will recognize it.

There are two types of people in this world: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.

In my area there are a lot of latch key kids and the concern is for their safety. But yes, they could also be planning to burglarize the house while everyone is working/in school or any number of things. I doubt they even have the appropriate stuff to fingerprint kids.

Edited to add: For those who rent, be aware that a guy got busted here for having video cameras hidden in the 'children's bedrooms' of a place he was renting out to families by the week or month out near the beach. There was indication that nationwide small spy cameras are planted in kid bedrooms of rentals with alarming frequency, so if/when you move, check out the place very carefully.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2015 09:52PM by Flash.

@Flash wrote:

Would be all too enticing to meet with an undercover policeman in tow.

Latest here is a phone scam where the caller identifies themselves from the police department and asks:
How many people live in the household
How many of these are children, their names and ages
When will the parents be home so they can meet with them.

Supposedly they are doing fingerprint identification kits so that if something happens, they can identify the child. The police department is actively getting out the word that they are NOT doing this and that no one should be asking questions on the phone about your kids names and ages and when you will (or won't) be around.

I'd toy with them and say I'm the block commander for the Community Watch. Then ask them who in the local PD they are working this program with.

How many people live in the household (Two retired police officers. Someone is always home.)
How many of these are children, their names and ages. (None)
When will the parents be home so they can meet with them. (Make an appointment as we don't answer the door unless we know the person that is scheduled to visit.)

I have security cameras up all around the house, so they would not want to visit my house anyhow. I have motion detection that will send an alert to my phone and I can see live video if there is movement where there should not be and call 911 and describe the burglar in real time if they get inside.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2015 11:25PM by scanman1.

@anerrorhasoccurred wrote:

Today, I got contacted over Facebook by a Mystery Shop Scheduler asking if I was interested in doing a mystery shop of a large big box retailer. I was to go to the store, buy one of three "preapproved" items, and meet the scheduler at a parking lot less than a mile from the store.

A few red flags:
Scheduler asked me to pay for the device in cash (or preferably check).
Scheduler highly bonused the shop ($120!!!)
Scheduler wanted to meet me at a parking lot to go over the audit.
Scheduler couldn't give me the name of the company they were working for

Be careful out there! If the shop is too good to be true, it probably is.

I'm thinking far worse here.

This person is asking you to meet them in a parking lot. To either rob you or kidnap you/or worse, hurt you physically (serial killer). I ignore PM's on FB because it's usually a love scammer wanting con his way into your wallet.

First of all, I would not associate a FB account with MS'ing, auditing or anything related. Announcing yourself as a MS'er using your real name and personal photos is just asking for trouble.

Second, police departments do offer to have children fingerprinted (as a way to assist in a kidnapping/abduction situation) but they do not contact people by phone. They usually offer it directly at the police station or at a display table at a safety awareness event or National Night Out with a parent present. If I remember correctly, they do not even write the child's name on the fingerprint card/sheet.

Yeah, I don't "like" Mystery Shopping companies on Facebook either. I figure if I'm letting people know that I like a Mystery Shopping Company on Facebook to my friends and coworkers, I'm not being very discreet. And because I think "liking" companies on Facebook is dumb. I get enough advertising and notifications about "special deals" as it is, thank you very much.

Also, get off of my lawn, you damn kids. Or I'll turn the hose on you.

Shopper in California's Bay Area

You all getting these calls and messages evidently don't live in states where you can be armed, whether it be concealed or open carry or even have protection at home...I don't recall these calls coming to me here in Texas.

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Just another scam -- Electronics Shop

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