omg-this almost happened to me twice.Glad I didn't go through with it & went with my gut feeling.I hope you get it cleared.That is why I am so leary about paying any mystery shopping comapany
Amanda Wrote:
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> I posted this here since it doesn't fall under
> "mystery shopping." We keep getting the same
> question AND the topic has become personal to me,
> read the last paragraphs.
>
> I'm sure many people know about check cashing
> scams. I had to explain this to my husband, and
> this is the best way to put it:
>
> A person receives a check along with instructions
> to cash the check. The person is enticed to
> complete the task because they're promised a
> "reward" of a certain percentage or flat fee from
> the check. (Cash this check and you can keep
> $200.) It may also be worded that the person has
> won a reward and the business on the check is a
> sponsor...there are other ways, too.
>
> After the person cashes the check and keeps their
> "reward" they are told to wire/send the money to a
> 3rd party, usually untraceable. By the time the
> 3rd party receives their money, the person who
> cashed the check is told by their bank (or
> financial institution, check cashing place) that
> the check was fraudulent. The person who cashed
> the check is then required to pay the money from
> the check (and any fees related to the returned
> check, if any) to the bank.
>
> The person who cashed the check is a victim of the
> check cashing scam, which may also be disguised as
> other jobs (work from home, mystery shopping,
> financial representative). The sad thing is,
> there are many, many LEGITIMATE work from home and
> mystery shopping opportunities. These scams are
> what bring the legitimate opportunites bad names.
> (I will tell a friend to sign up with x-company to
> shop and they automatically assume "fake" because
> of the bad wrap from the check cashing scams.)
>
> But, there is another victim to the check cashing
> scam, the business/person the check was written
> from. I am a victim of the check cashing scam
> because my bank account, which I never write
> checks from, was used as a source of "money" for
> the scammers. I have never, ever written a check
> under the bank account used. When I looked into
> my account, two checks with my name, address,
> account numbers was used. But this was not a
> "normal" check. The check had two bar codes,
> probably to make the person who was cashing the
> check is was "more realistic", along with the
> signature line saying "signature on file." The
> check used was very, very similar to those given
> out in credit cards...with a note on the side
> saying, "This is a LEGAL COPY of your check. You
> can use it the very same way you would use the
> original check."
>
> This matter has not cleared itself, it is still
> under investigation by the authorities and I can't
> say much more than that right now.