Please do not trust this business to protect your identity. I contacted them by way of their website to be a Mystery Shopper and was shocked that no money was asked for up front. I have a shoppers page that shows my list of assignments, but have only gotten one and it was out of state.
But, my email was stolen from their database and I was sent an assignment with their Business Letterhead and followed through with it. I was ripped off for $870.00.
After contacting Strategic Reflections, I only got a "I am so sorry" response, but no action from them to correct the identity theft from their end.
I have filed with the FTC, US Inspector General, US Attorney General, and Western Union. Western Union was the form of fraudulent payment I received.
I filed with the BBB in Cincinnati, Ohio, where they are located, but it seems they have an economic hold on the BBB that I do not. The BBB will not hold them liable or post the complaint publicly.
In conclusion, I urge you to stay away from Strategic Reflections.

My guess is this had nothing to do with information stolen from a database. It is an unfortunate and common circumstance that scammers use the names of legitimate companies and many of the companies we all work for and love have also been victimized. It sounds as if you were a victim of the check cashing scheme involving depositing a check and sending the lion's share to a third party. You have to ask yourself a few questions when receiving an offer like this.

Q: How many companies will pay an IC or employee prior to them completing work and/or providing a service.
A: NONE
Q: How many companies are going to pay you $200 plus for a job which involves approximately 1 hour a week.
A: NONE

I understand you are focused on yourself as a victim, and rightfully so. But please remember the company has also been victimized. Their good name is being impugned not only by the scammer, but also by shoppers posting information linking the two. Mystery shopping companies are sympathetic to those who have been scammed, but the reality is this, they are not legally or morally responsible to reimburse you.

Hi RippedOff,

Your def. not alone. My friends sister also was a victim of a similar scam on craigslist. She sold something to someone out of state and the guys "secretary" mistakenly sent $2,000 instead of $800 check. So she sent the guy back $1000 and the guy "let her keep" $200 for her troubles. Well, the check was fake and she lost $1,000 and her merchandise.

I doubt your email was stolen, it was probably from a company you gave it to and they sent you the assignment. But who knows.

And LisaSTL, you might be surprised, but our company does send people money upfront (small amount) through Pay Pal to do work. To date we have not been scammed by a shopper, but we do not do this with all our shoppers. We are also protected by PayPal and can dispute and get the money back. All of our work is done online from home.

rippedoff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Please do not trust this business to protect your
> identity. I contacted them by way of their website
> to be a Mystery Shopper and was shocked that no
> money was asked for up front. I have a shoppers
> page that shows my list of assignments, but have
> only gotten one and it was out of state.
> But, my email was stolen from their database and I
> was sent an assignment with their Business
> Letterhead and followed through with it. I was
> ripped off for $870.00.
> After contacting Strategic Reflections, I only got
> a "I am so sorry" response, but no action from
> them to correct the identity theft from their
> end.
> I have filed with the FTC, US Inspector General,
> US Attorney General, and Western Union. Western
> Union was the form of fraudulent payment I
> received.
> I filed with the BBB in Cincinnati, Ohio, where
> they are located, but it seems they have an
> economic hold on the BBB that I do not. The BBB
> will not hold them liable or post the complaint
> publicly.
> In conclusion, I urge you to stay away from
> Strategic Reflections.

Sorry that you were ripped off. You fell for one of the oldest scams around. The "assignment" you were sent on was not for Strategic Reflections. Legitimate mystery shopping companies do not send you money before you do a job and they do not send by Western Union. Mystery shopping jobs don't involve large amounts of money - like $870. Mystery shopping jobs typically pay between $10 and $30. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

LoveLife Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi RippedOff,
>
> Your def. not alone. My friends sister also was a
> victim of a similar scam on craigslist. She sold
> something to someone out of state and the guys
> "secretary" mistakenly sent $2,000 instead of $800
> check. So she sent the guy back $1000 and the guy
> "let her keep" $200 for her troubles. Well, the
> check was fake and she lost $1,000 and her
> merchandise.
>
> I doubt your email was stolen, it was probably
> from a company you gave it to and they sent you
> the assignment. But who knows.
>
> And LisaSTL, you might be surprised, but our
> company does send people money upfront (small
> amount) through Pay Pal to do work. To date we
> have not been scammed by a shopper, but we do not
> do this with all our shoppers. We are also
> protected by PayPal and can dispute and get the
> money back. All of our work is done online from
> home.

LoveLife, do you work for a mystery shopping company? Please identify your company.

Hi, LoveLife. You indicate "our company". Can you identify what company you are with? While I am aware of a couple of companies that under very specific circumstances with long term shoppers will advance cash, I think you will agree it is not the norm, rarely for first time shoppers and never unsolicited sending a person a check to cash and go do shops without having first agreed to do the shops. That is why, rather than muddy the waters, we simply state that it does NOT happen.

Flash is correct that by saying it happens at all could lend legitimacy to this type of offer. In your post the operative words were "small amount."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/23/2011 02:45AM by LisaSTL.

AustinMom Wrote:
> LoveLife, do you work for a mystery shopping
> company? Please identify your company.


Hi Austin Mom,

I hire mystery shoppers for my own projects. Right now I do not want to mention my website only because I do not want anyone to visit it and sign up on these forums. I have people signing up from other sources and that is enough for now. We do pre-pay from our current sources we hire from and I don't want anyone from this site coming to my website signing up. So far I have not been scammed by people I hire and people have sometimes even refunded if they dont want to do the work for personal reasons.

Flash Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi, LoveLife. You indicate "our company". Can
> you identify what company you are with? While I
> am aware of a couple of companies that under very
> specific circumstances with long term shoppers
> will advance cash, I think you will agree it is
> not the norm, rarely for first time shoppers and
> never unsolicited sending a person a check to cash
> and go do shops without having first agreed to do
> the shops. That is why, rather than muddy the
> waters, we simply state that it does NOT happen.

No its not the norm to pay in advance. But from the sources we hire people are skeptical and we pay in advance to help with that skepticism. Since we pay using PayPal we are protected as a buyer and can dispute if the person tries to scam us. I just wanted to clarify that my company has paid in advanced, but it is also a risk on our part. Which is why I will not mention my companies website on a public form.

Sending large amounts of money using checks or money orders (even paypal) can not be trusted.

The request for company identification was not just out of curiosity. It is standard operating procedure to differentiate company opinions from shopper opinions and is common practice on both this forum and the V one.

Hi Lisa,

Sorry I can't mention the name of the company. I stated I pay people in advance. Telling people my website is not a good idea at this point. It would be a financial risk on my part to do so.

I already stated I hire people for projects. I do not participate in the shopping or evaluating products or offers personally.Im not familiar with standard operating procedures on this forum and I dont know what the V forum is. Where is this mentioned?

My bad. The V forum is Volition I just wanted you to know the reason it all came up, but it's easy to understand why you would want to keep it all close to the vest!

Sure Lisa its no problem!

I did come here with the intention of hiring people for some small jobs. Its just that I do not want to mix in different sources of applicants for these positions.

My work can all be done online. Some of the companies in my program are well known brands, some not. Would definitely be interested in working with people here soon!

Lovelife,
It is expected that anyone posting here who is representing a company have a sig line that clearly states that their are writing from a company point ofview. Please add a sig line that at least states that you are, or work for, a company, even if you do not reveal your web site. If you will not do this, several posters here may well ask the moderator to act.

Looking forward to seeing you often here.

Sure no problem walesmaven, thanks for letting me know.

I looked for an FAQ/rules section but didn't see one. If something is expected or there are rules where can I find this information?

What is your site?

LoveLife Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi RippedOff,
>
> Your def. not alone. My friends sister also was a
> victim of a similar scam on craigslist. She sold
> something to someone out of state and the guys
> "secretary" mistakenly sent $2,000 instead of $800
> check. So she sent the guy back $1000 and the guy
> "let her keep" $200 for her troubles. Well, the
> check was fake and she lost $1,000 and her
> merchandise.
>
> I doubt your email was stolen, it was probably
> from a company you gave it to and they sent you
> the assignment. But who knows.
>
> And LisaSTL, you might be surprised, but our
> company does send people money upfront (small
> amount) through Pay Pal to do work. To date we
> have not been scammed by a shopper, but we do not
> do this with all our shoppers. We are also
> protected by PayPal and can dispute and get the
> money back. All of our work is done online from
> home.


I am scratching my head over this puzzle of yours, Lovelife. Most MS companies I am familiar with hire editors. Such folk can generally ensure subject/verb agreement and proper use of punctuation, and guard against run-on sentences. But your operation does seem to be of a different calibre.

On Strategic Reflections, I have done business with them for years and have never had a problem with them. If someone received a Western Union and followed through with that scam, then don't blame Strategic Reflections. They did not do it at all. Just be careful in the future.

For the person who claims to run a mystery shopper site, I confess I am confused? Are you real?

I do shops for Strategic Reflections and also I recieved the same scam about the Western Union shop BUT not from Strategic Reflections. Believe me, they have nothing to do with it. Whoever is doing this uses the names of different companies. I traced down where the original mailing came from and it was from Canada with an office in Niagra Falls, NY (right across the border). I sent everything back to them with a letter that I was aware it was a scam. Cash the check and send the money within three days via Western Union to an address in Florida and then the check is cancelled and you are out the $870.

I have and currently do Mystery Shopper for Strategic Reflections and have had excellent rapore with them from the beginning. I am still a novice at this; however, with patience from this company and several others has lead me to a new experience in my life. In fact, as I write I have just finished reading guidelines for my shop in the morning for them.

Work only for true legitimate businesses; ask questions, use the BBB. And common sense tells you a check for some outrageous amount and using Western Union is all a scam.

Listen, hear and work with profesionals which Strategic Reflections portrays.

Good luck in your future endeavor!

I'm confused as 2 EXACTLY how u were RIPPED OFF? Did U send them money? If so Y? Did they take it from an act? If so HOW. I'm new at this but am VERY AWARE of the SCAMS out there n am try'n 2 avoid them but I find the best way 2 go is if it SOUNDS 2 GOOD 2 B TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS but I would like 2 learn from wat hapened 2 u so I DONT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE

I am sure you have fallen for the oldest scam around. Did they request aa SS or EIN number from you before signing on? And anyone that offers you $200. for a shop is out of their gourd!

Right now before me I have a U.S. Money Order for $945. to do 2 shop for an unknown so called ARTIST. Of course with instruction to please deposit into my account after I have done the narrative. No form, nothing, Just a narrative. Sound smell like a SCAM. Of course. I will be turning it over to the Postal Authorities today.

You were not scammed by Strategic Reflections I can assure you. Even though I have only been into MS about 4 months now, I have done 8 shops for them in the last few weeks and have ben paid in a quicker than quick fashion.

You were scammed and it is a lesson to learn and hard to swallow. Move on and check your companies ~~ throughly.

But it was not Strategic's fault.

I am doing my first job for Strategic Reflections tomorrow and was wondering how often we get paid. I know they do paypal and am an experienced shopper for other companies, I just cant seem to find out when. Does anyone know?

I don't know about PayPal, I'm set for paper checks which are in theory processed the last day of the following month (ie shops done in June would be processed on the last day of July). However it seems to be the 9th or 10 of the next month before they actually do it.