Last week I was inundated with reports that someone was perpetrating a check-cashing scam under the guise of MysteryShopOnline.com. Several of my subscribers reported losing thousands of dollars, and many more reported that they had been contacted by the scammer in some way.
I reported the situation to the FBI. Apparently check-fraud is a severe problem, costing as much as $8 billion dollars a year.
Here’s what you can do: If you lost money, or if you were contacted by someone attempting to scam you please send a report to the IC3, which is a divison of the FBI. Do that here: http://www.ic3.gov.
Also, please DO call your local FBI agency. And if you have lost money, please file a report with your local police department.
Remember, never cash a large check as part of a mystery shopping assignment. If you ever have any doubt about whether or not a check is legitimate, call the bank issuing the check and ask. Also, if you do deposit a large check, wait until you can verify with your bank that the funds have been secured before you touch the money.
That’s about all it takes to avoid this scam.
If you are concerned about protecting your social security number, then get an EIN from the IRS. You can do this very quickly over the internet. Its a relatively simple way to protect your identity.
Let me know if you have any more questions. I am here to help.
Sir:
Everyday, even here in Thailand, we are receiving notifications that we won a lottery, even from famous companies such as Microsoft, Toyota, Coca-Cola, Pepsi,
and other very famous Couriers such as UPS, DHL, Elite,
and others. First, they asked us to pay for the Courier fee, aafter we have apid the courieri fee, we are notified that we have to pay another fee, tax fee, about 3 to 5 percent of the amount won. When we have “finished” payint those fees, we will be notified that we need a lawyer to
represent us to claim the fee. After paying the “lawyer fee” we will be asked to come and collect our winnings personaly – only to find that everythign was a SCAM. The
banks and the couriers all refused that they were involve
in any such way with those claims. Is there anything we can do about this? Wht don’t those companies take actions
to protect their names and refutations. Most “victims”
think that those companies are also involved. Please help us!
I just filed a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center about the 980.00 check I got
Mr. Diego,
I do not know how the political system works in Thailand, but in the US I would contact my local legislative representative. They might be able to work with you to solve some of the ‘bigger’ issues related to this scam.
By far, the best way to deal with these kinds of scams is through prevention. The more people that know about this scam, the harder it will be for the scammer. Try reporting your situation to a local newspaper. They might publish your story, which would be a good way to spread the warning about these scams.
Jacob
I have been looking for some thing like this to come my way!!!
I hope you get back to me soon,
Thank you Dody.
I loved your videos about getting started, protecting my SS# and the tax tips, and how you handled the scammer issue, explaining what the scam was and how to protect ourselves. I greatly enjoyed the story of your travels. Your videos’ made you real for me. I have been reading your newletters for a long time, but sometimes wondered if it was just a form letter printout by a computer or something that was scheduled to regularly send out an email. Please keep doing video’s I love them and thanks to the people responding to you.
I just received a letter today in response to my “application for part time work as a mystery shopper” and a check for $3,850.00. I called the number listed in the letter as required- the man told me to deposit the check in my account and wait 2 days for it to clear. I asked if I could just cash it, he said no it had to go into my account. I went to chase bank, the bank it was written on, and an hour later was dealing with their fraud department. I was to keep $500.00 of the money, spend $20.00 at walmart and $20.00 at mcdonalds the last shopper task was to go to western union and send $3,110.00 to “their agent”. The bank said the check was stolen and copied. When I looked into this the check turned out to be from an unrelated exporter for the airlines in Phoenix, AZ–their letterhead said Golder consumer research, Inc. A division of mysteryshoponline.com.New York, NY, the envelope it all came in was post marked from Canada, and I was to western union the money to someone in atlanta, GA. I called the original number back and asked the man why he would ask me to deposit a fraudulent check into my bank account. He seemed very surprised and told me they would look into it and call me back. I asked how he would do that without my name and phone number, he only wanted the check number, he said “”we have your number!!”
I also just received this yesterday. Mine lists Omega Research & Development, is for $4200, and mysteryshopline.com. Jacob, if you would post your email I would be glad to send you a scan of what I received. I am also contacting my local news station (I’m concerned as this is a new scam about people falling for it and losing $ !) and the USPS and FBI as you recommend, and Omega R&D (which is a real company but apparently not involved), and the bank (BB&T) the “cheque” is issued from (though most of these calls will have to wait a few days as it’s Saturday now.
I am sooooo glad I found this site!
As lava above, I too received this $4200 check from Omega Research & Development it says a division of Mysteryshoponline.com
It is so sad, when people like us are trying to make some HONEST extra money any way we can then we get something like this in the mail, fortunately I have spent hours researching this and found Jacob Jans on whois, this is giving your domain a bad name. I too, a taking this check to our local media and to all the authorities I can. I will be glad to send or fax or scan you a copy of this letter also. Let’s do the best we can to go after these scammers preying on us!!! Thank you, Mary
I just got off the phone from calling the RCMP in Prince Gerorge, BC
Canada and they have started a file for this scam. Had I cashed the cheque I would have been responsible for the monies deposited into my bank account. PLEEZE, BE AWARE AND BEWARE – this is A SCAM… do NOT deposit the cheque or you will be out $4.260.00. Call your local Police Dept. Fraud Squad and get a file started. Thank gosh I contacted this online site BEFORE making any decisions about being recruited as a mystery shopper. I really thought I needed the money BUT I really am glad NOT to have been on the hook for money that I don’t have. These people are ruthless and are preying on those of us who really need the money and can’t afford to be paying their wages.
I, too, received a chack recently from a company called North American Research Center. I thought it was legitmate as I remembered
having signed up as a mystery shopper some weeks ago. I think it was your site as well. The check was for 3998.00 with the usual hoopla
about my $400. and tofax an application and then do the Walmart thing. To my amazement the check cleared the next day and I withdrew the funds and was about to complete the transactions when I had second thoughts. I then looked up your website and documented over 50
similar scams. Having worked with the FBI for six years I knew not to bother them as they only work on large multi-million dollar scams. I will take my info to http://www.IC3.gov and let thenm deal withn it. I now see how even smart people can be taken in by these scams.
Loren G. Brown, Jr., CGSP, CGMP
President Brown Marketing Group
Hi,
I just got a letter today from Dynamic Research Group that says its a division of mysteryshoponline.com. The address is P.O. Box 310 selkirk,MB Canada. Phone number 15147564057. They sent me a check for 4260. They wanted me to go to walmart and two moneygram locations and told me I could keep $400 and if I completed this training process I could get $650 a week. I just lost my job so I was really hoping this was for real but I can’t find any information on it online. Also my brother saw a special on 20/20. I was led to this site and other sites like this. The bank on the check is Amegy bank, Na but they have a site and it looks legitimate. The the name on the check is dynamic recovery service, inc that also has a site that looks legitimate. I don’t want to risk anything. It’s too good to be true.