MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Being a secret shopper may sound like fun and an easy way to make some quick money, but the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South says chances are it’s a scam.
One Batesville, Mississippi woman says she nearly got taken.
“I was like just blown away by the amount that was on that check just to be a mystery shopper,” said Jennifer Raymond.
Raymond said she signed up online to be a secret shopper, and a day later, a $1,450 check arrived in the mail with some very specific instructions.
“I was to deposit it into my checking account, take out $350 for myself and then go and buy as many Vanilla Visa gift cards as I could,” said Raymond. “Once I had done that, I was supposed to take pictures of these gift cards.”
But Raymond never deposited the check. Instead, she called the police, and they told her the check was likely fake, and she should destroy it.
“I was supposed to let them know as soon as I deposited it. That was a red flag to me right there,” said Raymond.
The BBB says victims usually find out after they deposited the check and withdrawn money that the check is bogus, and scammers are just after their money.
The Better Business Bureau says a check can bounce even after your bank allows you to withdraw cash from the deposit. The BBB is also warning consumers about a similar scam involving car wrap advertising.
Raymond said the same week, she received a $2,750 cashier’s check from a company that wanted her to wrap her car and advertise for them.
She said she called her bank and gave them the number on the check and found out it was no good.
“It’s crazy. I don’t think they should be getting away with it,” said Raymond. “We are out here working, and we go online to find little extra jobs thinking those are real jobs and they’re not.”
If you have concerns about a company or think something might be a scam, you can contact the BBB by clicking right here.
