This morning I got a call from a gal asking what she should do with the $2750.00 check that hospitality checkpoints had FedEx’ed her today. Confused by this I called her back asking for clarification and uncovered that this woman was being scammed by a fraudulent entity posing as our company. She had applied for a job for us and somehow had been sent this phishing scam.Here is a YouTube Video of the actual telephone conversation I had with the victim.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sijXSKFW-U

This is the first e-mail she received and unfortunately she responded to it which divulged her personal information, as well as, set her up for the continued scam.

W: MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JOB!!!!!!!!!PLS REPLY!!!!!!!!
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:15:35 -0700
Subject: MORE INFORMATION ABOUT JOB!!!!!!!!!PLS REPLY!!!!!!!!
From: michaeladams444@gmail.com
Hello,
Thank you for the interest for the customer service job on craigslist,We get hired to go to other peoples companies and act like customers in order to know how the staffs are handling their services in relation to their customers. Once we have a contract to do so, you would be directed to the company or outlet, and you would be given the funds you need to do the job(either purchase products or required services), after which you would write a comment on the staffs activities and give a detailed record of your xperience. Most companies employ our assistance when people give complains about their services, or when they feel there are needs for them to improve their customer service. your Identity would be kept confidential as the job states (secret customer) you would be paid $400 for every duty you carry out, and bonus on your transportation allowance, and funds would be given to you if you have to dine as part of the duty Your job will be to evaluate and comment on customer service in a wide variety of shops, stores, restaurant and services in your area. No commitment is made on this job, and you would have flexible hours as it suits you. If you are interested, do send in these information:
FULL NAME:
CONTACT ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP-CODE:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
MOBILE NUMBER:
AGE:
OCCUPATION:
EMAIL:
So we can look at your distance from the locations which you have to put your service into, and your address would also be need for your payments.

Once she responded with an interest, the scammers then sent her the check in the mail instructing her to deposit and withdraw $2350.00 and then proceed to a Western Union and “Mystery Shop” them by sending the money to a person in Florida. What will happen is in a week or so, her bank will return the check as fraudulent and debit her account the full $2750.00 leaving her responsible for the entire amount.

Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2011 08:31:44 -0700
Subject: First assignment to be delivered today via fedex!!!!!!pls reply!!!
From: michaeladams555@gmail.com
To: mskdooley@live.com
Hello Kelly,
How are you today, we re sorry with the delay with payments,I am happy to inform you that you will be receiving the first secret shopping assignment from the company today through fedex courier service with tracking number 794972679246 , you can track it on www.fedex.com. You will receive the total amount of $2750. You are to put in funds and take out funds to send,or deposit for 24 hours , then you deduct your $250 salary, you will have $2500 left so I want you to send $2350 to the secret shopper in another location via western union money transfer. The remaining $150 will be for the western union transfer charges (money in a minutes)and your transportation allowance.

Here is the name below:
Fullname: Quincy Skinner
ADDRESS: 9442 W Sample Rd
CITY: Coral Springs
STATE: Florida
Zipcode: 33065

YOUR FIRST ASSIGNMENT:
During this assignment which requires you to have the check cashed at  your bank before proceeding to wire the remaining funds at any local western union money transfer location in your area, You are expected to secretly perform the following shopping operation:
1. How fast and Efficient is the Western Union Money Transfer Service?
2. How long does it take you to have the funds wired?
3. How Close is the Western Union Money Transfer Location to your area?
4. Is the Senders Request Form too short or Long?
5. Is the neighboring environment safe for handling Western Union Money Transfer Service.
6. What is the name of the Local Western Union Money Transfer Agent where you have the funds wired?
7. General Comment
You are expected to have this done today and email us back your results with the following information after you have
1. Name and Address of Sender
2. Money Transfer Control Numbers (MTCN)
3. Amount Wired
 I will be waiting to read from you ASAP with the requested transfer details.
Regards hh

BE AWARE!!! No legitimate company will EVER send you a check in this manner; nor will they EVER ask for money to transact like this. This really gives our industry a bad name. Below are links to the FBI that explain about the scam, as well as, what to do and who to contact should you be a potential victim.

http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/e-scams/e-scams
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx

Mystery/Secret Shopper Schemes

01/20/10—The IC3 has been alerted to an increase in employment schemes pertaining to mystery/secret shopper positions. Many retail and service corporations hire evaluators to perform secret or random checks on themselves or their competitors, and fraudsters are capitalizing on this employment opportunity.

Victims have reported to the IC3 they were contacted via e-mail and U.S. mail to apply to be a mystery shopper. Applicants are asked to send a resume and are purportedly subject to an extensive background check before being accepted as a mystery shopper. The employees are sent a check with instructions to shop at a specified retailer for a specific length of time and spend a specific amount on merchandise from the store. The employees receive instructions to take note of the store’s environment, color, payment procedures, gift items, and shopping/carrier bags and report back to the employer. The second evaluation is the ease and accuracy of wiring money from the retail location. The money to be wired is also included in the check sent to the employee. The remaining balance is the employee’s payment for the completion of the assignment. After merchandise is purchased and money is wired, the employees are advised by the bank the check cashed was counterfeit, and they are responsible for the money lost in addition to bank fees incurred.

In other versions of the scheme, applicants are requested to provide bank account information to have money directly deposited into their accounts. The fraudster then has acquired access to these victims’ accounts and can withdraw money, which makes the applicant a victim of identity theft.

Tips

Here are some tips you can use to avoid becoming a victim of employment schemes associated with mystery/secret shopping:

• Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.
• Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
• Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. Virus scan all attachments, if possible.
• Avoid filling out forms contained in e-mail messages that ask for personal information.
• Always compare the link in the e-mail to the link you are actually directed to and determine if they match and will lead you to a legitimate site.
• There are legitimate mystery/secret shopper programs available. Research the legitimacy on companies hiring mystery shoppers. Legitimate companies will not charge an application fee and will accept applications online.
• No legitimate mystery/secret shopper program will send payment in advance and ask the employee to send a portion of it back.

Individuals who believe they have information pertaining to mystery/secret shopper schemes are encouraged to file a complaint at www.IC3.gov.

Arizona consumers are being warned about a new scam involving phony advertisements for employment as a secret shopper, mystery shopper, or investigative shopper. Whether or not you live in Arizona, these tips about mystery shopper jobs could save you money and heartache later on.

The scam might work this way: People respond to an ad looking for a mystery shopper or a secret shopper. When they contact the company about the position, they are told they can earn money by purchasing items at different stores or dining at different restaurants. The company then sends an employment packet. The packet includes business evaluation forms, a training assignment, and a cashier’s check, often ranging between $2,000 and $4,000. The training assignment is to cash the check, pose as a customer, and wire the money to an address in Canada. The scam is that the check is fake. The check bounces after the person wires the money, leaving the person liable for the fake check. People who apply for the secret shopper or mystery shopper jobs are told by the company that they have only 48 hours to complete the assignment or they will lose the job.

Arizona’s Attorney General says, “Consumers need to know that a legitimate company will never send you a cashier’s check out of the blue or require you to send money to someone you have never met. The scam artists use realistic looking documents, the ‘secret’ nature of the job, and the 48-hour deadline to pressure consumers into cashing the check and wiring the money quickly before the bank or the consumer can determine it was a fake check. By then, it’s too late.”

There are legitimate mystery shopper jobs. So how do you tell if the one you are looking at is real or a scam? The Attorney General’s Office advises that you should be skeptical of any secret shopper, mystery shopper, or investigative shopper companies that:

• Advertise jobs for shoppers on the radio, in a newspaper’s classified or “help wanted” section or through unsolicited email. Legitimate secret shopper companies generally do not advertise for jobs in this manner.
• “Guarantee” a job as a mystery, secret, or investigative shopper.
• Charge a fee just for applying or charge a fee for access to secret shopping job opportunities. You should not pay any fee to apply or to obtain job information.
• Appear to be located in places outside the country, such as Canada. If the company does not have an established office nearby that you can visit in person, be very cautious.
• It is always a good idea to check with the Better Business Bureau and investigate any business offering this sort of employment.

Fake cashiers check scams come in many forms. Generally,

• Do not depend on the funds from a cashier’s check from a source you do not know.
• There is usually no legitimate reason for someone who is giving you money to ask for money to be wired back or wired to a third party. Don’t do it.
• Do not rely on the fact that the check was accepted for deposit by their financial institution as evidence of the check’s authenticity. It can take up to a week or much longer for a financial institution to determine whether a check is good, especially if the check is from an institution located outside the United States.
• Consumers are responsible for the deposited fake check, even if it was a cashier’s check. When the check bounces, the bank deducts from the consumer’s account the amount that was credited with the fake check–often with charges added. The bank will not take the loss.

If you believe you have been a victim of fraud in Arizona, please contact the Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix at 602-542-5763, or visit them online.

_{The information in this article was obtained from the Office of the Arizona Attorney General.}

Beware! You may see advertisements for Secret Shoppers or Mystery Shoppers on this page, because that’s the topic of the article. Just because you see an ad here, that doesn’t make it a legitimate company!

BARTENDER THEFT:

Michael Zenner – CEO      
Hospitality Checkpoint
hospitalitycheckpoint.com
bartheft.com  (blog)
Hospitality Checkpoint PLLC
PI Lic. 1597616
hospitalitycheckpoint.com
liquorassessment.com
PO BOX 995 Gilbert AZ 85299
Office: 480-777-7056
Toll Free: 800-880-0811

© hospitality checkpoints Inc. 2011