The Secret Shopper Scam

An ad recently appeared on the KSL.com jobs page for a “Mystery Shopper” opportunity. I’m sorry I didn’t copy the original posting right away, because apparently they keep an eye out for such things and it was deleted immediately. But here’s what happens when you respond. Note: “Critique International, LLC” is a legitmate shopper evaluation company, and they are well aware of the scams being perpetrated using their name.

Hello [Name],

Thank you for your swift e-mail response , Your information has been accepted and input into our database.

FIRSTLY:

Your information has been submitted and a payment will be issued out to you for your First Assignment. Your information submitted is as follows:

[Name]
[Address]
[Phone]

I’ll need you to confirm that the above name and address is correct.

A payment will be issued to you as soon as your details have been reconfirmed. Information about the payment and instructions will be sent to you later. Please do check the above information and re-confirm to me that its your correct information .

Kindly be consistent with your email,because all updates shall be send to you via email.I await your reply.

Regards,

David Schlotthauer

Critique International, LLC

Note: This is already sounding Nigerian. One gets used to their peculiar grammar and spelling.

To: mysteryshopper008@hotmail.com
From: {me}
Subject: Re: RECONFIRMATION OF DETAILS FOR YOUR SECRET SHOPPER

This information is correct, as is my email address.

I’ve received your reconfirmation. Kindly be consistent with your email because all updates and instructions shall be send via email.

Regards
David Schlotthauer
Critique International, LLC

Note: “shall be send by email”

Good Morning ! You must take note that your mystery shopper payment delivers tomorrow, as soon as you have received it, confirmed on email for more details about your assignment.

Regards

David Schlotthauer

Critique International, LLC

Note: “You must take note…” – stilted, Nigerian English

A check arrives in the mail. Certified, no less.

Phony as a $3.00 bill…

I respond,

I have received a check in the mail. It is significantly larger than any possible payment for a Secret Shopper job. What is this about?
-C

Hello,

The Evaluation Team invites you to run a survey on two prominent Western Union Locations in your area.

Note: Bingo. There’s the proof of the pudding. Any time Western Union crops up in a transaction, you know someone is trying to steal your money.

Your First Task is to Evaluate two different Western Union Locations outlets around your City,since you have received your first official assignment payment. Kindly find a list of Western Union outlets around your location online at http://www.westernunion.com/ { HERE PROVIDE A LIST OF Western Union AGENTS IN YOUR LOCALITY. PUT DOWN AT LEAST 4 LOCATIONS }

Moreover,the management and staff of United oods & Deliveries, many other individuals and companies has reported lapses in the services of Western Union in some locations around the United States. Their complaints were based on reports their customers forwarded anonymously and Phone calls were also made to their head offices.

Western Union Agent location was reported for evaluation on the following reasons:

* Slow and Poor Customer services..

* Rudeness and agents inefficiency to customers.

* High Transfer charge.

* Late opening and closing Hours.

Your Customer Service Evaluation Requirement would be:

*You will go into a “Western Union” as a potential customer. Remember your status as a Detective Shopper, you are advise to act as a normal or average customer who wants to send money to your relative.

NOTE:- It is with this pretense act you can have a full statutory evaluation report in the lapses or negligence of their customer services relations. While you are being attended to when sending the money, you will secretly evaluate things like customer service, store

*cleanliness and quality of service rendered.

*You are Required to make use of Money Transfer in a minute Collect services to make Western Union Money Transfer.

*You are Required to send in a detail report of the Time it took you to get the Money Transfer made from the time of arrival at any of the Agent Location listed to you.

* A Confirmation of the Western Union Money Transfer fee.

* You are required to forward back to us a detailed copy of the Western Union Money Transfer Detail as soon as the assignment completed at any of the Agent Location assigned to you.

* A scanned copy of the Western Union Receipt is required to be Email back to us for confirmation.

However,since you have recieved the payment,proceed with the deposit of the check at your bank to have it processed and make a withdrawal funds for your 1st assignment deducting your commission($400) from the total amount received by using the first part for the first outlet and the other part for the second outlet for the evaluation. (Western Union charges should be deducted from the money you are sending NOT FROM YOUR JOB COMMISSION)

Get back to me ASAP because your results will be reviewed and collated for the upcoming 2013 Analyst/Investor Conference coming up in Montreal.

Kindly use the below info for the Westernunion in a minute evaluation transfer.

WESTERN UNION details.

NAME: Candee Martin

CITY: Huntington Beach

STATE: CA

ZIP CODE: 92649

Get back to me with this details below alongside with your full evaluation summary reports.

1) Senders Name And Address :

2) 10 digits Western Union Control Number :

3) Actual Amount Sent :

NOTE: Remember not to act like you’re evaluating them but act like you’re sending fund to one of your relatives.

David Schlotthauer

Critique International, LLC

What saddens me is that there are people who will fall for this ploy. The only reason I spend time with these drones (other than to waste their time and annoy them) is to try to get the word out as far and wide as possible so that someone else won’t be taken in. I send him this back:

I have evaluated two locations:

Location No. 1
1) Senders Name And Address: Johnson X. Johnson, 258 Mayberry Circle, Payson, UT 84651
2) 10 digits Western Union Control Number: 22935-17764
3) Actual Amount Sent: $1,000

Location No. 2
1) Senders Name And Address: Johnson X. Johnson, 258 Mayberry Circle, Payson, UT 84651
2) 10 digits Western Union Control Number: 22935-17787
3) Actual Amount Sent: $800

Let’s see what happens when the douchebag cheerily goes scurrying to his Western Union in Lagos with phony MTCN’s.

So here’s what I got back:

We’ve received your report but it is convincing. I will advise you send the receipt together with your email including how the services was and how you were been attended to..

Regards

David Schlotthauer
Critique International, LLC

My report was “convincing.” Whatever the hqiz that’s supposed to mean.

Well, at this point I decide to pull the plug on the escapade and send him a

message, accompanied by implications that he is a descendant of camels, and report his hotmail address as an originator of fraudulent emails.

Ooh, he’s mad.

From: Critique LLC <mysteryshopper008@hotmail.com>

Subject: RE: SECRET SHOPPER PAYMENT IN PROGRESS

YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER IS CURSED FOREVER, WHO IS OLUMBA OLUMBA, YOU BETTER FIND GOD INSTEAD OF GOING GOR OLUMBA OLUMBA. YOU FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER SHOULD BE PORTRAIT AS A CAMEL. FOOL!

David Schlotthauer

Critique International, LLC

Notice that he’s admonishing me to find God. Anyone else in the room find that a bit… well… ironic?

I will keep repeating this for as long as it makes a difference in a single person’s life:

Never pay to play. Never pay to get a job. Never send money by Western Union to a total stranger. If you do, you’re being scammed.

The Old Wolf has spoken.

3 responses to “The Secret Shopper Scam”

Bruce Lawrence Bergman says:

February 4, 2013 at 10:12 pm

Oh, it came USPS Certified Mail? Ooh! Now you can turn it over to the USPS Postal Inspectors and let them see if they can work the Mail Fraud angle. They have Federal powers that the local police and State agencies don’t have.

And with a computer-generated media stamp they know which Post Office and Clerk it was mailed at, that makes it easy to pull the surveillance tape and now they have a Photo.

That’s why the scammers try to use FedEx and UPS for all their physical correspondence to you, specifically so they don’t get on the Postal Inspection Service radar.

Bubba says:

February 5, 2013 at 9:20 am

I wonder if “you better find God” might be meant as a threat, something like “say your prayers, boy!”

- The Old Wolf says:
  
  February 5, 2013 at 1:28 pm
  
  I’ve heard that one before, too. Well, it’s a long way from Lagos to where I live… I think I’m safe. 😉