Recently, it was brought to our attention that there are some individuals going around contacting people about Mystery Shopping as a means to Scam them! Please be aware of any offers you received. And that all Mystery Shopping offers should go through the proper channels!

Here is an example of how one of the Scams happen:

Briefly, this scam functions as follows:

1.  A ‘you’ve been selected’ congratulatory letter arrives in the mail, accompanied by a cheque that for all intents and purposes looks very real.
2. The letter goes on to instruct you to cash the cheque, and then send money via wire transfer to a specific account elsewhere, usually overseas.
3. They add further pressure, but telling you to do so within 48 hours or the offer expires and generously tell you that whatever percentage is left in the cheque is yours to keep.

You can read more on how to avoid scams here.

Recent Example

We had recently been contacted by a cautious shopper, whom had read the article in the link above.

The shopper was contacted by an individual going by the name of Bryant Davis. The shopper received a cashier’s cheque and a letter in the mail. This was then followed up by a text informing the shopper about the delivery. The shopper was instructed to deposit the check and send money to a specific account.

This alone sounds dodgy! Another name that we have come across previously was Brian Harvey.