Victim Location 23320
Type of a scam Fake Check/Money Order
I received a priority mail package from Intellishop Research Int with an enclosed check for $1,950.11, check address information is as follows from Business Complete Solutions, 13750 Danielon street, Poway, CA 92064. Also a note from Intellishop about Congratulation and you have been pre-qualified to take part in a secret shoppers program.
Victim Location 30506
Type of a scam Fake Check/Money Order
Fake check, WalMart Money and Money Gram Transfer under guise of a Secret Shopper program
Victim Location 30043
Type of a scam Fake Check/Money Order
It started as doing surveys online. I was told I qualified to be a Walmart secret shopper. I was emailed by contact: Frank Lee Task Manager (Intellishop Research Int) in Cedar TX the Company’s email is [email protected] to verify my address and I would be mailed material on the secret shop. I thought it was legit. I got mail within days with a cashier’s check with my name for 1,230.34 and instructions to call/email him once I got the money and deposited it in my account. Once cleared to go to Walmart buy up to $40 in items of my choice and to do an evaluation on the cashier that helped me along with the store presentation, cashiers name and greeter in front of the store. Then to go to the walmart2walmart transfer service and transfer $920 + $20 the fee to transfer to a Jason Talbot in Atlanta Ga, 30349. I was told to keep the remaining $250 as my compensation for my participation in the evaluation. I needed to do the survey within 2 days or I would be disqualified from doing any other secret shops. And to email the receipt of the items and money transfer. I did not cash that check, he emailed me the day after I got the mail to verify I got the mail/check. Although I was not scammed out or gave money to them this definitely a red flag. A scam of fraud.
Victim Location 72633
Total money lost $1
Type of a scam Fake Check/Money Order
Express mail with letter of instructions and a $1,850.00 check for a mystery shopping assignment
Victim Location 45177
Type of a scam Fake Check/Money Order
I received a letter via mail. It came in a USPS – PRIORITY MAIL 3-DAY envelope. It contained a check from the First Madison Bank in GA for the value of $2,250 and instructions to work as a "Secret Shopper" at Walmart. The letter stated that I was to contact the ‘sender’ via email or phone BEFORE depositing the check. The task outlined in the letter instructed me to buy a product up to the value of $100, and conduct an evaluation of my experience. I was then directed to make two Walmart2Walmart money transfers of $900 each. I was given two names. The check I received was enough funds for me to make a $100 purchase, to send two $900 transfers, and included the $50 transfer fee that this amount would require. I was then told that the $300 remaining plus the item purchased would be compensation for completing the task. The letter states that I was to complete an evaluation of each task, and it listed the things I was to address. Of course, the letter stressed that it was ‘time sensitive’ and I was to send photo evidence of receipts along with the evaluations once I completed the tasks.
As tempting as such an offer first appears, I’m not stupid enough to believe that I’d be given a ridiculously large sum of money upfront, let alone paid such exuberant fees for truly a small task – especially as an ‘unproven’ mystery shopper! Plus – all the red flags are there! The letter lacks pertinent contact and identification details. It provides rather vague information regarding the evaluation requirements – and if any of you have ever worked in this field, you’d be aware of the highly detailed evaluation procedures that are required to earn your keep! There was no such directives, no log-in details to ‘shopper’ accounts on the company website – none of the usual activities such projects usually require. Here’s the information I have:
– Sent to me in a USPS PRIORITY MAIL 3-DAY envelope from a BEN DARDS, claiming to be from ‘Intellishop Survey Inc, 94-144 Leoole St, Waipahu, 96797. (Google Map it – it’s a ‘Whirlpool’ warehouse among other things!)
– The letter says that he’s the Task Manager of Intellishop Research Int (note slight variation in company name here).
– The check for $2,250 was supposedly cut at First Madison Bank & Trust in Colbert, GA 30628.
– The check remitter is ANDY RAMOS, yet the check is signed by a DEBRA G AMILY (and sent to me via Hawaii from a BEN DARDS)Visit the ‘real’ Intellishop’s website, and you’ll not find ANY of those names present.
– The contact number given for BEN DARDS is (678)-257-7933. The Email is [email protected]
– The recipients of the $900 via the Walmart money transfers were listed as:
(1) Clifford Johnson, Houston, Texas 77005
(2) Murphy Diamond, Houston, Texas 77005.
– www.intelli-shop.com state that this is NOT them. They DO NOT sent out payment in advance for one – plus there’s a long list of other glaringly obvious things that show that they are not affiliated with this kind of behavior.
-Walmart have stated that they do not employ mystery shoppers, nor are they affiliated with this ‘company’ – they have a lot of information on their site regarding associated scams.
Victim Location 11369
Type of a scam Fake Check/Money Order
The mystery shopping research company will send to the mystery shopper a large envelope via USPS priority mail containing an instruction letter and a large sum check in the amount of $1,880. The mystery shopper is asked to deposit the large check. Once the check clears, mystery shopper is to wire the majority of money back to the research company’s contact name Steve Lamy in Houston, TX 77002, then keep a portion of the cash as compensation payment, and use remainder of the money to shop at store being evaluated.