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Mystery shopper scams revealed

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Duck

Posted: Apr 27 2012, 03:56 PM

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Joined: 11-June 09

Didn't know where to put this but since some women treat shopping as a religious experience (shoes and bags) I figured that was the place for it

QUOTE

There are legitimate "mystery shopping" programs and there are those that are not legitimate, which we will talk about today.

Let's say that after you responded to an ad, whether it was on the Internet, TV, radio or in the newspaper, you receive a letter saying, "Congratulations. You have been hired to participate in a Mystery Shopper Program." You are told your salary will be $500 per week after you complete two assignments, and you receive a check from your employer for $2,680.

Your first assignment is to evaluate a Western Union location. You rate that location's customer service by pretending to be a customer. You fill out the green money transfer form for $1,960 plus fees of $120. The money you are wiring comes from the $2,680 check received from your employer.

You most likely will be wiring the money outside the United States to places such as London, Paris or Jamaica, for example. Now you have $600.

Your second assignment is to visit named retail stores such as Wal-Mart, Costco, Best Buy, etc., and use $100 to buy products (that you get to keep) while you are evaluating customer service. The remaining $500 is your salary.

All you are required to do is shop with money provided and file your customer survey report with your employer. Failure to complete the assignments will lead to employment termination.

It all sounds great until you learn the $2,680 check that you deposited bounced, which is when you realize this is a fraud and you have to make good on the check plus any incurred fees because of the NSF check.

There are several red flags that should alert you to the fact this isn't as presented but think about one for sure: Why would a legitimate company pay you in advance for work that hasn't been done? (Remember, the check included a salary of $500.)

We are aware that at least one of the mystery shopping firms displays a BBB member logo in its advertising information, but is not a BBB member. In addition, it uses an outdated BBB member logo.

Your BBB would urge extreme caution when becoming involved with this type of activity. Any checks received would likely be fraudulent and contain no funds. Any money you wire-transfer to the "company" would be lost for any recuperation.

Local couple's life threatened

Area resident Mrs. Miller, as we'll call her, recently received a phone call at home from a man with an accent. She confirmed she was Mrs. Miller, and she was told he had a package for her. She replied she had not ordered anything, that the household was on the "do not call" list, and then she hung up.

The man immediately called back with the same message as before, and Mrs. Miller's message was also the same. His immediate third call was answered by Mr. Miller, who repeated the same as before and told the caller to quit calling.

The caller became quite irritated, began using profanity and said, "I'm going to come over there and kill you. Look out your window; I know where you live." He then named the street of their home.

The scams being perpetrated by these con artists are terrible. It is sad that scammers violate the privacy of people with unsolicited calls, and it is deplorable when the calls become life-threatening. Obviously, this man was very upset because he failed in his mission to scam these people out of money or to steal personal information for identity-theft purposes.

Your BBB receives many reports of this nature. The majority of these calls are from outside the United States; in this case it was Jamaica.

If we refuse to have conversations with these scammers, they will continue to fail. No victims -- no scams. Fortunately, the Millers refused to become victims.

Dreama Jensen is area director of the Better Business Bureau of Northern Indiana. Contact the BBB at 574-675-9351 or visit www.bbb.org.

sherry	Posted: Apr 27 2012, 04:55 PM
sherry Group: Admin Posts: 30,692 Member No.: 25 Joined: 2-June 08	I thought with the first one what employer will give you the money before the job, as later stated. Crazy! The other where the couple were threatened I can see how easily that would happen. I have had several cold calls today and during the past week. One today I wasn't at all happy with. I think I upset her but I doubt she'll call again. If she's any conscience she'll think twice about how she says things - which is what I told her. There's no way of stopping cold calls, though I did find out from a caller a company called Pfruit Ltd say I have filled in a customer survey and that's where they got my name and number from

Duck

Posted: Apr 27 2012, 05:09 PM

Advanced Member

Group: Members
Posts: 4,075
Member No.: 84
Joined: 11-June 09

Call screening is the best defence

My number is X directory and I'm on the BT leave me the hell alone sales callers list but I still get several 'unavailable' calls which are sales related

QUOTE

Ten ways to deal with cold callers,
and have a bit of fun at the same time....

Disclaimer: I accept no responsibility for lost time, calls, money or abuse suffered if you decide to use any of these techniques. Some of these methods may result in you participating in a lengthy phone conversation, depending upon how persistent the cold caller is. At the end of the day though, you are free to put the phone down whenever you feel like it - or just go straight to option 10.

1. On answering the phone tell the caller that you're not the best person to talk to and ask them to hold while you go and find someone. Put the phone down and continue with whatever you were doing. After a few minutes they will no doubt give up, as it's costing them phone time.

2. If it's to do with house improvements, such as double-glazing, sound very interested and let them waste loads of time telling you all about the features. Sound as if you want the 'deluxe' version of anything they're offering - then, right at the end when they discuss payment, casually say that "Oh, you'll need to talk to the council about that, because this is rented accomondation."

3. Tell them you're doing a survey on 'cold calling' and would they mind if you conduct an interview with them. Say it will only involve approximately 30 minutes of their time and they don't have to answer any of the personal questions if they don't want to. If they persist and agree to your interview, start off by asking them if they ever suffer personal abuse and/or people slamming the phone down on them. Ask what was the worst thing anyone ever said before slamming the phone down. If they get so far as to give you an answer, repeat it back to them and slam the phone down!

4. Wait for them to say what they are calling about, then reply in a monotone voice, "I am a model T-100 voice activated digital assistant robot. How may I assist you?"
Then, whatever they reply with next, say "I am sorry. That statement does not evaluate. Please re-state your aim and intention."
Repeat until they get fed up and hang up.

5. Sound interested to their initial introduction, then half way through their second sentence exclaim, "Aggghhhh. Nooooo. The bright lights, the little beings are returning. Noooooo. They're coming back for me. Aggggghhhhhh"
Then hang up.

6. Wait for them to say what they are calling about, then say in a concerned voice, "Hello!". Then, whatever they say, start butting in saying, "Hello. Is this phone working?", "Hello. I can't hear you!", "I don't think this phone is working" or any other 'broken phone' type messages, before saying something like "Weird huh!" and hanging up.

7. Be as awkward and obtuse as possible. Sound interested in their suggestions, but return every question with another question, which is as 'impossible' as you can imagine. Thus, if they ask if you want double-glazing reply with, "Ah yes. I've been meaning to install that. The only slight problem is that I have circular windows approx 8' in diameter. Can you quote for that?"
If they ask if you want their energy (gas/electricity etc), reply with something like "I have a thermal gas injection ioniser here - Model 134hY-5fn4-b and would like to know if you can interface with its primary energy converter.
To use this line of response, requires some flexibility in you being able to think up obscure questions to ask back in response to every question they put forward. Eventually, they'll give up, as time is lost sales to them.

8. Apologise for sounding a bit upset but explain that your dog/mother/auntie/friend/pet goldfish etc has just been killed in a car accident/grain silo/hit and run/terrorist attack etc and you've only just returned from the morgue after having to identify the body/remains, and that now is a really bad time to call you. If they persist (unlikely) pretend to burst into tears before shouting, "You complete ba**ard!" down the phone and hanging up.

9. Explain, in a very matter of fact voice, that you have complained to the authorities about suffering from harrassment from cold callers and you are now preparing a log of all unsolicited calls to your telephone number. Ask them for the registered name of the company they are calling from, their name, telephone number and whether or not this is the first time they've called this number.
If that doesn't scare them off, ask them what the best time to arrange for a legal representative to call at their premises and interview their section leader is.

10. Get BT to enable 'Anonymous call barring' and 'Caller ID' on your line, invest in a caller ID unit and don't answer the phone to anyone you don't know.

sherry	Posted: Apr 27 2012, 05:44 PM
sherry Group: Admin Posts: 30,692 Member No.: 25 Joined: 2-June 08	Some good replies on there, Duck! I've been on TPS for several years and made several complaints but they still keep coming. I've not heard of the BT one. I thought about going ex directory but it sems a lot of people who have done that are still getting calls.

lifesmate	Posted: Apr 28 2012, 08:46 AM
Administrator Group: Admin Posts: 31,140 Member No.: 3 Joined: 3-March 08	I am ex directory and still get calls. I tell the caller I am on the tps and am reporting them if they ring again..they dont.

sherry	Posted: Apr 28 2012, 11:09 AM
sherry Group: Admin Posts: 30,692 Member No.: 25 Joined: 2-June 08	I have asked people who call to take me off their list and they say they will but I get calls from all over the place

Les	Posted: Apr 29 2012, 07:54 AM
I use a computer, therefore I am. Group: Admin Posts: 19,066 Member No.: 70 Joined: 8-March 09	Try this one. It's not very PC, but so funny. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7OgWcwgB50 or this one. Same PC warning as above. http://www.noob.us/humor/tom-mabe-pranks-a...y-telemarketer/

sherry	Posted: Apr 30 2012, 09:45 AM
sherry Group: Admin Posts: 30,692 Member No.: 25 Joined: 2-June 08	Hilarious - really funny

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