This has to be a scam, right?

[War Wagon]

Today I get this letter in the mail from some outfit that claims to be a market research company who want me to be a 'secret shopper' and rate businesses. My first assignment is to evaluate Western Union or Money Gram wire transfer service.

They sent what appears to be a legit check drawn on CitiBank for $3,655.00 and all I have to do to deposit these funds in my bank account is call some number to 'activate' the check.

The letter then instructs that after 2 business days (once the check 'clears') I am to proceed to a Western Union or Money Gram office and wire transfer $3,055.00 to a certain 3rd party in Lakewood, CA. After the transfer fee of approx. $200, the remainder, about $400, is mine to keep as 'pay' for evaluating this service.

Yeah, they sent me a form to fill out and fax back about the cleanliness of the store, how friendly were the employees, etc.

What could possibly go wrong?

[R-Jack]

Yeah. Go ahead and go for it.

[Mikey]

Any type of deal that involves money transferring around, especially if it involves you taking money from your account and transferring it to somebody, without actually buying anything, sounds extremely fishy.

Did you try googling the name of the supposed market research company? Unless you're the first potential participant victim there's bound to be something posted somewhere about it, whether it's legitimate or not.

[Mikey]

Well it's not from Nigeria, right? And they don't want you to fill out any of those messy IRS forms.

Lakewood? Isn't that near Mikey-ville?

It's near Long Beach. At least it's not in the San Fernandino Valley.

[War Wagon]

Did you try googling the name of the supposed market research company?

Yes, I did.

They are calling themselves Quantum Market Research, headquartered in Oakland, CA., and that appears to be a legit company. The letterhead from the scammer, however, says they're in Staten Island, NY.

On the legit companies website is a red scam alert button which when clicked on displays this message:

Please be aware that international companies are pretending to be legitmate research companies, operating under a variety of names, and they will ask you to cash a check in your bank account and then wire transfer all but $200 or so to another party via Western Union or Moneygram. DO NOT BE TAKEN IN BY THESE SCAM ARTISTS!

Our company has never and will never ask anyone to attempt such a task. We are a fully licensed and reputable market research organization. If you believe you have been contacted by someone purporting to represent us, please contact us immediately.

My first tip that this was junkmail was the Canada postmark. But it was very professionally done, I'll have to give them that. The check looks real, down to the embedded watermarks, and the spiel given, despite a few typos, is almost believable. Except that any damn fool knows there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

Just wondering what I should do at this point. Maybe play along and call the number to get the check "activated" and go so far as to take the check to the bank and see if the bank manager laughs me right out the door... or not.

I mean, if the check were real, what would keep someone from pocketing the whole sum and never wiring one dime of it?

Or maybe call the FBI and let them play this game out

[mvscal]

No, it's totally legit, Wags. I do it all the time. Nice way to make a few extra bucks. Go for it.

[Mace]

I supervised a few folks on probation who fell for the scam, Wags, after the bank filed charges on them.

[War Wagon]

The bank filed charges on the scammee?

For what, being stupid?

[Cueball]

That's a lot of beast lite

[mvscal]

Don't listen to them, Wags. It's not a scam at all.

[War Wagon]

Don't listen to them, Wags. It's not a scam at all.

Well ok, if you say so...

Hey, I know... PM me your address and I'll wire transfer the funds to You, then we can be all cool and stuff.

[poptart]

You could really use $400, right, Wagon?

So what are you dickin' around for?

Don't listen to all the negative know-it-alls in here.

DO the deposit and transfer.

Most likely it'll be an easy $400 for you.

Worst case - you get baked.

Well, in that case it's obvious fraud and all you've got to do is hire a lawyer to go after them - and next thing you know you're prolly floatin' in a HELLUVA lot more than $400.


Shit, I wish I had received that letter.

[mvscal]

Don't listen to them, Wags. It's not a scam at all.

Well ok, if you say so...

Hey, I know... PM me your address and I'll wire transfer the funds to You, then we can be all cool and stuff.

What's with the negativity? C'mon. Would I lie to you?

[War Wagon]

Shit, I wish I had received that letter.

Sure, but no one is doing market research in Korea, now are they?

Don't be jealous.

[Y2K]

You never know...it could be 100% legit and some other lucky participants are already cashing in...Hope some cash is still left in the kitty for ya Wags.

[Mace]

The bank filed charges on the scammee?

For what, being stupid?

Bottom line, yep, for being stupid enough to deposit a bogus check and then spending the money. After seeing a couple of people who fell for this and getting themselves prosecuted, I convinced our local prosecutor to defer prosecution and allow me to collect restitution from the guy to pay the bank and then drop the criminal charges.

[smackaholic]

The bank filed charges on the scammee?

For what, being stupid?

Bottom line, yep, for being stupid enough to deposit a bogus check and then spending the money. After seeing a couple of people who fell for this and getting themselves prosecuted, I convinced our local prosecutor to defer prosecution and allow me to collect restitution from the guy to pay the bank and then drop the criminal charges.

I'm no bank expert by any stretch, but, if I recall, banks don't let you spend money you deposit until IT clears. Is this not still the case? I know for a fact that when I deposit a check at my ATM, the receipt lists my balance (with deposited check) as well as available balance (balance w/o deposited check, until it clears.

[War Wagon]

for being stupid enough to deposit a bogus check and then spending the money.

My bank would place a hold on the check until such time as it cleared and if it were bogus, there wouldn't be any money to spend. I figured that would be typical SOP for most any bank, but perhaps not.

[Mace]

for being stupid enough to deposit a bogus check and then spending the money.

My bank would place a hold on the check until such time as it cleared and if it were bogus, there wouldn't be any money to spend. I figured that would be typical SOP for most any bank, but perhaps not.

But that doesn't prevent you from writing checks because you think you've made a legit deposit.

[War Wagon]

But that doesn't prevent you from writing checks because you think you've made a legit deposit.

Those checks would bounce and aside from overdraft fees, the theoretical sucker wouldn't be liable to the bank for those ISF checks, rather whoever he wrote the rubber piece of worthless paper to.

So I still don't see where the bank has any business filing charges.

Unless the bank were just as gullible and actually paid those checks, even though the deposit hadn't cleared. That seems unlikely, though.

[Mace]

But that doesn't prevent you from writing checks because you think you've made a legit deposit.

Those checks would bounce and aside from overdraft fees, the theoretical sucker wouldn't be liable to the bank for those ISF checks, rather whoever he wrote the rubber piece of worthless paper to.

So I still don't see where the bank has any business filing charges.

Unless the bank were just as gullible and actually paid those checks, even though the deposit hadn't cleared. That seems unlikely, though.

I've never worked at a bank and don't know their procedures but I do know that I've seen several folks prosecuted who fell for the scam.

[Bizzarofelice]

WW,

you should wire some money to Mexico. address it to: "my job".

[War Wagon]

ok, this is getting more interesting.

I sent an e-mail to Quantum Market Research advising them somebody was using their name in what appears to be a scam. They responded to me today, saying they already knew about this happening and that they have advised police and the Better Business Bureau of it. They included a link to the BBB website showing their report and instructions on what to do.

On January 6, 2011 Quantum Market Research, Inc. advised BBB that their name was being used to send consumers fraudulent checks. The checks are being sent with a letter asking consumers to be Mystery Shoppers.

Consumers are instructed to cash the checks, and to keep a percentage of the money for themselves and wire the rest via Western Union. :?

The letter instructs consumers to send money back to an address located in Modesto, CA and the letterhead shows an address in Staten Island, NY. These addresses are not locations for Quantum Market Research, Inc. The Modesto address appears to be a residential address and the Staten Island, NY address could not be found. The numbers located within the paperwork appear to be located in Toronto, Canada, New York and Ontario, Canada.

BBB suggest using caution when wiring money as there are no safeguards in place.

Individuals who receive a fraudulent check or have information about the scam should contact their local law enforcement office. BBB also suggests filing a complaint with United States Postal Inspector at http://www.postalinspectors.uspis.gov or the Federal Trade Commission at http://www.ftc.gov.

:? :? :?

[War Wagon]

It's not a cashiers check, it's an "official" check.

The BBB message is worded poorly, I believe. I think that wording was meant to indicate what the fraudulent letter stated to do, not what the BBB suggests.

At least I hope so, or I've found another institution not to trust.

[Rooster]

!
Modesto, CA!?! That's where I live! Errrr, I mean, uhh, yeah, the check is legit, Wags. Trust me. It's all about making you some

[Goober McTuber]

let you spend money you deposit until IT clears. Is this not still the case? I know for a fact that when I deposit a check at my ATM, the receipt lists my balance (with deposited check) as well as available balance (balance w/o deposited check, until it clears.

What exactly are you an expert in?

Are you serious? It’s suckaholic. He’s an expert at....sucking.