Mystery Shoppers - Missing Money!
Chris Gunn
NFIC (August 28, 1996) -- Many people are combing the want-ads looking for
jobs. You may be one of them. Even if you aren't, an opportunity to make
money working at home or in your neighborhood probably sounds great.
The National Fraud Information Center (NFIC) has been receiving numerous
complaints from consumers who answered ads for "Mystery Shoppers." These
ads claim that consumers can get paid for shopping in their neighborhood
stores. To find out more, consumers are asked to call an 800 number.
After giving some information, that number instructs them to call an 809
number for final confirmation of employment. What they don't realize is
that the 809 number is an international number in the Caribbean. Crooks
use these numbers as a form of pay-per-call which can't be blocked. Anyone
who calls an 809 number is being charged for the entire call.
In the end, consumers that answer the advertising have large, unexpected
phone bills and no jobs. In other ads, consumers are asked to send money
to get more information by mail. Either they don't receive information or
the information has nothing to do with "mystery shopping" or working at
home. Such ads are just one type of work-at-home scams.
Log on the WebSite at http://www.fraud.org, or call 1-800-876-7060.
If you spot obviously illegal operations on the E-Ways, please
forward copies of the messages to NFIC at frau...@psinet.com.
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