Editorís note: This is Lindseyís first-person account of a scam in which she was the victim. She writes this hoping she can educate others to be aware of scammers like Victor. Read on.When it seems too good to be true, it probably is. And in the instance of my ìmystery shopperî job, this statement held true. Scams like this one are becoming more common, especially as the scammers become more sophisticated in their techniques. Hereís my story.After researching ways to make extra income, I received a letter from a company called Strata Research Inc. The company claimed to be a market research company hiring mystery shoppers to evaluate the performance of sales associates in several chain retail stores. Enclosed with the letter was a check for $1,290.64 and a breakdown of how that money should be used to purchase certain items, along with paying me for my services.Normally, I wouldnít have given a letter like that a second thought, but just a week earlier my husband and I had been pre-approved for a home loan and needed to come up with enough money for a down payment before our house-hunting adventure could begin. As a family of five, saving money isnít always easy, and this opportunity seemed perfect.I researched the company online to see what they were all about, and everything looked legitimate. I called my ìtraining coordinatorî Victor and grilled him on the specifics of what I would be doing. He seemed knowledgeable so I decided to deposit the check and get started.I deposited the check the next morning and made sure the money was available before I headed out for my first ìassignment:î purchase a GreenDot MoneyPak card from Walmart. This card is a prepaid debit card that I was to purchase, then load with the money from their check to the tune of $995. I was instructed to evaluate how the store advertised the product, as well as how knowledgeable the employee was of the proper way to handle the purchase.After I completed my ìassignment,î I called Victor to give him the information. He asked for the number on the back of the GreenDot card, presumably to verify that I had in fact purchased it. Victor then instructed me to go on my next assignment to purchase $86 worth of anything I wanted from the list of preapproved stores on my letter. The same rules applied: The money was theirs for me to use, but I had to evaluate the storeís customer service. The best part? I got to keep everything I purchased.Purchases made, I called Victor again to see what to do next. He told me I was going to be using the GreenDot card for all my mystery shopping purchases in the future and they would be sending me another assignment in two days. The balance of the money I hadnít yet spent from their check was my compensation.A week later, I realized my bank had pulled $1,290.64 from my other bank account to cover the cost of the check Strata had sent me. Yes, the check was a fake, and I had assumed it was OK when it was actually pending in the account. I filed a police report and a report with the Federal Trade Commission, and it became clear that the scammers were using Strataís legitimate business as a front for their scam. All Victor needed was the GreenDot card numbers, and he was able to access the $995 I had loaded on it.My money was gone, and Victor was $995 richer.Even though I assumed the whole process was safe since I was using their money and not mine, I was wrong. I lost the money and my dignity, but I did get to keep the blender I bought. And it only cost me $1,290.64.
