HARRISBURG, Penn. - Criminals have put a new twist on an old scam by bilking people who sign up to be “secret shoppers” at financial institutions.
Long a means of testing retail service levels, legitimate secret shoppers stop into credit unions and banks every day. But the Pennsylvania Attorney’s General’s office is reporting that hundreds of people in that state have been victimized after signing up for what was pitched as a part-time job paying up to $500 a week.
The state said advertisements and letters appear to be from legitimate companies using names such as “Express Shoppers” and “Mystery Shopper” and in some cases even use the names of real companies. The victims are sent checks and told to cash them and then wire money using Western Union or a check-cashing outlet at a Wal-Mart as part of the training for the position. When the checks bounce, the victims are liable for the losses.
The scam has also been reported in other states and have involved checks drawn on at least one credit union, Countryside FCU in Syracuse, N.Y. In February, Canadian authorities arrested two men allegedly part of the scam.
