Mystery Shopping scams, This is the letter they send you!

The mystery shopping scam that is out there right now involves a fake cashiers check. How it works. You are contacted through email, snail mail or some have found an ad in their newspaper and even on Craig's List. You are offered a job as a mystery shopper and sent a cashiers check.

Here is the letter that one of my readers was kind enough to provide me with it is a scam.


We are glad to inform you that your contact details have been recieved by our team and we like to congratulate you as a member of our working team.
Your first assignment has been assigned to you.
Kindly acknowledge the receipt of this e-mail.
Once Again, Congratulations. FIRST ASSIGNMENT:Shopper's Guide wants you to run a survey on two prominent companies in your area. The 1st is a MoneyGram Location.
The 2nd a Food Restaurant and Bar. There have been reports about laps in the services of their management and some of their staffs.The complains are based on reports which the customers forward anonymously. The MoneyGram locations was reported for evaluation with the following reasons:
I. Customers have reported their money missing.
ii. Slow Services.
iii. Unbalanced transfer charges. The Food restaurant/bar which is 2nd company was reported to be rendering:
I. Poor services
ii. Rudeness to customers
iii. Excess charge
iii. Late opening time and Closing before time. Your Secret Evaluation would be: 1. To make a transfer of funds from a MoneyGram location in your area to another mystery shopper.
2. You would have to record the time at which you went to the location and how many minutes it took you to get the service.
3. You would be sent a check of $2,500.
4. You would have to cash the check .
What Would You Do After That? 1.)You would first make a shopping of $200 in the store which will be given to you later.
2.)You will go to moneyGram location which will be given to you later and make $2000 sent to another mystery shopper like you. (The name and address of the another mystery shopper would be given you later.)
3.)You would use $150 for the transfering charges.
4.)You would take $300 for your assignment. Upon receiving the funds, the locations address would be forwarded to you, and also the Name and address of whom the Mystery shoppers transfer would be made to. You would have to keep a comprehensive report on every activity you carry out. On confirmation of this email a restaurant name and address plus a moneyGram location would be emailed to you.
Ensure you send us a reply on getting this message.

Apparently there are hundreds of Americans that have fallen victim to this scam. Only trust companies that you can find information about. How long they have been in business, are they brick and mortar or internet and email them directly to their official email address as it appears on the site.

I would recommend reading up on:

TopSiteReviews.info
SecretShoppingCenter.Info
MyShoppingJobs.com