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Today's criminals are smart and calculating individuals who know how to take advantage of someone with a trusting and compassionate mind. Most criminals also know that their potential victim is probably someone who endorses the belief that becoming the victim of any crime is something that "only happens to other people". Many people do not realize how easily criminals can obtain our personal data without having to break into our homes. In public places, criminals may engage in what is called "shoulder surfing"...watching you from a nearby location as you dial in your telephone calling card number or credit card number ..or listen in on your conversation if you give your credit-card number over the telephone.

In typical neighborhoods across the U.S., some criminals engage in "dumpster diving" which involves going through your garbage cans, dumpsters or trash bins to obtain copies of your checks, credit card or bank statements and atm receipts. These types of activities are in many cases not illegal and are sometimes the same technics that are used by investigators and police to solve more serious crimes. The types of records that criminals are getting this way make it easier for them to get control over accounts in your name and assume your identity.

If you receive applications for "pre-approved" credit cards in the mail, but discard them without tearing or shredding the enclosed materials, make it easy for criminals to retrieve them and try to activate the cards for their use without your knowledge. Some credit card companies, when sending credit cards, have adopted security measures that allow a card recipient to activate the card only from his or her home telephone number but this is not yet a universal practice. Also, if your mail is delivered to a place where others have ready access to it, criminals may simply intercept and redirect your mail to another location.

Common Scams

Consumers should be very cautious about scams involving phony advertisements for employment such as secret shoppers, mystery shoppers, or investigative shoppers. These scams are often advertised on the radio, in a newspaper's classified or "help wanted" section or through unsolicited email. They will also charge a fee up front just for applying. Many times you will be asked to pay this fee up front online or while you are talking to one of their representitives on the phone. When a consumer contacts the company about the position, they are told they can earn money by purchasing items at different stores or dining at different restaurants.

It is advisable that you should be skeptical of any secret shopper, mystery shopper, or investigative shopper companies that state or claim the following:

*** Remember that legitimate Secret Shopper Companies will NEVER advertise in the classifieds section of your local newspaper, on the radio or through unsolicited email.

Other versions of similar scams might work this way: People respond to an ad looking for a mystery shopper or a secret shopper. When they contact the company about the position, they are told they can earn money by purchasing items at different stores or dining at different restaurants. The company then sends an employment packet. The packet includes business evaluation forms, a training assignment and a cashier's check, often ranging between $2,000 and $4,000. The training assignment is to cash the check, pose as a customer, and wire the money to an address in Canada. The scam is that the check is fake. The check bounces after the person wires the money, leaving the person liable for the fake check. People who apply for the secret shopper or mystery shopper jobs are told by the company that they have only 48 hours to complete the assignment or they will lose the job.

Consumers need to know that a legitimate company will never send you a cashier's check out of the blue or require you to send money to someone you have never met. The scam artists use realistic looking documents, the 'secret' nature of the job, and the 48-hour deadline to pressure consumers into cashing the check and wiring the money quickly before the bank or the consumer can determine it was a fake check. By then, it's too late."

Fake cashiers check scams come in many forms. Generally:
1. Do not depend on the funds from a cashier's check from a source you do not know.
2. There is usually no legitimate reason for someone who is giving you money to ask for money to be wired back or wired to a third party. Don't do it.
3. Do not rely on the fact that the check was accepted for deposit by their financial institution as evidence of the check's authenticity. It can take up to a week or much longer for a financial institution to determine whether a check is good, especially if the check is from an institution located outside the United States.
4. Consumers are responsible for the deposited fake check, even if it was a cashier's check. When the check bounces, the bank deducts from the consumer's account the amount that was credited with the fake check--often with charges added. The bank will not take the loss.

There are legitimate mystery shopper jobs but they are difficult to find. The will not advertise on the radio, in the newspaper or through email.

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