Secret Shoppers Inc still going strong!
Photo by: Sebastian Fritzon
Sometime back I had written about a scam called Master Research Inc., a company that swindled money from people by promising them employment. Those who fell for the scam were given to understand that they would be working as secret shoppers testing the payment mechanisms of large shopping malls.
They had gone underground, it was believed, when the going got too hot. Now, it seems, they have resurfaced after a name-change as Secret Shoppers Inc.
Sign that the scam was alive and kicking were received last week. Nancy Timmerman, after responding to an employment ad in the local paper, received a job offer from a company calling itself Secret Shoppers Inc.
Part of the job, she was told was to check the effectiveness and efficiency of Wal-Mart’s money gram facility. For this, the company sent her a check for nearly $2,700 drawn on Pioneer Federal Credit Union, Nampa Branch.
She was told to cash the check and then send part of the money using Wal-Mart money grams back to the company.
Nancy confessed, for a moment she was almost taken in by the scam. She was out of work and desperately looking for a job. Under such circumstances, the company and its job offer looked so legitimate. Then, she had heard about such scams operating in the internet world. It took time for her to realize such scams can and were being run in the ‘real’ (read offline) world too.
She took the check to the Nampa Branch of the bank. They told her the check was a fraud. In fact, over a week they had collected three more such checks, two of them very similar to what Nancy had on hand.
Nancy wished others will be alerted by the incident:
“I just want people to know about this because I don’t want some else to be suckered by it that’s as desperate for work as I am,”
she said.
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I thought something was fishy! I did work legitimately years ago as a gualified secret shopper but I did not make nowhere near a $150.00 an hour! The light went off in my head on this secret research inc! So glad I researched the web before falling into the trap! That saying is so true…if it is too good to be true it probably is! I know everyday people are hurting for money but they really gotta step back and say wait a minute! thanks for your important website! sharon from Cape Cod!
June 12th, 2008 at 1:10 pm@ Sharon…
This is what makes our efforts worthwhile!
Thank You for dropping by and taking time out to comment!
Best Wishes!
June 12th, 2008 at 1:14 pmI just got my check from these guys. And I thought this all seem real fishy as they send a check and a so called evaluation form and want me to do the Money Gram thing and I get paid $300.00 to do this. I’m thinking to myself yeah I put this into my checking account it comes back a fake and these guys are getting $2700.00 of my money. Not……….I’m heading straight to the police department. I came out on line just to see if this was a legit company and your information proved my suspisions. Thanks so much.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:28 am@ Jen:
Glad to have been of help!
Thank You Jen for dropping by and taking the time out to leave a comment!
Best Wishes!
June 19th, 2008 at 12:36 pmWell, i just recieved a check in the mail for 2,990.00. The name of this company is called “secret research inc”.
Well, after reading your story, I know that this is deffinately a fraud.
Thanks a bunch
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:47 pmI cashed it, what do i do now? am i reliable and what can happen to me please respond asap
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:14 pm@ Jesse…
1. Pls contact your bank, inform them of the scam and take steps to withdraw your check. They should be sympathetic towards you as they must be aware of the scam.
2. Did you give away any bank account or credit card details. If so, pls contact all 3 credit agencies and get credit account frozen.
3. Report matter to the police.
Best Wishes!
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:47 pmMy little sister called me this afternoon becasue she knows I have dealth with alot of these online and “snail mail” type offers.
At one time I took it so far as to give the scammer my name and address and (I’m sure mistakenly) recieved over $400,000 in fraudulent American Express traveler’s checks. (I sent the checks and the scammers info to American Express)
As soon as she read the intro letter to me I knew it was a scam so I had her call the 800 number on three way. The woman “Christine Nielsen” gave her spiel and I asked her point blank what would happen if the chek wound up being discovered as fraudulent. She commneded me on being cautious and urged me to chekc out the company website. (I was laready logged in to this site so i was loaded for bear.
We waited about 10 minutes and called “Christine” back and told her we had done a little more searching and found out some details aof their shenanigans. she assured me the info was false and out me on hold. She never came back.
They are now issuing checks from Arizon Federal in Phoenix.
I love playing this game. It’s such a nice break in the day.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:13 pmI just received similiar thing from secret research inc today, along with a 2890.00 check to “test” walmarts money gram also. Only this check is drawn off of Heritage community bank in south carolina. (I am sure its no good also.). Interesting thing thouch is the money was to be wired to a woman in Canada and the postmark was a canadian postmark, not the south carolina where the company is supposed to be located.
July 21st, 2008 at 12:33 pmWell, this is the third time this canada based “Boiler Room” has sent me a check with no return address. These checks are bogus! there needs to be a way to get these people brought to justice! I can only threaten these people so much…
July 21st, 2008 at 5:12 pmMy wife responded to an ad in the local paper for a customer service rep. The ad ask her to call a long distance number. Not being sure about the conversation, she asked for more information about the job. She received a check for $2890 and letter. Being the smart lady she is, she recognized a scam and did nothing with the check. Is there something we can do to help stop this garbage?
July 29th, 2008 at 7:17 pmI searched the Internet for the name of the Bank in South Carolina they were using and notified them of the scam using their name.
Received a check from Secret Research Inc. to get paid training of $200 out of a check for $2890. It is for position: Customer Service Evaluator. And send a moneygram to the person named, in Canada for $2550.
July 30th, 2008 at 2:52 pmThe phone no., stamp and postmark are from Canada. Bank was in South Carolina.
Luckily it looked and sounded fishy, it is now in the wastebasket. Thank heavens I realized it before depositing it.
I just received a check in the exact same amount drawn on the exact same bank ($2890.00 drawn on Heritage Community Bank). Thanks to your wonderful website I will be making a trip to the police station first thing tomorrow.
Thanks again!
July 30th, 2008 at 9:59 pmmary
Omg, i got a check for $2890.00, and i knew it was to good to be true, but i went to a check place to cash it because i knew they would check it out and see if it was real. And of course it wasn’t they said it was counterfit, and actually called the cops on me and i explained to them what had happened and they decided not to take me to jail..But they did take me down to the station for questioning. Scared me to death…So i got on the internet and found this site, and hopefully no one will try to do what i did…Thanks Brooke
August 4th, 2008 at 5:14 pmI got one of these letters today, with the $2890.00 check, say u are able to get the check cashed, why would anyone send a check for that amount of money and trust that your going to send all of it back but $200.00,
August 6th, 2008 at 7:50 pm@ Sam…
Precisely!
Best wishes!
August 6th, 2008 at 11:11 pm@ Veronika, Mary, Nicole, Wayne, Carol, Mary (burrell58aol.com) Brooke, and Sam…
Thank You for dropping by and taking the time out to leave a comment!
Best Wishes!
August 6th, 2008 at 11:16 pmi also rec’d achech for
August 6th, 2008 at 11:51 pm2890. from Canada, but the bank is south carolina. I am soooo
glad I found this website before doing anything with the check.
thanks again!!
I am supposed to receive a check for $2900. I will take it to the police station as soon as I get it. We must put a stop to these people!! Crooks, they are and should be caught… Let us all work together to STOP them… Take all checks to police and if possible notify the banks.
August 7th, 2008 at 1:39 pmI just recieved a letter and a check for $2,890. I am supposed to send a monygram for 2,585 and keep 200.00 for myself. I brought it straight to the police..The name of the bank was Regional …I just wanted people to beware..
August 12th, 2008 at 1:34 pm