Chain Letter Scam - December 3, 2009
Scam Alert - December 3, 2007
Solicitation for Information - August 25, 2008
Solicitation for Information - Update - September 9, 2008
Craig’s List Postings - October 6, 2008
Chain Letter Scam
December 3, 2009
Craig's List Postings
Recent mystery shopping postings using a name very similar to ours “The National Shopping Service Network, LLC” are reportedly surfacing on the popular Craig’s List website. The difference is that they have added the word “The” in front of our name. A Jeb Hagner, who claims to be our hiring manager, and who later provides our website address in his follow up emails, signs the ads/postings. Mr. Hagner does NOT work for our company (National Shopping Service Network, LLC) and his ad/posting is a precursor to involve you in the fraudulent check scams that have been running.
We advise that you Do NOT answer his postings!
Here is how the scam works…
1. The following ad/posting or one very similar to this is placed on the Craig’s List website. They may be for any geographic location.
Reply to: j_jeb77098@inbox.com
Date: 2008-10-02, 2:21PM CDT
Mystery Shoppers/Evaluators Needed
We are a company that conduct surveys and evaluate other companies. We get hired to go to other peoples companies and act like customers in order to know how the staffs are handling their services in relation to their customers. once we have a contract to do, so you would be directed to the company or outlet, and you would be given the funds you need to do the job(either purchase things or require services), after which you would write a comment on the staffs activities and give a detailed record of your experience,with good salary.
Hiring Manager
The National Shopping Service Network, LLC
Jeb Hagner
- Location: new orleans
- Compensation: $400 weekly
- This is a part-time job.
- OK for recruiters to contact this job poster.
- Please, no phone calls about this job!
- Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
PostingID: 863891544
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2. When a person replies to this ad/posting, Mr. Hagner sends them an “Application” such as below.
--- On Fri, 10/3/08, Jeb Hagner wrote:
From: Jeb Hagner
Subject: Application Form
To:
Date: Friday, October 3, 2008, 6:05 PM
The National Shopping Service Network, LLC
Denver, Colorado
http://www.mysteryshopper.n
Hello
We are a company that conduct surveys and evaluate other companies. We get hired to go to other peoples companies and act like customers in order to know how the staffs are handling their services in relation to their customers. once we have a contract to do, so you would be directed to the company or outlet, and you would be given the funds you need to do the job(either purchase things or require services), after which you would write a comment on the staffs activities and give a detailed record of your experience.
examples of details you would forward to us are
1) How long it took you to get services.
2) Smartness of the attendant
3)Customer service professionalism
4)Sometimes you might be required to upset the attendant, to see how they react to clients when they get tensed (under pressure).
And we turn the information over to the company executives and they would carry out their own duties in improving there services.
Most companies employ our assistance when people give complaints about their services, or when they feel there are needs for them to improve their customer service. Your Identity would be kept confidential as the job states (secret shopper) you would be paid $100 for every survey you carry out, and bonus on your transportation allowance, and funds would be given to you if you have to dine as part of the duty.
Your job will be to evaluate and comment on customer service in a wide variety of shops, stores, restaurant and services in your area.
No commitment is made on this job, and you would have flexible hours as it suits you. If you are interested , you have to fill the list below so we can look at your distance from the locations which you have to put your service into, and your address would also be needed for your payments.
First Name :
Middle Name :
Last Name :
Tel Phone :
Cell Phone :
Address :
City :
State :
Country :
Zip Code :
Present Age :
Current Occupation :
Gender :
Thanks
Hiring Manager
Jeb Hagner
The National Shopping Service Network, LLC
Denver, Colorado
http://www.mysteryshopper.net
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3. If you respond to this “Application”, you will be providing him with your personal information to target you for a check fraud scam. Please read (Scam Alert - December 3, 2007) for more information on the check scams.
Please note that our company, National Shopping Service Network, LLC will NEVER ask you for your personal information in an email! Beware of email addresses from yahoo, hotmail, Gmail or other free sources. Most legitimate mystery shopping companies have email addresses using their company name or URL in some manner.
We have contacted Craig’s List directly and hope they will be cooperative with our efforts and remove the postings from their website as well as prevent future postings.
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Solicitation for Information - Update
Several people who responded to the Solicitation for Information on August 25, 2008 have been kind enough to update us on how this scam is working. We have reason to believe that the original email may have contained malicious software such as a Virus, Trojan Horse, or Keystroke Logger. Please be aware that if you opened the original email soliciting information, or responded to the information, you may want to run a spyware program, or virus scan on your computer if possible. Below is what has been reported to us to date…
After replying to the solicitation, a check is sent UPS next day air for roughly $3980.00 and thus far has been written on Wachovia Bank, New York, NY. The company name on top of the check was NASDAQ Stock Markey LLC, 9600 Blackwell Road, Rockville, MD 20850. There were no phone numbers on the check. The scammers then make multiple, telephone calls and sent multiple emails in an attempt to contact the check recipients. The calls and emails are an attempt to get the recipient to deposit the check and we have reason to believe that the emails may contain Keystroke Logging software, which can allow scammers to decode usernames and passwords to different accounts. We have had one report of someone having their Yahoo account broken into and the scammers sent an email to the person from within that person's own account.
Below is a copy of an email with specific instructions for a recipient. Note the poor grammar and spelling in the letter and that the addresses seem to in the United Arab Emirates.
Also show below are copies of other emails sent after this initial contact.
Hello ,
How are you today , i hope everything is going on fine with you ? i am very happy to inform you that your assignment as a mystery shopper starts today, and i will be expecting to read from you today and also would like you to read the instruction carefully and follow the instructions below.
as i have earlier siad to you in my previous email , payment would be sent weekly , Also the company is in charge of providing you with all expense money for the shopping and other expenses involved in the assignment . All you need would be provided to you with details every week you have an assignment.
Before any assignment we would provide you with the resources needed {cash}Mostly our company send check which you can cash and use for the assignment. Included to the check would be your assignment packet . Then we would be providing you details on here. But you follow every single information given to you as a secret shopper .
according to my previous email this has to be done before you can visit a company or store ,because all you will be doing is to shop and find out sales and stock , cost sales and more details as provided by the company then report back to the company with report . But anything you buy at the shop belongs to you . All we want is an effective/quick job and reports.
You will be recieving your first payment to exectue the assigment this Morning , kindly read and and follow instructions below,
the funds will be coming to you via
You are to have the funds cashed asap.
After funds have been released to you, deduct your 10% which is $349 for the shopping expenses,and also the transfer charges, you will be getting this every week,Please proceed to the closest Western Union agent to have funds sent to our receiving agents to enable them close the lease agreement on the new & bigger warehouse,...and also for the clearing of our goods which have just arrived the port in middle east to our market which is equally large to avoid deamorrage and further delays.
So you would send funds in this order to our clearing officers/receiving agents at the sea port for the clearing of our goods.
Please note you would be have to send funds splitted into 2 equal parts in this order via WESTERN UNION:
Funds should be sent to this names below .
First half to.
Stephanie Stohon
112 al rigga rddeira,
dubai
UAE
00971
Second Half to .
MARIAM HOWARDS
112 al rigga rddeira,
dubai
UAE
00971
I would need you to send the details of the transfer the moment you send funds:
Transfer details: (10 digit MTCN number, Sender's details, Amount sent etc).
Do send me an "OK" message to acknowledge receipt of this mail.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THIS URGENT INSTRUCTION and have it carried out immediately,
so you can go to a store by tommorrow, and shop and carry out your assignment.
vTill i read from you soonest.
Regards.
David Banks.
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SOLICITATION FOR INFORMATION
August 25, 2008
On August 25, 2008, we were made aware that the following email was sent to an unknown number of recipients across the internet. Although we have been unable to identify a common link or registration between the recipients, those which have contacted us were not registered in our mystery shopping database. Meaning, names of recipients have come from an outside source and not our database. The email appears to have come from our company's domain name from a [davidbanks@mysteryshopper.net], but a trace of the email shows it really goes back to
[davidbankstradewithus@googlemail.com]. Our company, National Shopping Service Network, LLC does NOT have a person of this name working for us, we are in no way associated with any trading companies, and our domain name is being used on the email without our permission.
We currently believe the email is an attempt for scammers to obtain information from unsuspecting individuals to later follow up with a check scam via regular postal mail. Please be advised that legitimate mystery shopping companies you may have registered with will not solicit this information as it is already in their records.
If you have not replied to this email, we recommend that you disregard the email. If you replied to this email, we recommend that you be very aware of potential scams you may receive in the mail from unknown sources and we recommend that you read the information on the check scam from the previous page. Please feel free to report any suspicious activity you may receive as follow up if you did respond to the email. We are attempting to keep our website up-to-date in order to warn people of such fraudulent activity.
Please remember, legitimate mystery shopping companies NEVER send checks in the mail for a large sum of money and request that you wire money! http://www.mysteryshopper.net/scam.asp. Mystery shopping companies typically pay you only after completion of jobs you knowingly accepted and willing completed and turned in to the mystery shopping company.
If you have questions, please contact customerservice@mysteryshopper.net directly.
Example of Email Being Sent
-----Original Message-----
From: DAVID BANKS [mailto:davidbanks@mysteryshopper.net] [davidbankstradewithus@googlemail.com]
Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2008 9:45 AM
To: DAVID BANKS
Subject: REQUEST TO BE OUR REPRESENTATIVE !!!
--
Dear Representative,
You have been selected for an assignment as a Mystery Shopper. You will
earn 10% by been a mystery shopper. Your employment packet include
business evaluation form, a training assignment which will be send to you
after you received payment for the assignment. Paycheck would be sent to
you for the assignment by Check or money order. The paycheck would be in a
certain amount, you are to deduct your salary,and the rest would be used
for the evaluation at the store that would be sent to you.
Your Employment packet are as follows :
1. Business evaluation form: This is the form you are required to fill
after you visit any shopping mall in your area, you would be given the
store name
and address. You are required to evaluate its customer service and quality
control after their services are rendered to you. You would required to
fill a
form to rate the employee(s), the form would be given to you after the
evaluation:
2. Training Assignment: You are hired to evaluate the quality of services
of the store or mall that would be given to you . You are needed to rate
the
employees. Please note, this is a part-time activity.
Email me the below details:
FULL NAME:
FULL ADDRESS (NO P.O BOX):
COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE:
PHONE NUMBER:
I will be looking forward to receive the above details.
Sincerely,
David Banks.
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SCAM ALERT
December 3, 2007
Please read all of this information carefully.
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If you have received a letter in the mail along with a Cashier's check in the amount of approximately $4950.00, DO NOT DEPOSIT THE CHECK! This is a scam.
Our investigation is still underway, but here is what we know thus far.
1. The name National Shopping Service Network, LLC (NSSN) and the web site address of www.mysteryshopper.net are being used without our permission and consent.
2. An unknown company of con artists (whom we believe to be part of a Nigerian ring of scammers) is using our name and web address at the top of the letter with a tel/fax number that is not associated with our company.
3. Your name will appear near the top of the letter. "Attention: Your Name." We have received notification from both shoppers and non-shopper in many different states of having received the letter and the fraudulent check.
4. When you dial the bogus contact number a recording identifies the business as National Shopping Service Network Agency. The fraudulent representatives will instruct you to deposit the check. This check is in fact fraudulent and should NOT be cashed.
5. The con artists are fraudulently using the name of Alden State Bank in Alden, NY as the issuer of the check. The phone number listed under the bank's name links you directly to the scammers who pretend to be a representative of the Alden State. Again, do NOT cash this check.
6. This matter has been reported to the FBI, Alden State Bank and the Postal Inspector at USPS and is under investigation.
This is a verified scam and the checks should not be cashed as they are not valid. Click Here to view a sample of the fraudulent Cashier's Check and letter that is being sent.
Please remember that our company NEVER sends checks to any shopper without that individual having completed a valid mystery shop prior to the checks issuance. If you have received something in the mail bearing our name and/or website information, you may verify its validity by contacting Leslie@mysteryshopper.net.
Below are sample checks and letters that have been sent out. Please keep in mind that different bank names are being used, so your may see a variation of names, phone numbers and addresses on the checks and letters.
SAMPLE CHECK
SAMPLE LETTER
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