419 scam: "Secret Shopper®"<no.reply@mspa.org> MYSTERY SHOPPER EVALUATION ASSIGNMENT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD!!!.....$200?

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "western union" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "money gram" (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- "await your urgent response" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "money orders " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
- "money order " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. Many scammers promise a large check only in order to then demand payment of courier fees for a fake courier service. )
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
Western Union money transfer is completely untraceable and therefore is *not* safe to use with anyone you do not know personally. It is the preferred method of online criminals to collect money from their victims.

Fraud email example:

From: "Secret Shopper®" (may be fake)
Reply-To: <andnorth@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2011 07:52:39 -0600
Subject: MYSTERY SHOPPER EVALUATION ASSIGNMENT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD!!!.....$200?

Dear Candidate,

We have a job offer available for you that will not disturb your present
occupation. Currently we have available position for you to work for us. See
below description.

"We have a mystery shopping assignment in your area and we would like you to
participate" Mystery Shopping Providers Association® (MSPA) is accepting
applications for qualified individuals to become mystery shoppers. It's fun and
rewarding, and you choose when and where you want to shop. You are never
obligated to accept an assignment. There is no charge to become a shopper and
you do not need previous experience. After you sign up, you will have access to
training materials via e-mail, fax or postal mail.

ABOUT US

Secret Shopper® is the premier mystery shopping company, serving clients across
America and Canada with over 500,000 shoppers available and ready to help
businesses better serve their customers. Continual investment in the latest
internet and communication technologies coupled with over 16 years of know-how
means working with Secret Shopper® is a satisfying and rewarding experience.
Secret shopping as seen on ABC NEWS, NBC NEWS, L.A.TIMES. Stores and
organizations such as The Gap, Wal-Mart, Pizza Hut, and Banks. One amongst many
others pay for Secret Shoppers to shop in their establishments and report their
experiences. On top of being paid for shopping you are also allowed to keep
purchases for free. Secret Shopper® NEVER charge fees to the shopper. Training,
tips for improvement, and shopping opportunities are provided free to registered

shoppers. Mystery shoppers are either paid a pre-arranged fee for a particular
shop, a reimbursement for a purchase or a combination of bo
th. Secret Shopper® has available

You will be required to interact with the shop clerk.
You may conduct the shop alone or as a couple.
The assignment will pay $200.00 or more per duty

Kindly Fill Out the application form below and we will get back to you shortly
with the assignment:

PERSONAL INFORMATION:
First Name:
Last Name:
Street Address (No Po Box Acceptable) :
City, State, Zip Code:
Cell Phone Number/Home Phone Number:
Age:
Current Occupation:
Alternate Email Address:
AVAILABILITY:
Days/Hours Available
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:
Sunday:
Hours Available: from _______ to ______

Assignment: We have had complaints on some western union, walmart, Restaurant
and money gram location in the services they render and we want you to
investigate it personally as our new Evaluator in your area By Going there to
send funds. We will be sending you Payment in form of Money Orders to carry out
this assignment. So please take note of these instructions below.
We will send you Money Order which you will take to your Bank for Instant
Cashing then you are to proceed to the location we are going to allocate to you
for investigation and you are to carry out every instructions we will be sending

to you via email to investigate this location.
We will want for you to email us as soon as you have carried out the
comprehensive investigation and let us understand what you found out about your
survey.
I hope you do understand what we have requested for you to do as our new
Evaluator, Please confirm you do understand so we can approve your application
and your new assignment will kick off immediately.
This is a very exciting job and is very rewarding. So please get back to us
confirming your interest and we await your response for us to go ahead and
approve you.

We await your urgent response.
Thank you for your help.
We look forward working with you.

Sincerely,
Richard Schaffer.
Recruiting Department,
MSPA®

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam