MYSTERY SHOPPER SCAM HITS ARGYLL AND BUTE

Friday, 11 June 2010 09:56

It gives an email address to which to respond. Once further details are supplied, the applicant is requested to send money via Western Union, allegedly to enable Mystery Shopper to carry out a financial integrity analysis of the company to which the money is sent.

The organisation claims that you will be sent a ‘check or money order’ to cover all expenses, including the money that had been sent to Mystery Shopper, and adds that you would be allowed to keep $300 per week for the work.

Applicants at this stage are requested to respond with their personal details.

Councillor Daniel Kelly, Chair of Argyll and Bute’s Planning, Protective Services and Licensing Committee, said: “There seems to be a spate of this type of scam at the moment, and people really need to be aware of what they might be getting themselves into before they sign up.

“The advice of our trading standards team is to never give out your personal details or send money unless you are completely confident that you will receive something worthwhile in return.

“This is not the case with this advertisement. Money sent through Western Union is not recoverable, and once you have paid the money you will never see it again.

“Unfortunately, someone out there is looking to make a lot of money from people who are looking for genuine work.

“In the current economic climate, people are understandably looking for ways to maximise their income. But the risk with schemes such as these is that you have no idea who you are sending your money to, and as a consequence are highly unlikely to ever get any of it back.”

Anyone who has sent any money to this company is asked to contact the council’s trading standards team on 01546 604404.