I received an email from [email protected] offering to make me an "Esteemed Secret Shopper". It indicated I would receive $250 for evaluating money transfer businesses. I had done some focus groups in the past, so I assumed this was legitimate and my name was obtained from a focus group company. I responded that I would do the requested survey and the email response from "Evelyn Pickup" stated I was "appointed as a Private Evaluator/Secret Survey Agent".
2-3 weeks later I received an express mail package from Jocelyn Theisen, 5 Karen Drive, Middletown, NY 10940 containing a bank check for $2,331 and a letter with instructions. The bank check was issued by Space Coast Credit Union. I was told to deposit the check immediately and make 2 separate money transfers the next day via Western Union and Money Gram. The recipients listed are Leroy Davis, 211 Brickell Avenue, Suite 2100, Miami, FL 33131 and Asshay Guyton, 18857 SW 117th Avenue, Miami, FL 33177. Each transfer was to be for $1,000 and I was told to keep the remaining $331.
I was suspicious so I called Space Coast Credit Union to verify the check was legitimate. They told me the check was phony, and they had been seeing a lot of fraudulent checks like this lately. They told me if I had cashed the check my bank would have likely released most of the funds for my use pending clearing of the check. If I had followed the instructions by the time my check realized the check was phony I would have wired $2,000 of my own money! Beware of this scam!
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