I received a letter and check for $2990. The letter stated that I had been selected to participate in a paid customer research program known as "shadow shopping. The claimed to be representing 1250 research firms across Europe and North America. It also stated that I had to complelte a probation training task. The letter instructed me to contact Tim Water (he was supposed to be the officer who was to guide be through the probational training assignment. I called and ask him to explain it to me. He asked if I had read the letter and I said yes. He then told me to go deposit the cashier's check into my account. I was supicious about it and common sense just made it feel like it was to good to be true and if it was, why was it asking me to make two money transfers. So I called him back to ask more questions, he kept assuring me the check was valid. But it just didn't seem right so I called the number on the check (Old Plank Trail Community Bank).
It was a automated system and when I tried to verify the check it didn't recognize the numbers. So I decide to take it to a check cashing place. I ask the girl not to write on it I just wanted to see if she could cash it. When she put the check through the machine to see if it could read the number on the bottom of the check it couldn't read it. She then tried to call and see if she could get verification over the phone and couldn't. I ask her if she could give me the number so I could call the bank and verify the check to see if it was a legimate cashier check and she did. However when I called it was a recording asking me to leave a message or check the company directory. When I tried to enter the last name of the person issuing the check it kept asking me to enter the last name. So when I got home I decided to google the name of the bank and when I found the bank I called the number and was connected to the branch that the cashier check was supposed to have been drawn from. I spoke to the person that was supposed to have sign the check and gave her all the information then was put on hold. When she came back on the phone she asked me if the check was for about $2500, when I said yes. She inform me that the check was fradulent and thai it was a good thing I got supicious and decide to call and verify the check because they have scammed people all over. I am so glad that I didn't take that check to the bank.
I had to make sure it was a legimate check before I was going to put it in my account because it looks like a legimate check. These people need to be stopped times are too hard for people to be giving away money like that. I know that the two money transfers is what make me supicious. The letter also had a Nevada postal box, and the envelop had a postal box in Canada. The bank is in Illinos.
0 comments