I received a check in the mail concerning employment as a "mystery shopper". The check included with the instructions/information was for a staggering amount of $4995. It seemed too good to be true... But the letter was very convincing. All that was required of me was to deposit the check and use that money to shop at different business, then write a report and fax it back to the company. Easy, right? Despite my ill feelings, I went ahead and tried to deposit the check into my account. Luckily for me, the teller refused to deposit the check on the basis that it would more than likely be fraudulent.
Following this, I proceeded to call the number included in the letter. At first I got a busy signal but the call was immediately returned. The man on the other end sounded shady to begin with, and it seemed as if he already knew the questions I was going to ask. Furthering my suspicion he told me he would call me back in 15 minutes. He did not call me back and when I questioned him further the situation started to deteriorate.
I decided to see if there was anything on the internet regarding this as being fraudulent. As far as my searches showed this company was real and legit. Still, I had strong suspicions. I decided to call the bank that the check was issued from, and this is where I saw the first mistake I had made. At first glance the check seems to be issued from "Westpoint National Bank". But looking closer it is from "Westpont", not point, national bank. This bank does not even exist! I hunted down the number to D.L. Ryan Companies, LTD and made an inquiry. They immediately recognized what was happening and informed me that it was indeed fraudulent.
Apparently, they have had quite the problem with their check being mailed out all over the U.S. I was directed toward accounting and was further informed about the depths of this scam.
In the end, the phrase "It's too good to be true" held strong. If you or anyone you know have received this check in the mail, please contact the company at (203) 210-3000. They are collecting as much material as they can against this person (s) to hopefully catch those who are responsible.
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