An ad in my local newspaper told me that a local company, called Market Survey Inc., was hiring employees with computer systems knowledge, to take surveys of big box stores and western union kiosks, etc (for customer satisfaction purposes). I submitted my resume and received an email from "Thomas Cole".
I got a package in the mail, from UPS, that had two money orders for 995.00 in it. I was to cash the checks, and take $200.00 for my pay, and spend $50.00 for a Wal-mart mystery shop. I deposited the amount and told "Thomas", that I was waiting for the checks to clear. At first it seemed legitimate, they were postal money orders, (or they looked like it), and I just had to deduct my pay, and send the rest of the money via western union to the next "evaluator". I started getting rather impatient emails from "Thomas" and I had to work my other job, so getting these "shops" done was not my first priority. Thankfully I have a saavy bank, and they called my phone, and let me know that the postal money orders were counterfeit and I was only out the amount of money that I had taken out to get gas in my vehicle, and get a few small items at Wal-mart. I sent an email to "Thomas" and he suggested that I send the money anyway, and he would clear things up with my bank. I declined and said I was already out a small amount of money and that the checks were not real, and they would get no money from me.
Please do not get sucked in by this scam. I'm lucky I didn't get in trouble for fraud at my bank, because I foolishly trusted that the money orders would be good. I am thankful that most good banks have a rule in place that you have to have even money orders deposited at least 24 hours for them to clear.
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