Mystery Shop Inc. MoneyGram International Nigerian banking scam through snail-mail - trying to get money from your bank account Oshawa Ontario Canada

I recieved a random letter for a Mystery Shop assignment that I never solicited, along with a check for $3,405.00 and instructions on how to complete the "assignment".

I was instructed to call and get a special ID # BEFORE depositing the check in my bank account. I was then to go to my local WalMart, shop for $100 worth of whatever I wanted, then go to the MoneyGram counter and wire $2,950.00 to someone listed (with my last name!) in Canada. I would then get to "keep" whatever was left over in my account less MoneyGram service fees: about $250.00.

I reported this to the Financial Institution the check was drawn on and they verified that the checks are bogus and they have been recieving hundreds of reports of this same scam from all over the U.S. They also said that regrettably, once someone has actually wired the money, it is taken from their account and then when their account tries to get the money from the Institution the bogus checks are drawn on they can't and they are simply out the $2-3,000 they wired. The Bank also said that they have reported the scam to various agencies but that they have recieved little cooperation in getting the word out.

We really need to be diligent in making sure the word gets out about this stuff! I 'm a cynic and don't believe anything, but so many people who can't afford it and are desperate to think that there is some kind of "good luck" out there will be swindolled out of their last few bucks.

Laurie
Redlands, California
U.S.A.