Complaint Review: The SWA Group - Sausalito California
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- Author Confirmed
- The SWA Group 2200 Bridgeway Blvd. Sausalito, California U.S.A.
- Phone: 450-675-4802
- Web:
- Category: Cross-Border Scams
The SWA Group Online data source identified me as a candidate interested in a parttime job Sausalito California
*UPDATE Employee: The SWA Group name has been illegally used by a Canadian scam operation
*Consumer Comment: I received this same letter
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I was invited to participate in a paid Consumer Research Project in my area of residence as a Consumer Services Evaluator, also referred to as Mystery Shopper.
The SWA Group says they are (listed with the Better Business Bureau). I went into the BBB and BBB said, the SWA Group was not credited through them.
I was sent a check for $3,940.00 from a Citibank, N.A. Branch #310 in Mill Valley, CA 94941. When I checked out to see if there was a Citibank branch in Mill Valley, CA there was no Citibank in the area.
The assignment for this money was I was suppose to put the $3,940.00 check in my checking account after calling the two coordinators at 1-450-675-4802 to confirm my check. The 450 area code is from Canada.
After the check cleared the bank, I was to withdraw $3,350.00. Take the money to a MoneyGram or Western Union transfer agent office and evaluate the agent at that office.
I was to pose as a potential customer and send the $3,350.00 to one person, that is suppose to be a SWA's training agent, out of five names that I received from SWA. The names are from the State of PA, NY and MA.
I was to use $190.00 to pay the sender's fee at the MoneyGram or Western Union agent office.
The second evaluation assignment was to take place in one of the following stores: Sear's, Wal Mart, Home Depot, Victoria's Secret, JC Penney's, K-Mart, Toysurs, Dillard's or Macy's. None of this stores are in my immediate resident area.
I was to take $100 and choose the merchandize to buy which I was to keep.
I have one week after confirming my check to get the assignments done. For me to do this assignments I would have to drive 40 miles one way.
I never indicated online that I was looking for a part time job and this is the second letter that I have received within a week.
Both of this letters were sent in a plain white envelope without a return address, the first letter came out of Canada, and this letter has a Canada stamp on it without a postmark on it.
I was told by out local City Police Station to give the letter to the Postmaster at my post office so they could see what they could find out. I was told, these kinds of letters are illegal.
Joheart
Goldendale, Washington
U.S.A.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 06/08/2009 04:55 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/the-swa-group/sausalito-california-94965/the-swa-group-online-data-source-identified-me-as-a-candidate-interested-in-a-parttime-job-459791. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content
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#2 UPDATE Employee
The SWA Group name has been illegally used by a Canadian scam operation
AUTHOR: Swa Group - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Monday, August 03, 2009
SWA Group is a 50-year old international landscape architecture and urban design firm. We have nothing at all to do with the content of this report, nothing to do with consumer research, and indeed are a victim of the illegal action outlined in the report. The address that is on this report is the authentic address for one of our US offices, however everything else mentioned in the report relates to someone who has used our company name in a scam operation. The scam is apparently based out of Canada and has involved sending out bogus checks in our company's name. The scam artist is asking recipients of these checks to deposit them and quickly send a portion of them to others via Western Union. While the checks are being "cleared," the recipient's own checking account funds are being used for the Western Union transactions. Once this money is wired by Western Union it cannot be retrieved.
This has been reported to the Sausalito police department in Sausalito, California (case #09-939). Anyone with information regarding this scam should contact the department at 415-289-4175.
SWA Group
www.swagroup.com
#1 Consumer Comment
I received this same letter
AUTHOR: Mrs. Pdizzle - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Friday, July 24, 2009
I too received this letter. The only difference was that I was not asked to contact two coordinators, and the dollar amount was slightly different, and my check was for a lesser amount of $3,785.00. The format of this scam is very impressive. It is very believable down to the Market Report Form that is for your results from "secret shopping".
I found a public safety log online while searching for the legitimacy of this letter:
Public Safety Log (June 30) ...
Fraud An Albany man was the victim of a scam when he cashed a check he received in the mail in the amount of $3,948.03 from a group claiming to pay people to be secret shoppers. The company, believed by police to be a front for scamming, is listed in the letter as The SWA Group of Sausalito, Calif. The man told police he used the money to pay for a vacation he recently took. He told police the bank notified him the check was fake on Wednesday and it wanted its money back. Police advised him he would need to work out the matter with the bank.
http://www.democratherald.com/articles/2009/07/05/news/local/6loc02_safetylog063009.txt
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