LBS MARKETS INC LLC LBS MARKET RESEARCH SENT LINKEDIN MESSAGE THROUGH A FRIENDS HACKED ACCOUNT. BUT I'M STILL NOT SURE IF IT'S A SCAM OR NOT. Garden City New York

A COWORKER AND FRIEND SAYS HIS LINKEDIN ACCOUNT HAS BEEN ACCOUNT. THAT ACTUALLY ALL OF HIS SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS HAVE BEEN HACKED AND THAT HE HASN'T HAD ACCESS TO ANY OF THEM SINCE APRIL OF 2017. 

I HAD RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM HIM ABOUT LBS MARKET RESEARCH AND THAT IT WAS A GREAT WAY TO MAKE SOME EXTRA CASH AS A MYSTERY SHOPPER.  I HAD DONE MYSTERY SHOPPING IN THE PAST AND IT WAS FUN BUT ASSIGNMENTS WERE VERY INFREQUENT. SO I THOUGHT THIS SHOPPER SERVICE MIGHT BE DIFFERENT ESPECIALLY SINCE MY FRIEND RECOMMENDED IT AND HE IS A FUSS BUDGET, TIGHTWAD KIND OF GUY THAT I CAN TRUST.

WELL I ASKED HIM DIRECTLY THIS MORNING ABOUT THIS AND HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT LBS. TOLD ME ABOUT HIS MEDIA ACCOUNTS BEING HACKED AND THAT HE STILL DOESN'T HAVE ACCESS TO THEM.  SO I DID A LITTLE BIT OF GOOGLE RESEARCH AND FIND THERE ARE SCAM REPORTS THAT SOUND SIMILAR TO MINE AND TO WHAT DOCUMENTS AND PROCESSES I HAVE RECEIVED.

HOWEVER I'M STILL NOT SURE IF IT IS A SCAM OR NOT. THEIR WEBSITE LOOKS VERY PUT TOGETHER AND LEGITIMATE. I DID SPEAK WITH MR. PULLMAN ON THE PHONE ONE TIME AND ALL THE BACKGROUND NOISE WHICH WAS MINIMAL STILL SEEMED LEGITIMATE.

I RECEIVED A LETTER OF INSTRUCTION TO CASH THE ENCLOSED CHECK, WAIT FOR FUNDS TO CLEAR THEN WITHDRAW CASH OUT TO GO PURCHASE 2 IPHONE X FROM A LOCAL APPLE STORE, COMPLETE THE ASSESMENT PRINTED ON THE BACK OF THE LETTER AND THEN SEND A TEXT TO 908-313-2753 ONCE THE SURVEY IS COMPLETED. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE NO INSTRUCTIONS FOR WHAT TO DO WITH THE IPHONES.  THE CHECK IS A CASHIERS CHECK FOR $2986.25 FROM WOODFOREST NATIONAL BANK (BASED IN TX.) ISSUED ON 12/19/2017 FROM WALMART STORE # 387.  HMMMM, NOW IT'S SOUNDING FISHIER.

I'M NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING AT ALL WITH THIS CHECK OR THE ASSESSMENT/SURVEY. UNLESS AND UNTIL I HEAR FROM A TRUSTED AUTHORITY THAT THIS IS A LEGITIMATE MYSTERY SHOPPER/SECRET SHOPPER SERVICE.