It appears that fraudsters are operating by pretending to be Multi-Value and seeking US shopper details by email or telephone. Multi-Value Europe advises shoppers not to respond to any email requesting payment from them in advance of conducting assessments.
There are many non-MSPA companies that charge a fee and promise to share your name with mystery shopping companies around the country and/or find you work. This is not required but should you choose one of these companies, be sure there is a sound refund policy in place should you be unhappy with the results.
Multi-Value would like to inform you that we are located in Europe and have no business in the US what so ever.
If someone contacts you via email over the internet (or letter in the mail or fax, etc.) and says they will send you a large check in return for a “simple” mystery shopping assignment to check wire services like Western Union or Moneygram International, it is a scam. Period!
- If you get a check in the mail that you are asked to cash and the wire some of the proceeds to someone else, it is a scam.
- No legitimate mystery shopping company would send you a check in the mail before you do an assignment for them…even after you do a shop, you won’t get a check worth several hundred or several thousand dollars. It’s not mystery shopping; it’s a scam.
- If you do get a check, don’t cash it. Even if the bank deposits it into your account, the money is not “yours” until it clears the issuing bank and the money has been send from the issuing bank to your bank. It doesn’t matter if the teller says there is a 3-day or 1 week hold on the check…if it’s a bad check and you have taken money out of your account against the check, you will be liable for any money you sent away. Don’t deposit the check! It’s counterfeit!
- You may want to contact your local (non-emergency) number for the police, just to make sure they know the scam is taking place…but they don’t have the resources to go after the scammers.
- Report the check to the FTC toll free hotline: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357)
- Report the check to the FTC via its online form at http://www.ftc.gov
- Report the check to Canadian PhoneBusters hotline: 888-495-8501
- File a complaint about the scam with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center (http://www.ic3.gov)
Kind regards,
Multi-Value
