BBB Alert - Mystery Shopper Scam

From the BBB

DON’T FALL FOR MYSTERY SHOPPERS

After all the shopping is done for this holiday season, consumers may find themselves strapped for cash. Schemers are very aware of the draw-in of “easy” money. A “secret shopper” scam using the company name Master Research claims a Maryland address and is swindling consumers across the country out of their savings. The Better Business Bureau is urging all consumers to be aware of work-at-home scams like Master Research.

Master Research posts help wanted ads on CraigsList.com, CareerBuilder.com and newspapers seeking customer service evaluators, secret shoppers and temporary positions.

In the advertisements no company name is given. When the job-seeker calls to respond (866-883-6274) they reach a company representative and are asked only for their name and address, or they merely reach voicemail. Within a week, the candidate receives a package in the mail that explains they have been selected to participate in the Master Research program. In the package is a check for $2,990.00 for use in the “training process."

Participants are advised to go to Wal-Mart and wire money to Canada. They are instructed that, as a participant, they get to keep $300.00 for their services. Thus far, consumers have reported losses as great as $7,990.00 as a result of cashing these fraudulent checks.

The checks are falsely issued under a real financial institution, Chesapeake Bank, but include a phony Baltimore, MD address and phone number. Upon calling the number, BBB discovered a bogus “collections” agency who acknowledged Master Research as a “credible client.” The BBB representative was asked if she needed to verify a check number.

A Chesapeake Bank representative in Baltimore alerted BBB that the FBI has had an open investigation on Master Research since April, 2007.

Your BBB offers these tips to help you avoid being swindled by fake check scams:

Be suspicious of any check from an individual or business that you do not know.

• Independently verify that the check is drawn from an actual account at a legitimate financial institution.
• Do not rely on the telephone number listed on the check. Use directory assistance to get the telephone number of the financial institution and call them to verify the check.
• When a company claims to have a "secret shopper" position like Master Research, check with the Mystery Shopper Provider Association at http://www.mysteryshop.org/ to learn more about Mystery Shopping and to confirm the legitimacy of a company.
• Do not rely on the money until the funds have been finally collected by your financial institution. Funds 'available’ is not good enough.

Start with Trust

BBB Advises College Football Fans in Southern Colorado to Be Smart When Buying Bowl Tickets Online

Bowl Ticket Scam

With college football’s bowl season kicking off this week and more than one million students, alumni and fans searching for tickets, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning consumers to look out for fraudulent sellers when shopping for expensive and hard-to-get bowl tickets online.


The BBB has discovered a scam involving a secondary seller of championship game tickets on eBay. The scammer said he was in England on business and would not be attending the game in New Orleans. Before he’d agree to send the tickets, he wanted payment wired through Western Union in advance. The phony “seller” even provided pictures of the tickets to convince potential buyers he was honest. The scammer claimed the ticket transfer would be handled by an escrow company in California called the Square Trade Center, but the BBB confirmed that the company, Square Trade, is not an escrow company, and doesn’t handle buyer/seller transactions.

“The most common ways secondary-ticket sellers scam sports fans is by delivering counterfeit tickets or simply not sending the tickets at all,” said Carol Odell, CEO and Executive Director of the BBB of Southern Colorado. “Even if the tickets do arrive, they are not for the seats the seller advertised, which means the fans get stuck in the nosebleed area, or have an obstructed view.”

The secondary-ticket market for sporting events, which includes tickets bought and sold by professional brokers, speculators and season-ticket holders, is a $10-billion-a-year industry. Online sales account for one-third of transactions, according to StubHub.com.

College football is big business, and where there is big money to be made, scams always follow. Beginning Thursday, over the course of 19 days, teams from 35 states, representing 64 colleges and universities, will participate in the 2007-2008 bowl season. The NCAA

Postseason Football Licensing Subcommittee notes that last year’s bowl season drew about 1.6 million fans and about $217.6 million in revenue was distributed to participating schools and conferences.

BBB offers the following advice when searching online for sporting events tickets:

Only the event, the venue and the event’s authorized ticketing company can guarantee the ticket you purchase online will be valid to attend the event.
When buying from a merchant, always look for the BBBOnLine seal.
When buying from an individual through an online exchange don’t be lured away from the Web site by the seller. Even if you met the seller on the exchange Web site, the company may not guarantee any lost money if a transaction occurs outside their domain.
If you buy tickets through an online auction, choose a seller with a long, continuous history of satisfied customers. Scammers can hijack old accounts, so make sure they have recently bought or sold other items.
Pay with a credit card or through PayPal,which offers some protection and potential reimbursement. Never pay with a cashier’s check or wire money to a seller; you’ll have no way to get your money back if the tickets do not arrive.
Many sellers will include pictures of the tickets with their posts on auction sites or bulletin boards. Scrutinize the tickets closely for any inaccuracies or alterations, and cross-check the seat assignment with the map on the venue’s Web site before you buy.
For more tips and advice you can trust for safe shopping online go to www.bbb.org, or visit BBBOnLine at: www.bbbonline.org/consumer.