Friday, November 1, 2013

Scam Warning: $3,990 check from "North Atlanta Survey"

I just got a letter in the mail with a fake check, asking me to call 877-319-1166. This is a slight twist on some standard scams- but the details are so new that I felt the need to write a quick alert for people.  This is a slight twist on earlier "Secret Store Evaluator" scams. They claim to want you as a "Trainee Independent Private Evaluator".  The English usage is decent for a scam, but there are quite a few typos.

The letter was a plain white envelope with the return address 4434 Peachtree Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30326.  As far as I can tell, this is the wrong Zip code for this address, and this address at one time was for a law firm. The letter says it is from North Atlanta Survey INC, P.O. Box 5490, Atlanta, GA 30067.

The letter encloses a real looking check for $3,990.  As with all of these scams, they want you to deposit the fake check.  See the check below with the name and address of owner of the  Frank's Deli chain, which makes no sense: Deli Management, Inc., even though the letter says North Atlanta Survey (which doesn't exist, as far as I can tell). In the check I removed a few numbers from the account number (just in case this is a real, but stolen account number), and my name and address, etc.

Then, the instructions say to call 877-319-1166, EXT 1. I called, and a computerized voice does answer "North Atlanta Survey". You are supposed to Spend $50 at Walmart, $50 at Walgreen, and buy $3,000 worth of "Green-Dot Money Pack Reload" (6 transactions of $500 each).  This is where they steal your money. In other Green-Dot related scams, they ask you to tell them the Green-Dot account number, and as soon as you do, they steal the money. If you believe the story they are telling you, of course you would give them the numbers, since it really is their money anyway. Then, 2 weeks later your bank figures out that the check was a fraud, and YOU will be arrested for fraud.  Really- it happened to a student of mine once-- the bank doesn't know or care that you didn't create the fake check!

Here is the first paragraph, so if people are searching the internet for keywords, hopefully they will see this: 

"I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected to become one of our Secret Store Evaluators assigned to Wai-Mart, WalGreen and Green-Dot. This is a THREE MONTH probationary assignment that you are required to complete within 24hrs of activating your check. This is a paid Training assignment that takes about 2hrs to complete. You will be paid $430/hr for the training. Your assignment is to be carried out and completed at any Wal-mart, CVS, Wal-Green and Green-Dot Money Pack Reload locations. The objective of the assignment is to evaluate the effectiveness of Green-Dot Money Pack Reload system and to evaluate the level of customer service provided by WalGreen, CVS and Wal-Mart 

your job descriptions would be to secretly go into any Wal-mart, CVS and WalGreen stores to purchase items and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the customer service level of the particular store. Whatever you buy belongs to you but you must fax the receipts and the completed evaluation form ."

Just think of the inconsistencies: It is a THREE MONTH assignment lasting 24 hours. Who in the world pays $430/hour for training, or anything else? If they want to test to see how Green-Dot works at stores, why do the transactions need to be for $500 each?  Why not $20 each? 

Here are some sites warning of these kind of scams:

Be safe out there guys! NO ONE would ever mail anyone a check for no reason!  This just makes no sense, when you think about it. Never accept money that is then supposed to be sent on to someone else-- it is the classic ebay, employment, sweepstakes, and now secret shopper SCAM!



32 comments:

  1. My under-age daughter just received a similar letter from Kodak Survey Inc. P. O. Box 5490 Atlanta, GA 30067. Address on the envelope: 233 Powersferry Road. Atlanta, GA 30067. The check says Kodak Retirement Income Plan and the amount is $3,980. Exact same wording in the letter as yours. There is no watermark on the check. Fake. I wonder where we can report this so nobody falls victim of this scam.

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  2. I just received the same letter from MSSB Survey, Inc.

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    Replies
    1. If the bank's dont care, even if they know you were scammed by someone else, then they are in on it themselves aw well..think about it ..who stands to gain really ? Even if they catch it quick they freeze your accounts you get charged overdraft fees ..these scams always seem to come full force at the same times the market hits lows..they run these scams aftwr they lose big in the market to generate bank fees and make their money back..wake up ..banks, governement...are out if control, the worste crominals on the planet...

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  3. I also received the letter from MSSB Survey, Inc.

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  4. I also received one from Conventry Health and Life Insurance for $3758.50

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  5. I Received One From Greene Ford Survey Inc And The Amount Of The Check Was
    Three Thousand Seven Hundred Fifty-Six Dollars

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    Replies
    1. This is Jeff Agnew with Greene Ford. That is in fact a scam.

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    2. If anyone want to report it call 1-877-876-2455 ! Federal Postal Inspection services will inspect the mailing address or otherwise illegal activity.

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  6. Just got one from Nettle Survey Inc out of Rocklin Ca. The check is actually pretty pitful, obviously poorly photocopied. I'm going to play with them though. I have such a contempt for this slime and my only consolation is wasting as much of their time as I can.

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  7. I just recieved one for walgreens co for 2920.00 smh I knew something was telling me to do research. Thank you!!

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  8. I just recieved a letter and check for 3785.70 from Global Mill Survey Inc out of Alpharetta GA. Same message about buying reloadable cards and blah blah. I came online to research it coz I didn't remember signing up for secret shopper stuff.

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  9. Just got one from Toyota Scion Survey Inc from Gainesville, GA. They want me to reload Vanilla Reload Network Cards. Check is for $3,785.60. I was sincerely excited for about 30 seconds and then my brain kicked in!

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  10. Be on the lookout for JD Kendick Survey Inc, too.

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  11. Just received one from S&B Wilson Survey for $3,788.50

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  12. A new version of this is going around. "Verizon Survey Inc" for "Trainee Independent Private Evaluator" with check for $3,786.50 for leading three person team of secret store evaluators for "Vanilla Reload Network" hopefully those terms will start showing up in google SEO as searching for this specific scam have not showed any results

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    1. Received a similar letter.

      Check amount $3,786.60 (10 cents inflation since last August ?).
      Check is from ADP Ret. Services account,
      State Street Bank and Trust Company
      PO Box 912
      Boston MA 02103-0912

      Letter says it's from
      ADP Services Survey Inc.
      PO Box 17387
      Norcross GA 30071
      1-800-340-7675 ext 1

      Letter is signed by Charles Chambers

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    2. If anyone want to report it call 1-877-876-2455 ! Federal Postal Inspection services will inspect the mailing address or otherwise illegal activity.

      Delete
  13. I received the same letter and it is from "Computershares survey" wanted me to purchase 6 $500 Vanilla Reload cards. The number they wanted me to call was 1-888-668-9544. And the check amount is $3,786.50.

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  14. I received the letter today from CVS Survey, INC., with a check for 2685.60.

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  15. I received the same letter and it is from " Mazi Services Inc. " wanted me to purchase 6 $500 Vanilla Reload cards. The number they wanted me to call was 1-866-427-5503 . And the check amount is $3,786.60

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  16. Is there a place where we can report these to? Maybe get these scammers caught?

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    Replies
    1. If anyone want to report it call 1-877-876-2455 ! Federal Postal Inspection services will inspect the mailing address or otherwise illegal activity.

      Delete
  17. My fiance just got one the address says UPS SURVEY INC. P.O.BOX 4709 Boston,MA TEL: 1-800-340-7675 EXT 1 with the same paragraph I am pleased to inform you and so on and so on.

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  18. So true I just received one thanks for the confirmation that it's a scams already knew but needed confirmation

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  19. Today I received one. For 3'610.00 wanting me to deposit it into my account. Withdraw it and go to the same store's that's on your letter. I call the bank and she confirmed the banks address. The the survey name was Graham survey Group Incorporated out of Alpharetta GA. Check from East Syracuse, NY. Envelop from Dallas Texas. How do you report these ppl

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    Replies
    1. If anyone want to report it call 1-877-876-2455 ! Federal Postal Inspection services will inspect the mailing address or otherwise illegal activity.

      Delete
  20. My sister just received one from ultimate medical academy , 3 different address, same message as yours and total of 3,610.00. Address doesn't even match the name! The address is registered to a real college school.

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  21. If anyone want to report it call 1-877-876-2455 ! Federal Postal Inspection services will inspect the mailing address or otherwise illegal activity.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Just got one from straight line survey inc. the check says straigh line installations LLC. MADE OUT FOR 1989.50. This one wants me to buy 3 from Vanilla reload centers. And the biggest red flag was the must be done within 24 hrs of the activation phone call. Yeh! I’ll get right on that boss. You just sit tight and I’ll go get your money!������

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  24. I just got a call from (800) 340-7675 supposedly from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE) saying I owed $998 and to avoid since he told me that if there were any errors originating at SDGE, that I would be reimbursed. After I hung up on him, the supposed "SDGE power cutoff driver" calls again and asks what was going on. I had to shutoff I had to go and get 2 moneypak cards at a local Albertsons. He said that the moneypak cards could only be made for $500 maximum, and I would need to pay an additional $5.95 per card. The calls sounded genuine since he was giving me dates and account balances, but I was pretty certain I did not have a balance that high. So while he was waiting on the call (telling me he was going to put me on hold while talking with other clients), I logged onto SDGE and saw that I owed ~$100 and it was due in 2 weeks!! I then used my son's phone to call SDGE to make sure everything I saw on their website was up to date (and it was). So after hanging up on him, his "SDGE service disconnect" guy calls me from (800)732-0941 asking if I had paid my past due balance, and since I was on the phone with a live SDGE rep, my son told him he was nothing but a sleazy scammer.

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