Yet another scam surfaces in area

The scam involves a program referred to as a Customer Service Evaluator, more commonly known as a Mystery Shopper Program. In a letter recently received by Dexter resident, Rich Holland, a company urges Holland to deposit a check that is enclosed in the mailing in the amount of $2,975. By doing so, the recipient agrees to act as a "mystery shopper," posing as a shopper in one of several stores listed in the letter and earning money for reporting the efficiency of the store's management back to the company.

The letter states that the check may be deposited and "upon availability of funds" a coordinator will provide the recipient with a computer generated receiver name needed to complete the first assignment. The check shows the name Novo Nordisk Inc. in Princeton, N.J.

One of the stores to be evaluated, as listed in the letter, is WalMart. A call to local WalMart Manager Debbie Juden confirms that they currently, to her knowledge, do not take part in the evaluation process known as the Mystery Shopper Program.

According to the Better Business Bureau, this type of solicitation has been presented under several company names, including BMA, CBC Consumer Research, Frontline and Global Monitoring. Typically, says the Bureau, consumers receive a check for around $3,000 and are invited to become a "customer service evaluator" or "survey specialist." After cashing the check, consumers often find that although the check appeared to be legitimate, the checks are often found to be fraudulent or written on a stolen account and the consumer is left owing the money back to the bank.

The Better Business Bureau reports that several hundred complaints involving this type of scam have been received.

Authorities suggest simply pitching any such correspondence upon receipt and heeding the warning that if something looks too good to be true, it usually is.