K BAISH| This is a warning to all Americans! If you receive a letter telling you that you have been chosen to be part of a quality control program for Walmart along with a large check don’t fall for it! The letter asks for participants to sign up online and create their own username and password. The letter also states that by doing this they will be able to cash the check and use it to shop at Walmart. The Political Insider reported, “once the check is in your account, the scammers are able to drain your entire bank account. That’s why you should throw your check away immediately.”
This photo shows what the check would look like:
This is what the letter will look like:
The Independent Journal explained that those who did sign up for the “Quality Control” program were led to another website which claimed to allow them to give feedback. The scam is all one big lie in order to fool innocent victims.
Walmart’s corporate website explained, “mystery shopping, sometimes referred to as secret shopping, is where an individual is hired to ‘act’ like a customer and evaluate services at a business. The individual is essentially paid to shop and then report on the experience. Walmart does NOT utilize these services. This mystery shopping scam uses fraudulent offers, fake checks and wire transfers to persuade unsuspecting customers into sending money to fraudsters who are often located outside the U.S.”
So, although Walmart’s name is on the check, don’t blame them. The well-known American company has nothing to do with the scam. This is one of many scams that Americans have been the targets of. The Consumerist reported that in 2011 the scam began making its rounds, and it resurfaced this past March. The scam actually put a lot of Americans into horrible debt last year. Some people did see that the money successfully went into their accounts, until the Federal Trade Commission found that the checks were fake and took the money back out of their accounts. NBC stated “the consumer is responsible for any money withdrawn against that check.”
Identity scams like this one have been in abundance during the last few decades. In 2014, it was reported that someone’s identity was stolen every two seconds. That left 13.1 million Americans victim to identity theft. It is important for people to know how to prevent becoming victim to these scams. The Insider Journal Review explains that people should be extremely cautious of random checks or offers received in the mail. They should call the Better Business Bureau to find out of the check is legitimate or not before trying to cash it. The Independent Journal Review said “as many learned the hard way, don’t cash a check unless you are certain of its origin.”
It’s important for us to protect ourselves against scams like this one, so spread the news to your friends and family. Make everyone you know aware of the damage that cashing one of these checks can cause. H/T H/T2