A spokesman for the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office is warning people about a mail scam offering people bogus jobs as a ''Secret Shopper".

The letters offer to pay people to work as a ''Consumer Service Evaluator"  and include a legitimate looking (but phony) check, usually in the amount of $ 1,387.40. The victim is then asked to buy a Moneygram, usually  for $855. The victim is told to deduct his or her salary, usually in the amount of $400. The Moneygram is sent to an Atlanta, Georgia address, and the victim never hears anything more.

Blust says you should never pay a "secret shopper" company to hire you, even if you are told the money is for "training" or other legitimate-sounding reasons. He also says that in general you shouldn't wire money to strangers or unknown companies, because once the money is sent it is virtually impossible to recover.

Blust says incorrect or clumsy grammar or spelling errors in solicitation letters should always be a red flag that an offer may not be legitimate.

 

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