Sinclair Customer Metrics/Route Brokers Inc. Secret Shopper Scam

This company claims to offer an employment opportunity as a mystery/secret shopper.  We urge caution, as this is a scam and fraudulent employment offer.   The scammers are using the identity of NY based company Route Brokers Inc, and TX based Sinclair Customer Metrics. Sinclair Customer Metrics issues a consumer alert warning potential shoppers about the scam which you can read here.

The Mystery Shopping scam sends letters, and what appear to be authentic checks or money orders, to unsuspecting consumers offering jobs as mystery shoppers.  The letter explains that their first assignment is to deposit the cashier’s check and text the number that is on the solicitation letter informing them the check has been deposited. The recipient is told to text the number in 24 hours to notify them that the funds are available. The shopper is then told to proceed to a store location near them to purchase Reloadit packs. The shopper then completes an “evaluation” by emailing the Reloadit pin numbers from the packs they have purchased and a few other details about the visit such as the cleanliness of the location, how the attendant treated the shopper, how fast and efficient the service was, etc. The latter is all part of the ruse to make the shopper believe this is a legitimate job. What the criminals are really interested in are the pin numbers from the Reloadit packs. Consumer’s later find out the checks and money orders are fraudulent. 

These types of offers are deceptive and are designed to entice the public to send fees for false promises of employment.  Addresses given are usually mail drops, or belong to other reputable businesses, advertised phone numbers reach recordings and calls are not returned, and no local phone numbers are listed.  Most work-at-home companies advertise in states other than where they are located so as to avoid prosecution.  Although the prospect of making some easy money may appear attractive, any "commission" payments will be recovered as they are the proceeds of fraud and you may become embroiled in a police investigation. Remember that you will be the easiest part of the chain to track down and supplying any information to the perpetrators may also put you at risk from identity fraud.  If you see an opportunity to make some easy money and the offer seems too good to be true, then it probably is!  Remember that even if you have nothing to do with the actual extraction of funds from another person's account, by allowing your account to be used to receive and transfer such funds, you will be acting illegally. 

The scammers are recruiting individuals to unknowingly act as "Money Mules."  Money Mule scams may vary, but generally work like this.  Fraudulent perpetrators contact prospective victims with "job vacancy" ads via spam emails, letters, newspaper job ads, Internet chat rooms or job search web sites. Jobs are usually advertised as a "financial manager, US representative", "money transfer agent," "financial manager" or "mystery shopper." They offer you the chance to earn some easy money for a few hours work each week, usually just requiring that you have access to the Internet, a bank account, and suggest that no special knowledge is required.   They then convince the victim to come and work for their fake "company". Some fraudsters even ask mules to sign official-looking contracts of employment.   Once recruited, money mules will receive funds into their accounts. These funds will have been stolen by the fraudulent company from another account that has been compromised.   Mules are then asked to take these funds out of their account and to forward them to a designated contact (minus a commission payment) typically using a wire transfer service. Acting as a mule is an illegal activity. When caught, money mules often have their bank accounts suspended, containing *all* of their money.

Be cautious about any unsolicited offers or opportunities offering you the chance to make some easy money. Be especially wary of offers from people or companies overseas as is harder for you to find out if they really are who they say they are. Take steps to verify any company which makes you a job offer and check their contact details (address, phone number, email address and web site) are correct and whether they are registered in the U S.  Never give your bank details to anyone unless you know and trust them.