I got a letter from NATIONAL SHOPPING SERVICE, stating i'd been selected as a mystery shopper and a check for $2,995.00 was with it. The letter stated $600 was for me, for my evaluation and training pay, $100 to be used toward purchase at Sears, $100 to be used towards purchase at Walmart, and $1,995 to be wired at a Western Union to a woman name Louise Flanary in London.
Even though I knew something didn't smell right, I wanted it to be true so I used the web address and sure enough it was to NATIONAL SHOPPING SERVICE.
The address, city, state and zip code, all matched, but then I noticed the phone number was completely different.
I read there cite and was amused to find out they don't mail out check's just like that.
YOU "the shopper" have to come out of pocket on the assignment, send them the receipt, and they reimburse you, and it can take several weeks for them to do so!
I knew right away some one was trying to scam me.
The check looked legit. It had JP Morgan Chase Bank, NA  Syracuse, NY., and NOCO ENERGY CORP FUELS DIVISION  2440 SHERIDAN DR  TONAWANDA, NY 14150.
I wonder if the company named on the check is aware of this,or if they're a part of the scam.
Why is it so hard to nab the scammers, when they have names of suspects from the wire to forms?

they got me for 3000.00

well they got me for 300 and using a differant #.  # is (289) 892-4306

I received the same letter today and found online a news report recently about the exact scam but my letter came from Survey Assurance Inc. Buffalo NY. The check is from QRC Tech LLC Madison Heights, MI bank of Check - National City Bank of Michigan/Illinois. Yes the check looks very real -- but was wondering why do they just send these out and HOPE the people actually wire the money. The news report online says that the scammers then can gain access to your checking account and drain it. I have no idea how they do it but maybe it's that YOUR bank clears the check only to have it come back afterwards as fraudulent? I have no idea -- it's not hat the money they are paying the secret shopper sounds outrageous -- really that they trust people to actually wire the money. And there is no recourse there because they want you to claim that the recipient is a relative. Still wondering how they gain access to your checking account though. Does anyone know? And yes this envelope had no return address and came postmarked from Canada. Maybe their way to avoid federal mail fraud laws.I would assume.No one called me -- just got the letter.

I 'DID' RECEIVE ONE OF THESE EXACT 'MYSTERY SHOPPER' LETTERS AND A CHECK FOR $2980-00. PRIOR TO RECEIVING THIS LETTER,I WAS HOSPITALIZED AND, DURING MY STAY, WAS ASKED BY A HOSPITAL THERAPYST IF I WAS INTERESTED IN 'PART TIME' WORK UPON DISCHARGE, I REPLIED "YES"...(THIS TURNED OUT TO BE QUITE A COINCIDENCE), AS THE LETTER BEGAN WITH "BASED ON THE PREVIOUS SURVEY BY OUR AFFILIATE CONSUMER SURVEY SPECIALISTS, YOU INDICATED YOUR INTERESTS IN AN ADDITIONAL INCOME ON A 'PART TIME' BASES",ETC...  INSTANTLY ASSUMING THAT THE LETTER WAS A SCAM AND BEGINNING TO RIP IT IN HALF, I REMEMBERED THE QUESTION THAT I WAS ASKED IN THE HOSPITAL.  I THEN READ THE ENTIRE LETTER AND EXAMINED THE CHECK, WHICH LOOKED TOTALLY LIGITIMATE.  I CALLED THE NUMBER AND LEFT A MSG. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, I FINALLY SPOKE WITH THE WOMAN LISTED ON THE LETTER.  AFTER EXPLAINING MY 'JOBS', SHE STATED THE IMPORTANCEY OF THE TIMELY MANNER IN WHICH THESE JOBS NEEDED TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO CONTINUE EMPLOYMENT WITH THEM.  STILL LEARY ABOUT A POSSIBLE SCAM, I ASKED HER IF THEY ALLOW TIME FOR THE CHECK TO CLEAR AND SHE SAID, "OH YES, WE ALLOW TIME FOR THAT". OF COURSE I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE BUT, STILL REMEMBERING 'THE HOSPITAL INTERVIEW', THE VALID CHECK AND NOW BEING ALLOWED TIME!  IT WAS 4:30 P.M. ON A FRIDAY (NOW FEELING PRESSURED)SO, I HUNG UP WITH HER AND IMMEDIATELY RAN TO THE BANK, DEPOSITED SOME MONEY AND SAT ON THE REST, UNTIL THE CLEARING OF THE CHECK. I FIGURED THAT THE WORSE THING THAT COULD HAPPEN WOULD BE A BOUNCED CHECK FEE.  ANXIOUS, YET STILL LEARY, I WENT HOME AND STARTED MY RESEARCH...(SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT FIRST, OF COURSE)! NO COMPANY LISTING WITH THAT 'EXACT' NAME...SOME VERY CLOSE THOUGH.  THEN CHECKED THE ADDRESS, WHICH WAS A VALID ADDRESS...(TRYING TO REACH HER AGAIN IN THE MEANTIME... NO ANSWER), WANTING TO ASK WHO OR WHERE SHE GOT MY NAME FROM, (HOPING SHE WOULD SAY "THE HOSPITAL") AND ALSO HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE FOR THE CHECK TO CLEAR, SO I CAN START MY JOB'S AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I THEN CHECKED THE PHONE NUMBER...BINGO!!! WRITTEN ALL OVER THE SCREEN WAS THIS EXACT COMPANY NAME AND NUMBER, STATING ABOUT THIS EXACT SCAM! HAD TO WAIT UNTIL MONDAY, WENT TO THE BANK AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULDN'T PUT A STOP ON IT, THAT I WILL GET A BOUNCED CHECK FEE AND ALSO THAT I MAY BE DISMISSED FROM THIER BANK ENTIRELY, DUE TO THIS 'CHECK BOUNCING'!...I'VE BEEN HAD!  I LEFT A MESSAGE AT THAT NUMBER, PRETENDING THAT I DROPPED COFFEE ON THE LETTER AND AM UNABLE TO MAKE OUT HER FAX # TO FAX THE RECEIPT'S, THE EVALUATIONS I DID ON THE 2 COMPANIES THAT I DEALT WITH AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, MY JOB ID #.  I DIDN'T LEAVE HER ANY 'NEEDED' INFO, IN HOPES THAT SHE WILL CALL ME BACK TO FIND OUT IF I WIRED THE MONEY AND FROM WHICH COMPANY.  I'M NOT SURE IF THEY HAVE BEEN CAUGHT YET BUT, I'M JUST TRYING TO GET HER TO BE AT 10401 FOSTER AVE, BROOKLYN, NY. 11236 TO RECEIVE.  I ONLY WISH THAT THERE WAS A # TO CALL TO REACH THE AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY!  I WANT THEM CAUGHT!