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Mystery Shopper Scams
Updated Thursday 29th May 2008

Mystery Shopper Scam 1 (Ken Coker, Western Union)
Mystery Shopper Scam 2 (Ken Coker, Western Union)
Mystery Shopper Scam 3 (Dan Ray, Shoppers Guide Ltd)
Mystery Shopper Scam 4 (Robert Sefton, Shoppers Guide Ltd)

Mystery Shopper Scam - Monday 28th April 2008
Key words: Ken Coker, Western Union
Email example below

Please be aware that there is currently a scam in the UK, US and Canada (several of our mystery shoppers have reported receiving the email) which works like this:

They ask you to carry out one or more assignments and say they will fund you in advance. BUT the funding they use is a money order for more than the cost of carrying out the assignments. They ask you to send them the surplus money. Only when you’ve done that do you discover your bank telling you that the money order was not valid.

Western Union money orders are often involved and a name associated with one of the items we have seen which bears all the hallmarks of this type of fraud is ‘Ken Coker’.

This type of scam is known as the ‘Advance Fee’ fraud. A similar scam runs in the UK with used cars.

We at Mystery Shoppers Ltd do occasionally fund upfront for very large spend purchases but we use cheques or direct bank transfers which should mean you can see when they are cleared and so can be sure you really do have the money.

These scammers are sending huge volumes of emails to random lists and don’t know that you really are a mystery shopper – you just happened to be on their list.

All emails from us at Mystery Shoppers Ltd are from someone@mystery-shoppers.co.uk – if you are in an doubt as to one from this address which seems suspicious please forward it to us at agents@mystery-shoppers.co.uk by email and we’ll let you know if it’s us – or not.

Kind regards

Mystery Shoppers Ltd
E: agents@mystery-shoppers.co.uk

Ken Coker/Western Union Email:

My name is Ken Coker, owner of Mystery customer services.A private security service located in the USA.This job offer is for people residing in the UK. We are a company that conduct surveys and evaluate other companies. We get hired to go to other peoples companies and act like customers in order to know how the staffs are handling their services in relation to their customers. once we have a contract to do so, you would be directed to the company or outlet, and you would be given the funds you need to do the job(either purchase things or require services), after which you would write a comment on the staffs activities and give a detailed record of your experience. Examples of details you would forward to us are 1) How long it took you to get services. 2) Smartness of the attendant 3)Customer service professionalism 4)Sometimes you might be required to upset the attendant, to see how they react to clients why they get tensed. And we turn the information over to the company executives who will carry out their own duties in improving their services. Most companies employ our assistance when people give complains about their services, or when they feel there are needs for them to improve their customer service. Your Identity will be kept confidential as the job states (secret shopper). You will be paid 300 pounds for every duty you carry out, and bonus on your transportation allowance, and funds would be given to you if you have to spend as part of the duty. Your job will be to evaluate and comment on customer service in a wide variety of shops, stores, restaurant and services in your area. No commitment is made on this job, and you would have flexible hours as it suits you. If you are interested, kindly send in these information: FULL NAME: CONTACT ADDRESS:(NO P O BOX) TELEPHONE NUMBER: MOBILE NUMBER: AGE: OCCUPATION: This is so that we can look at your distance from the locations which you have to put your service into, and your address will also be need for your payments. Thanks Ken Coker.

Mystery Shopper Scam - Thursday 22nd May 2008
Key words: Ken Coker, Western Union
Email example below

Dear M.Shopper,

Shopper's Guide wants you to run a survey on two prominent companies in your area.

The 1st is a Western Union Location
The 2nd a Restaurant

There have been reports about laps in the services of their Management and some of their staffs.Their complaints were based on reports which their customers forwarded anonymously and Phone calls which were also made to the head office.

The Western union location was reported for evaluation for the following reasons:

I) Customers have reported their money missing
ii) Slow services
iii) Unbalanced transfer charges

The 2nd company was reported to be rendering

(I) Poor services
(ii) Rudeness to customers
(iii) Excess charge
(iii) Late opening time and Closing before time.

As promised, I, Ken Coker will never ask for you to use your own personal money in the cause of work for me.I will always provide the necessary funds for you to carry out any project/assignment given to you.

Your Secret Evaluation would be

1) To make a transfer of fund from this western union location to our Mystery shopper and the funds would be picked up by another mystery shopper at the exact location Which a customer reported her funds missing.
2) You will have to record the time at which you go to the location and how many minutes it took you to get service.
3) You will be sent some money out of which you will take your income and also money for the job. So we need your bank details so we can wire the money to you immediately and also for the duty. Details needed are BANK NAME,ACCT NAME, ACCT NUMBER, SORT CODE.
4) Upon receiving the funds, the locations address would be forwarded to you, and also the Name and address of whom the Mystery shoppers transfer would be made to. You will have to keep a comprehensive report on every activity you carry out.

Truly yours,
Ken Coker

Mystery Shopper Scam - Thursday 29th May 2008
Key words: Craigs List, Daniel Ray (danray24@googlemail.com), Shoppers Guide Ltd, Tel: 07024063510
Email example below

Hello,

we are a company that conduct surveys and evaluate other companies. We get hired to go to other peoples companies and act like customers in order to know how the staffs are handling their services in relation to their customers. once we have a contract to do so, you would be directed to the company or outlet, and you would be given the funds you need to do the job(either purchase things or require services), after which you would write a comment on the staffs activities and give a detailed record of your experience

Examples of details you would forward to us are

1) How long it took you to get services.
2) Smartness of the attendant
3)Customer service professionalism
4)Sometimes you might be required to upset the attendant, to see how they react to clients whey they get tensed.

And we turn the information over to the company executives and they would carry out their own duties in improving there services.We will pay £150 on every evaulation carried out. We need to run a background check on you.

Please get back to us with the following data :

First Name :
Middle Name :
Last Name :
Address : (NO PO BOX )
Postal Code :
Nationality :
Sex :
Marital Status :
Date of Birth :
Age : (18 and Above)
Home phone number :
Cell phone number :

Thanks

Daniel Ray
www.mystery-shoppers.co.uk ( 07024063510 )
Shoppers Guide Ltd

Mystery Shopper Scam - Monday 21st July 2008
Key words: Craigs List, Robert Sefton (rob4sefton108@googlemail.com), Shoppers Guide Ltd
Email example below

Hello,

we are a company that conduct surveys and evaluate other companies. We get hired to go to other peoples companies and act like customers in order to know how the staffs are handling their services in relation to their customers. once we have a contract to do so, you would be directed to the company or outlet, and you would be given the funds you need to do the job(either purchase things or require services), after which you would write a comment on the staffs activities and give a detailed record of your experience

Examples of details you would forward to us are

1) How long it took you to get services.
2) Smartness of the attendant
3)Customer service professionalism
4)Sometimes you might be required to upset the attendant, to see how they react to clients whey they get tensed.

And we turn the information over to the company executives and they would carry out their own duties in improving there services.We will pay £150 on every evaulation carried out. We need to run a background check on you.

Please get back to us with the following data :

First Name :
Middle Name :
Last Name :
Address : (NO PO BOX )
Postal Code :
Nationality :
Sex :
Marital Status :
Date of Birth :
Age : (18 and Above)
Home phone number :
Cell phone number :

Thanks

Robert Sefton
www.mystery-shoppers.co.uk
Shoppers Guide Ltd