This is the first time I've ever issued a report on Ripoff here, and I have no connection to Ripoff, other than wanting to prevent someone from experiencing a loss, as I feel that there is a very high degree of probability that this is a fraudulent scheme with authentic-looking packaging.
I received a mailing from "General Growth Marketing & Research Logistics" on the first line of the letter, with a second title for the company "Market Research & Logistics" on the second line, and yet another different name on their voice recording. Enclosed in the envelope was what appeared to be a real cashier's check, from Wachovia Bank, National Association, with the title of "Wachovia Official Check" made out to my name in the amount of $2, 670.00 and inviting me to be a "secret shopper" for their firm. They explained in the letter that I would have a "training assignment" for which I would be paid; Buying an item at Wal-Mart for $50, one at J.C.Penney for the same amount, and sending a $2, 200 money order to another individual throught Western Union, who was supposedly another secret shopper. At every juncture when I started asking questions concerning the legitimacy of this firm and this project, the representative, with a strong foreign accent, claiming he was from Guiana (north of South America in the Caribbean), became very arrogant and brusque, always threatening to cancel the opportunity and go to the next caller. After I got instructions as to who I was supposed to send the money to, a man named "Randy" in Orlando, FL, I called back just to see if I could speak with the person who supposedly wrote the letter, a certain "Rikky Vincent". He was not listed in the company phone directory. Red flag #1! My representative, supposedly on Ext. 2, was named Mikel, but when I called back on ext. 1 for "Chris", he sounded just like Mikel, with the same accent! Are there two men from Guyana working in the same office in Ontario, Canada with the same sounding accent and voice? Red flag number two!
I next went to the BBB for Canada and the U.S. Although Mikel had claimed that the company has been in business for 15 years, they have no record that came up for the company... Red flag #3!
I know from past experience speaking with bankers that ANY check, even if it is a cashier's check, can be cancelled. I don't know how they are able to print so many of these checks, because they do appear to be on authentic bank-type paper, with security features such as colored fibers, watermarks, micro-print lines, etc. When I called and supposedly "activate" my check, Mikel could not give me a confirmation number for the activation, which raised a caution signal in my mind.
Later, upon going to the internet, and finding two other complaints dealing with this situation, I saw that they have used different names in the past: one, just like I've received, and another, "EM & EM Growth Marketing & Research Logistics", I believe, as listed in the other report, with the same business address. This raises yet another red flag!
If you have a good relationship with your bank, they will often advance you money on a check before it clears. However, I suspect that in this case they will either cancel the check, so that you are left with essentially a $2, 670 debt, or that in the future they would do something like that. I could not get an answer as to why they would require as one of their first "training assignments", such a large monetary transfer through Western Union. To me, this smells like fraud/money laundering, or a combination of both! Although it would be nice to earn the $250 for this "assignment", and keep the items from Wal Mart and J.C.Penneys, sometimes, "discretion is the better part of valor." I decided to pass on this one, and have them cancel the "activation"' on the check so as to not jeopardize my banking relationship. Once a check or series of checks bounce, it's definitely not a good thing for your account. In the meantime, you could be out the money entirely. Catching up with these guys might be a difficult hassle. Be careful!
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