CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — As the holiday season approaches, experts said that is when scams are typically on the rise. And a Fleming Island woman almost fell victim to one involving a mystery shopping job.
Laura Rode received a check in the mail for over $1500.
“I was like Wow, that’s a lot,” said Rode.
She was hired as a mystery shopper.
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“I was just looking for a little side gig,” said Rode. “I don’t think I actually applied for a mystery shopping job.”
The so-called employer Elite CXS texted her and told her to check her mailbox and follow the instructions in the letter to deposit that check. But Laura said something didn’t feel right, so she did some research and learned it was all fake.
“It’s so crazy,” said Rode. “I’m so glad that I was aware enough to look it up. But I can see how somebody, another person that might be in a financial crisis, would get this in the mail and deposit it and not know, and then be out of the money.”
Experts said schemes like that are very common …
“The catch is, the check that the consumer receives is fake, it is not a real check,” John Breyault with the National Consumers League said. “Because of the way the check clearing process works, the consumer will have access to those funds before the bank catches on that it is not a legitimate check. Once the bank finds out it is a fake check, the consumer is then on the hook from that amount.”
Breyault said it receives an uptick in complaints over similar scams during the holiday season.
“Scammers are setting up fake shopping websites or putting ads on social media,” said Breyault. “We see this around things like luxury apparel as well or in-demand gaming systems.”
For Rode, she hopes sharing her experience will prevent someone else from falling for it.
“If it’s too good to be true, it most likely is,” said Rode. If you receive a check in the mail that seems suspicious, experts said, report it to the Federal Trade Commission.
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