Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
By Maureen Milliken
Think you’re too smart to get taken in by a scam? So did I.
Now I’m poorer by more than $1,300.
Many who are scammed don’t report it because they’re too embarrassed. I’m embarrassed, too, but I’m putting myself out there for a reason. Don’t read this thinking “this couldn’t happen to me,” but rather, “knowing this could happen to me will help me avoid it.”
It started legitimately. I was asked by an employer to answer a questionnaire on Survey Monkey. When I completed it, one about my consumer habits popped up. (Only the first one was from my employer, and I was aware of that). I was then asked if I’d like to be a secret shopper. I answered yes, then forgot about it.
A month later, I got a text saying I’d been accepted and a second text saying I’d get a package in the mail.
In the package was a “cashier’s check” for $1,650. I was to deposit the check, make a $50 purchase at Wal-Mart, answer some survey questions. Then, at the same Wal-Mart, buy three gift cards for $400, $400 and $500 and answer more questions. I would keep the remaining $300.
The letter told me to scratch the back of the gift cards and text a photo of the backs. I was to do it all in 48 hours.
After I did it, my bank called. When I heard the voicemail from my bank’s security vice president, even though she didn’t say why she was calling or identify her position, it clicked. I went online, and sure enough, I’d been scammed.
I filed reports immediately with the Better Business Bureau, the state attorney general’s office, the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI.
My bank was sympathetic, but there wasn’t much they could do. I also made a police report, but again, not much they could do.
In fact, there’s no way post-scam to get my money back, and it’s not clear if any of the agencies I reported to actively investigate this type of scam, rather than just collect information.
Wal-Mart asked I send the police report, but they won’t do much either.
The Federal Trade Commission logged complaints from 2.86 million Americans scammed out of a total of $905 million in 2017. There are the well-known — think Nigerian prince — and lesser-known, like Wal-Mart Secret Shopper. Here’s an interesting statistic — young people are more likely to get scammed than older people, but those over 70 lose larger amounts of money.
You may think I’m an idiot — that’s ok. There’s nothing you can think I already haven’t.
HOW DID I FALL FOR IT?
These aren’t excuses; I don’t blame anyone but myself. This is just the post-mortem, an answer to the big question, “How did I fall for it?”
It seemed to come from a “legitimate” source — Survey Monkey. If I’d gotten a text out of the blue about the same thing, I would have ignored it.
Scammers will rush you. On top of it, they were fortunate to get me during a very hectic week.
The texts weren’t a red flag — I recently worked for a national chain at which texting was the main means of communication with supervisors. Annoying and unprofessional, yes, but I assumed it was the new normal.
The letter had enough grammatical errors that it should have been a big red flag, but I often see grammatical and spelling errors in professional correspondence these days.
I rarely use gift cards and thought scratching the back meant the card had been used, I didn’t realize that was a PIN.
I thought the amount of money I’d get for doing it was a lot, but maybe not a lot to a large retailer trying to prevent losses.
You still may think it won’t happen to you. Reading this over, I still can’t believe it happened to me. Who is this naïve and not-very-bright person? Instead of focusing on specifics (though knowing them will help), think big picture.
I keep hearing “If it seems to good to be true, it probably is.”
I don’t think that’s great advice. “Too good to be true” is relative. I didn’t think the “secret shopper opportunity” was too good to be true; I thought it’d be interesting.
Here’s advice that’s not as pithy, but makes more sense: “If you are offered money or are asked for money from a source that found you, rather than you finding it, check it out.”
Maureen Milliken is a journalist, the author of a mystery series and co-host of the true crime podcast “Crime & Stuff” with her sister, artist Rebecca Milliken. For a more detailed account of this scam, listen to Episode 50 of Crime & Stuff, which will be available in July.
