Deputies investigating ‘secret shopper/mystery shopper’ scam

St. Mary Parish sheriff’s deputies are investigating a complaint of an online secret shopper scam in which the victim was defrauded, a news release stated.
The scam began with an email from a company claiming to be hiring mystery shoppers. The victim was directed to cash a money order sent from the fraudulent company and then forward a portion of the money order to a California address. The victim was ultimately defrauded of $1,000.
Scam artists often claim that you must first deposit a check or money order often sent by the scammer and mail or wire money back to them in order to collect a monetary benefit, the news release said. If an unsuspecting bank customer withdraws the money before the check or money order clears, then it is the customer who is responsible for any deficiency if the check or money order is fraudulent, the release said.
In recent months, the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office has also received reports of phone scams in which callers claim to be from the Internal Revenue Service, computer maintenance companies, and other entities, the news release stated.
Scams come in all shapes and sizes but do have a common theme: The scammer wants money or personal/private information from you, the news release stated.
Sheriff Mark Hebert urges residents to talk with their families and friends who may be unaware of these and other types of scams, the news release said.
If you suspect that a scammer is targeting you, contact your local law enforcement agency for the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office at 985-384-1622 or 337-828-1960.
In addition to alerting the local authorities, internet and phone scams may also be reported online at www.ic3.gov. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center, funded in part by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The site also provides information and tips for the public on how scams work and how to avoid them.