What looked like a promising job perspective for an unemployed, single mother of two, turned out to be nothing more than a scam that almost cost her big bucks.
Carla Roundtree, of Pompano Beach, spotted an online ad for a mystery shopper and quickly signed up.
The job was to go to a business, use their services and then rate the experience.
"The next day, overnight UPS, I get an envelope telling me to open up the letter, then follow the instructions for the money order," Roundtree told Local 10's Jeff Weinsier.
The U.S. Postal service money order she received was for $990. According to the attached instructions, Roundtree was to head to her bank, deposit the money order, and keep $200 for herself, then wire the rest through Western Union to an address in California.
As a mystery shopper, Roundtree was to rate her experience with Western Union.
But, Roundtree took the money order to the Post Office in Oakland Park instead of her bank.
"The postal employee said this is not valid. I said are you serious, it says U.S. Post Office right here," said Roundtree.
U.S. Postal Inspector Blanca Alvarez said then money order Roundtree received does look close to a real money order.
"We do have agents that investigate counterfeit money orders. It is something that we would look into," said Alvarez said.
Roundtree is one of the lucky ones. Had she taken the money order to her bank and deposited it into her account, things could have been costly.
"They may have not caught it right away and I would have owed the bank $1,000 plus fees," she said.
Ultimately the person who deposits the bad checks is responsible for the loss amount.
Alvarez said there are security features in place on legitimate money orders.
CLICK: Don't be a victim of mail fraud.
"The Ben Franklin is only visible when you hold the order up to the light, and on this one the numbers overlap," Alvarez said, comparing the fake money order to a real one.
The counterfeiting is a federal offense. Alvarez says the fact that you are receiving money from someone you don't know should be a clear indication something is wrong.
The U.S. Postal Service has now launched an investigation.
If you are interested in becoming a mystery shoppers, there are a number of legitimate companies out there.
The Mystery Shopping Providers Association is a good place to start if you want to check up on a agency.
They say you should never have to pay up front to join a mystery shopping company, and if an offer sounds too good to be true it usually is.
You can check out companies on their website, just click here.
