Fairfield Police Warn Residents About Secret Shopper Scam

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield police are warning residents about a scam after a community member almost fell victim in recent weeks.

The Fairfield resident reported June 11 that they were contacted through text message by a person they did not know to become a secret shopper, according to a police news release. The resident responded, signed up to become a secret shopper, and was sent a packet in the mail including a check valued at over $2,000, police said.

Upon receiving the check, the resident realized it was a scam and brought the check to police, according to the news release.

"We commend this individual for their attentiveness and for contacting the police as soon as they learned of the possible scam," the news release said. "Typically, scams such as this one have irreversible consequences, but due to this individual’s diligence, this situation ended positively. Anyone who believes they may have been contacted by an individual with a similar offer is encouraged to contact us immediately."

The Federal Trade Commission reported that several instances have occurred in which a person received a text, email or letter inviting them to work as a “secret shopper” for a “research project starting in their area,” according to police. The recruiter would then send shoppers a fake check for more than $2,000 and ask the victim to:

• Cash or deposit the check immediately;
• Buy gift cards with most of the money;
• Keep about $450 as pay;
• Scratch the coating off the gift cards to show the PIN codes;
• Send pictures of the cards’ front and back (with the codes) to the recruiter.

Often, once a bank found out the check was fake, the victim was held responsible for the money spent, police said.

Any unknown person who contacts a resident to deposit a check, withdraw money and send it to someone is likely a scammer, according to police.

In order to avoid fake check scams, residents should consider the following tips and information from the Federal Trade Commission:

• Don’t accept checks or money offers from unknown people. Don't accept a check for more than the selling price.
• Never use money from a check to send gift cards or money orders, or wire money to strangers or someone you just met.
• Fake checks often look real and can be printed with the names and addresses of legitimate financial institutions. Such checks may be real, but written on bank accounts that belong to identity theft victims.
• When funds are made available in your account, the bank may say a check has “cleared,” but that doesn’t mean it’s a good check. Fake checks can take weeks to be discovered.

To learn more about fake check scams, click here. For more information, or if you feel you have been victimized, call Fairfield police at 203-254-4800 and report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov/Complaint.