Recruitment Scam

Please be aware that people misrepresenting themselves as employees of IntelliShop have been attempting to recruit individuals to participate in a fraudulent mystery shopping program. The scammers are recruiting on LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, as well as other job posting sites. They have gone as far as creating fake websites to recruit shoppers/victims. The scams vary slightly, but the overarching structure is the same. After signing up, a packet is mailed to participants in this “program”. Included in the packet is a check or money order, which is to be deposited into the shopper/victim’s bank account. A portion of the funds is to be wired to a specific account, through a specific company/money wiring service or used to buy gift cards and the remainder is to be retained as compensation for the services rendered. The check/money order is not real and will bounce. The victim will then be responsible for covering the amount of the fraudulent check. The scammer, of course, pockets the portion of money that was wired back or has already used the gift card codes and disappears. IntelliShop NEVER sends checks/money orders, we ONLY pay our shoppers through PayPal.

If you think that you have been contacted by a scammer or you do receive a check/money order in the mail, please report it to your local authorities. We also suggest that you contact your nearest Postal Inspection Service Office by calling 1-877-876-2455, then press option “4” or say “Fraud.” You can also make a report online by visiting postalinspectors.uspis.gov. We recommend blocking the scammers from your email and phone so they can no longer contact you. If you ever have questions about the legitimacy of a shop offer, please call our office directly at 419-872-5103.