Internet Scam: Fake Walmart Job Opportunity

Here is an excellent example of how a fake job ad for Walmart looks like. First of all, this came unsolicited to me, so that was a tipoff - to me. But to someone deep into a job search might not realize that and this is what the scammer is hoping. Secondly, always view the email message headers and see if the REPLY-TO is different than the FROM email address. When they are, that is often a big sign it is a scammer. Thirdly, I'm not completely convinced there are ANY legitimate mystery shopper jobs (and if there are, they are certainly drowned out by the hundreds of thousands of scammer mystery shopper ads).

What this email would turn into, if I were to fall for it, would be a check cashing scam. They would send you counterfeit check(s) to do your shopping, ask you send a portion of the check to some other entity (sometimes they say another office), ALWAYS via Western Union (so watch out for that), you would deposit the check(s) and then use your own good money to do the actual shopping, only to find out later that their original check was fake and the bank has withdrawn that money from your account. You are out your shopping money AND the money you forwarded via Western Union.

Sometimes, the scammers are lazy and just go right for the Western Union part by saying they are a company that has been hired to secretly test the quality of Western Union's service, so they will be sending you a check and you keep a portion for yourself and wire the rest back to them and send them a report on the quality of the service. Of course, no one has been hired to do anything and you are out the money you wired back to them because their check will turn out to be counterfeit.

Received: from xolido36.xolido.com ([193.127.98.3])
From:    Wal-mart (admin@walmart.com)
Reply-To: [walmart@superkingston.us]

Subject: Re: Job Opportunity

Will you like to Shop and Get Paid? You can earn as much as $2,700 monthly
working while carrying out a mystery shopping survey assignment for our company?
Shop details include dining out in restaurants, and carrying out secret survey
reports on Financial Institutions, and feeding us back with the activities that
transpires between you and the shop attendants. This is a form of feedback
mechanism to check on the activities of our staff for job performance
evaluation.

TO PARTICIPATE; KINDLY FILL IN THE FORM  BELOW

-----------------------------------------------------------------

YOUR FULL NAME(s):

FULL RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: Street Number/City/State/Zip Code.

Cell/Home/ Telephone Number:

Alternative Email Address:

We are well registered by the appropriate authorities and we are licensed to
operate under legal and licensed organization of the better business bureau,
Working with our company guarantee's you a safe relationship and licensed
establishment.

Your response would be highly appreciated.
 
Regards.
Task Co-ordinator
Gary Lockrey
WALMART SURVEY INC.