i am the blog

So I responded to this craigslist ad:

Writing Reports (All Location)

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Reply to: job-jgjg4-1209782309@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}
Date: 2009-06-07, 1:11PM EDT

Hello Applicant,

the purpose of Mystery Shoppers is to help businesses increase sales and improve employee customer service awareness. We provide businesses with more information than other mystery shopping companies through the use of questionnaires and detailed narratives. Once we have a contract to do so, you will be directed to the company or outlet and you will be given funds to either purchase things or require services, after which you would write a comment on the staffs activities and give a detailed report of your experience.
Some of the common details and information points shoppers:

* the date and time of the visit
* the name of the store
* number of employees in the store on entering
* how long it takes before the mystery shopper is greeted
* the name of the employee(s)
* whether or not the greeting is friendly
* the questions asked by the shopper to find a suitable product
* the questions asked by the employee(s)
* the types of products shown
* whether the employee invited the shopper to come back to the store
* cleanliness of store and store associates
* speed of service
* compliance with company standards relating to service, store appearance, and grooming/presentation

After this, we turn the information over to the company executives and they would carry out their own duties in improving there services.We are presently paying $400 to carry out two evaluations within a week.

Recruitment: Initially, we will add you to our database of Mystery Shoppers. Then, when we need someone in your area who matches your profile, we’ll give you a call and describe the project to see if you are interested.Sometimes we will arrange for a mini-interview on phone.However, If you have been a Mystery Shopper before or have been recommended by someone we know, this may not be necessary.

Assignments: Some assignments are one-off, taking maybe an hour or so of your time, some are virtually full-time. Some will need only a written or telephone briefing; others will need you to attend a training session.

mystery shoppers offers a full range of shopping services in a variety of industries:

• Restaurant • Retail • Hotels • Financial Services • Grocery
• Automotive • Call Centers • Services … and many more.

We need your the following information, so we can add you to our database.(Payment will be sent to your address)

First Name :
Last Name :
Address : (NO PO BOX )
City :
State :
Zip Code :
Email:
Sex :
Age : (18 and Above)
Cell Phone number :
Home Phone number :
Present Occupation :

Immediately this is done we will give a phone call or send an email to let you know your placement with our company.

Ginger Prior
Mystery Shoppers

And I got this email in reply:

Subject:	Mystery Shopper Evaluation
From:	Ginger Prior <gingrprishprecuritm@gmail.com> (Add as Preferred Sender)
Date:	Mon, Jun 08, 2009 2:34 pm
To:	perry@perrycrowe.com

Hello,
your application has been approved.Through extensive background checks,your information has been reviewed and processed.It is a pleasure to inform you that you have been cleared to be one of our Mystery shopper (agent).Mystery Shopper needs you to carry out a survey on one prominent company on your area.

YOUR FIRST EVALUATION
The 1st evaluation is MoneyGram International (Agents  Location)
The management and staff of …..?…..have reported lapses in the services MoneyGram in
some locations around the U.S.Their complains were based on reports which their customers forwarded anonymously and phone calls which were also made to the head office.

The MoneyGram Agents locations were reported for evaluation for the following reasons:
(i)   Slow services
(ii)  Unbalanced exchange rate
(iii) Poor services
(iv)  Rudeness to customers
(v)   Excess charge

YOUR SECRET EVALUATION WILL BE

1) To make a transfer of funds from a MoneyGram location to our Agent in another state,and the funds would be picked up by our mystery shopper at the exact location which a customer reported her funds stolen from.
2) You will have to record the time at which you got to the location and how many minutes it took you to get service.You will be sent a check of $4,800 which would cover your payment of $400 for your duty. As soon as you receive the Check you would cash it at your bank, deduct your $400 (commission) and use the rest of the money for the evaluation.
3) Upon receiving the funds, you will look for a MoneyGram location around you to carry out your task and also the Name and address of whom the Mystery shoppers transfer would be made to will sent to you. You would have to keep a comprehensive report on every activity you carry out.
4) You will also provide me with the name of the cashier that attended to you along with the name of the MoneyGram location and address.Your report should be drafted and sent to me via email immediately as soon as the transfer is made .

Please acknowledge the receipt of  this email. Further instructions will be sent to you during the week via email.

Ginger Prior
Mystery Shoppers

Now, the idea that my first assignment involves depositing a check into my own bank account is already fishy.  I also don’t like “Ginger Prior” rewriting from a gmail account (hell, *I’ve* got a perrycrowe.com email address).  I also don’t like the claim that I have been put through “extensive background checks” since I sent the email yesterday, an email which contained nothing that was particularly background checkable.  So what say you?  Total scam?

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