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MoneyGram Scam Pops Up In Midwest

February 3, 2006
A new scam has cropped up in the Midwest, combining a phony check scam with the popularity of the "mystery shopper" craze. In Monroe County, Wisconsin, the sheriff’s office says it has received several reports of attempts to scam more than $3,000 from local residents.

It works like this: a consumer receives an official looking package that promises to pay $350 for help in evaluating a MoneyGram service. But recipients are instructed to act on the offer within 48 hours, or the offer becomes void.

Inside the package is a cashier's check for $3,575. Recipients are instructed to deposit the check and then use the MoneyGram service to send the scammer the $3,575 back. After the transaction, they are told, they will receive a check for $350.

Police say the cashiers checks are phony, so if victims send a MoneyGram, they're sending their own money, which they can't retrieve. By instructing the victim to act within 48 hours, the scammer makes sure there isn’t enough time for the check to bounce before the victim sends the MoneyGram.

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