Police are urging people not to believe adverts asking for mystery shoppers to trial the efficiency of Western Union money transfers.
Adverts have recently appeared in local newspapers, inviting volunteers to become mystery shoppers. In return for testing the efficiency of Western Union money transfer staff, the volunteers are told they will earn a commission.
Money lost
The fraudsters responsible for the adverts send fake cheques to those who respond to the advert, which they pay into their own bank accounts before wiring money from a Western Union outlet.
The cheques bounce after the victims have sent the money via Western Union, leaving them out of pocket. In one instance, a man lost a four figure sum of money.
Anyone who has lost money to a scam like this should report it to Action Fraud.
Read more about the mystery shopper scam on the Lothian and Borders Police website.
Please note: Action Fraud is not responsible for the content on external websites.
To report a fraud, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.
See also:
Money muling
Illegal 'scraping' sites target tenants
Internet auction fraud
