There's a new scam hitting the Delta that promises quick riches but could land unsuspecting victims in jail.
Just ask Jack Brooks.
Brooks, 48, of 105 Elm St., Apt. B, was arrested Monday by Greenwood police for uttering forgery and possession of a counterfeit check.
Brooks has been released on bond.
Detective Capt. Mel Andrews, the city's chief of detectives, said the setup is "a new face on an old scam."
In December, Brooks received a letter from ACRA Inc., a company supposedly based in British Columbia, Canada, Andrews said.
The letter contained a cashier's check, payable to Brooks for $4,770, from a Cleveland, Ohio-based bank.
The bank is legitimate, but it does not issue cashier's checks, Andrews said. Also, the bank's routing number, printed on the check, is incorrect.
The letter from ACRA, which described itself as a "secret customer employment firm," proposed employing Brooks as a mystery or "secret" shopper, the detective said.
"Basically, he was to pose as a potential customer. In the process, he was to evaluate customer service," Andrews said.
Andrews said Brooks took the check to a local furniture store to be cashed. When the store later called the 1-800 number on the check, it was a non-working number.
Brooks was instructed by the company to cash the check, take $680 out for his expenses and make small purchases at Wal-Mart and other stores in town totaling $290 as part of the "mystery" shopping program.
Brooks also was asked to return in cash to the company $2,600 via Western Union and another $1,200 via MoneyGram, which he claims he did, Andrews said.
The company provided forms to Brooks for his evaluation of the stores and their employees regarding their appearance and promptness of service, Andrews said.
Andrews said the letter sent to Brooks in December bears the return address of 888 Wellington Ave., British Columbia, Canada.
ACRA Inc., a Mantua, N.J.-based secret shop company, issued a statement on its Web site, www.secretshopacra.com, regarding the scam coming from Ontario or any other Canadian city.
"It appears that our company (a legitimate secret shop company), as well as yourselfs, have been victims of a scam. The party that perpetrated the fraud used our company name and website address only, and all of the other information (names, address, banking info) was fictitious," said Clay Carlos, president of the company in the statement.
The U.S. Office of the Comptroller of Currency, Special Supervision Division of the U.S. Treasury Department, issued the following advice on the scam.
"With documentation in hand, notify the bank that is printed on the check," the notice said.
Andrews said residents who have received similar letters can contact his office at police headquarters at 453-3311.
"Don't cash these checks," he said.
Andrews then offered an old adage about similar get-rich-quick schemes. "If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is."
Anyone who has received similar letters originating in Canada is advised to contact the U.S. Postal Inspector Service by telephone at 1-888-877-7644, by mail at U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General, Operations Support Group, 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1250, Chicago IL 60606-6100 or via e-mail at www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm.
Complaints can also be filed with the Federal Trade Commission by telephone at 1-877-FTC-HELP or file an electronic complaint via the Internet at www.ftc.gov.
Finally, a complaint may be filed with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police by telephone at 1-888-495-8501 or via e-mail at www.info@phonebusters.com.
