Mom Makes the News

Remember my post about the meaningless scam artist? Well, it turns out that this was related to my mother trying to get a job online as a secret shopper. It's still meaningless. I can't imagine what is in it for the perpetrator, but our local news station decided to pick up the story.



http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=9975010&nav=menu7_2_6_2

Oak Ridge woman's online job search leads to fake money
orders

By DON DARE
6 On Your Side Reporter

OAK RIDGE (WATE) -- Once good as gold, money orders have been tarnished
by a new generation of fakes.

Technology makes it easy to forge all
kinds of checks.

For several months, 6 On Your Side has reported how
counterfeit cashier checks have flooded mail boxes.

Now, it's something
new, fake money orders.

Two of them recently reached Oak Ridge resident
Pat Jump, who has been searching the Internet for a job.

She received
two postal money orders for $950 each.

It didn't take long before she
found an opportunity.

Her so-called employers sent postal money orders
to help her get started. "It's easy money, easy money, easy get," Jump said.

Despite the lure of easy money, Jump was suspicious and she did some
investigating.

She cross-referenced the name on the check, Johnson Park
in Plano, Texas. It didn't match.

According to Jump, she contacted the
fraud department at the post office and was told the checks' numbers were
fraudulent.

Real money orders will have an image of Ben Franklin if you
hold the check up to the light.

Also, the initials U.S.P.S. are embedded
in the security thread running left to right.

Jump counts herself lucky
for not cashing the money orders.

The people who send bogus money orders
might suggest you cash them at a bank, because they know the people at a local
post office can spot the fake ones.

If you think you've gotten funny
money, go to the post office and have them look at it.