When Kimberly Spell saw a classified ad in The Daily Record for a clerical job, she thought it was right up her alley, so she called.
The voice at the other end of the line told Mrs. Spell she had the opportunity to participate in a mystery shopper program, evaluating the customer service and efficiency of Wal-Mart's wire transfer service.
Mrs. Spell was sent a money order for $2,775, along with a checklist of criteria on which to evaluate the Wal-Mart employee. She was told to cash the money order at her own bank, keep $300 for payment and use the rest to evaluate the wire transfer service, sending it back to a fictitious relative named Tracy Spell.
When Mrs. Spell went to her bank, State Employees Credit Union in Dunn, the money order raised eyebrows only because of the unusually high amount. The branch manager was called over to inspect the check. He verified it as authentic and Mrs. Spell was given the cash.
She successfully sent the $2,475 to Laura Spell in Ontario, Canada, all the while paying careful attention to her checklist criteria and the attitude of the Wal-Mart employees.
Following the transaction, Mrs. Spell called the mystery shopper company to confirm the job was complete.
The next day, promptly at 10 a.m., a second package arrived via overnight delivery and the same routine took place again. On the third day, two checks were enclosed in the overnight envelope. On the fourth day, the company in Canada sent Mrs. Spell four checks, bringing the grand total to $23,055.
When Mrs. Spell went to her bank to start the day's work with these four checks, she was told they, along with the first four she had cashed, were all fakes. All of the checks bounced, and Mrs. Spell and her husband, Howard Spell, will be held responsible for the more than $10,000 they wired away to an unknown person in Canada.
The advertisement is no longer running in The Daily Record.
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