Promises, promises: Work-from-home scams

Chris Hansen Correspondent • Profile

The headlines seem to get worse every day. The economy in a nose dive. Unemployment at record highs. And in the middle of it all, Internet criminals are now targeting people desperate to find jobs. Officials warn the scam is spreading nationwide, often with devastating consequences for honest, hard-working families.

Carol Browning is a single mom raising a son, a daughter, and a granddaughter. She has a full-time job, a house in a nice neighborhood. But, now, she's at risk of losing it all.

Carol Browning: And I try not to let 'em see what I'm goin' through or see me cryin' or worrying about it.  But -- (fights tears)

Chris Hansen: That's got to be stressful.

Carol Browning: It is.

Carol got caught up in one of the biggest scams sweeping the county. As you listen to her story, step-by-step, ask yourself: Would you have done anything differently?? It all began just before Christmas, when Carol was searching online for ways to make some extra money. She spotted an ad for what sounded like a perfect part-time job -- as a mystery shopper. So Carol signed up online, and, before long, this letter with instructions.

It all looked legit: a company name, "Mystery Shoppers, PLC;" an address in New York City; even a toll-free number she had to call for training before she could start.

Her assignment: shop at a local Wal-mart to test how helpful the staff is, then evaluate the service at Western Union by wiring money to another mystery shopper in a different state. The amount to transfer?  Just over $3,000.

The company told Carol she didn't have to worry about the money -- they'd send a check. Enough to cover her shopping trip to Wal-mart, that big Western Union transfer, and her pay for doing the job. In all, a check for $3,850.

Carol got the check alright, but she was cautious. So, before she did anything else, she says she took the check to a teller at her local bank.

Carol Browning: She ran it, and she told me, "Yeah--

Chris Hansen: Good to go.

Carol Browning: It's good. You can get access to your money tomorrow."  And I said "You sure?" Not a seven-day hold on it?"  She said, "No, it's clear.  It's clear."

Thinking things were on the up and up, Carol followed the instructions.  She deposited the check, withdrew the money from her account, went to Western Union, and wired $3,100 to a company contact in Kansas.

Everything seemed fine until a week later, when she tried to get some money at an ATM.

Carol Browning: And it wouldn't go through.  It said "insufficient funds".  And this--

Chris Hansen: Insufficient funds?

Carol Browning: -- this was only for $20.

Chris Hansen: So you had nothing in your checking account.

Carol Browning: Nothing.

Turns out that big check was no good. Even though Carol thought she'd checked it out, even though her bank gave her the money. It turned out to be sophisticated counterfeit.

And you may be surprised to learn that in cases like that, a bank can still reverse the deposit - and hold you responsible. And that's exactly what was happening to Carol.

Carol Browning: Pulled the account up and told me that I was overdrawn $3,500 and some and I said, "What?"

In effect, Carol hadn't wired the company's money, she'd sent her own. Draining her bank account.

Carol Browning: My life just turned upside-down.  Because- I mean, I couldn't do nothing but cry.

Who's behind the job scams - cheating Americans looking for honest work? Join us as we go online and undercover, applying for jobs, and taking you inside the scams.

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