Thinking of you

Where is the time going?  I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've posted!  There's been lots going on in my life since  the past few months  - and I'm still  pain free! 

I must share with you  a  most recent  experience!    It started with a promising email about  earning a few extra dollars by being a "mystery shopper"!  Being the gullible person I am, I applied for the job and within a few days my first assignment arrived in the form of 2 postal money orders for the same  2 large amounts totalling  more than $900 each.  I wasn't hasty to get started - I  even had doubts about what I was supposed to do and sent an email  to ask a few  more questions about my new job!

 As it turned out, I chickened out of  the  first assignment after  reading  the alerts on  the moneygram  form I was told  to  send out to a third party!  !  It stated: " don't send any money in regards to a  request of  you as a mystery shopper,  because  someone may be  trying to steal money from you"!  

The puzzling thing- it  wasn't my money I was asked to  send out - I  received  the monies the day before in the form of 2  postal money orders  delivered by FedEx!  My  assignment was  emailed to me a few hours later after the money orders arrived:  cash  them at your bank  and   forward  the money in a moneygram from this particular store  to a  third  party whose address was given me!  The reason I was given:   customers had been complaining that the monies they sent  from this  location was never received!  It sounded  legitimate enough - however  a red flag went up when I read the alert on the moneygram instructions!  I was  stopped in my tracks knowing  that I didn't have the confidence to go forward with what I was being asked to do!  So I returned home and sent another email to the person with more questions!

 I found out today  from the bank manager that even tho  the money orders looked authentic enough to cash,  that they  were either stolen or counterfeit and would  probably be returned  to the  bank within  10-14  days!  My checking account would be  held responsible for that money,  had I sent the moneygram -  I would have been out of almost $2000. 

Live and learn!  Luckily I  stopped to read the instructions before sending the moneygram which also asked for my social security number, my birth date, my occupation, etc. because  the moneygram was over $900.  

 I never got a reply to that email sent back to my assigner - so   today  I took the money back to the bank  for safekeeping  until  the money orders  clear or bounce!   In the meantime I am thankful I did what I did - it was a learning experience - and the anxiety I was having has dissolved! 

Beware - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
-
the gullible kardlady