Naples man recounts scam to participate as mystery shopper

Naples resident Dan Honick received a priority mail envelope Sunday that appeared to be legitimate.

Honick said the $1,955 check inside the envelope looked real later realized something wasn’t right.

“First of all I got a check for almost $2000 and I hadn’t asked for anyone to send me money … so I read the letter carefully,” he said.

The letter had specific instructions to deposit the check immediately and buy $1,600 worth of eBay gift cards.

The scam can also lead the recipient to believe they’d make a profit of more than $300.

The scam includes clear warning signs such a sense of urgency and requirements for the recipient to purchase gift cards.

“The reason they wanted me to deposit the check immediately is because its not a good check and its gonna bounce,” Honick said.

The scam has prompted legitimate banks to send warnings about the counterfeit checks.

“They’re out to get the money in your account, and once the check bounces, there’s absolutely nothing you can do to recover the money,” Honick said. “It’s a real bank but theres no money in the bank account.”

There have been 34 scams reported in 2018 involving fake checks or money orders in Florida, according to the Better Business Bureau.

For more information on the latest area scams, visit the Better Business Bureau’s scam tracker.