THOMASVILLE, N.C. — A Triad woman nearly lost hundreds of dollars in a scam you might've seen in the mail. Trumella Crawford picked up the mail Tuesday as she normally does at her Thomasville home.
There she found an envelop from someone she didn't know. Inside was a cashier's check that she quickly showed her husband
"He said, 'Let's look at what it is.' I said ooh $2,400 dollars." Crawford said.
There was also a letter from a mystery shopping company with instructions. She was to go to two different Walmarts, buy gift cards totaling, and send photos of the cards with the codes visible.
"So I said that didn't sound right and then it also said don't tell Walmart anything," Crawford said.
On Wednesday, she received another envelop with identical instructions and a check. Then a text asking her to confirm she got the letters.
"I said I'm not going to confirm nothing. I said I'm going to confirm with 2 Wants 2 Know," Crawford said.
After looking up the company listed on the letters KSS International, an actual mystery shopping company, WFMY verified the letter was a scam.
On the website's front page was a warning that read, "KSS never sends checks or asks for gift card codes."
The Better Business Bureau said schemers will pose as legitimate companies.
"If it was legitimate it would be easy money. You do some shopping. You fill out a little bit of paperwork and you provide your feedback on a company, Kevin Hinterberger, President of BBB of Central and Northwest Carolina said.
He said be wary of unsolicited letters.
Crawford said she's glad she didn't fall for it, but warned others to be aware.
"There are so many scammers out there. ... people need to know," Crawford said.
If you ever get a letter like Crawford did, report it.
Try the State Attorney General, the BBB Scam Tracker, or the Federal Trade Commission, and don't cash the check.