41-year-old Claudia Pacheco is a mother of two. She thought she could use extra money, but instead she says she was scammed. She received a letter from a website called Surveys.com, which claimed to pay her money as a secret shopper. The letter asks you to activate an enclosed check for the amount of $2,680 to become a mystery shopper.Pacheco deposited the $2,680 check, thinking the company and secret shopper assignments were legitimate. But, days later Pacheco says Chase Bank notified her that a freeze was put on her account because the check had no funds.
Chase Bank says it's the account holder's responsibility to do their homework and trust the source of the check. "We accept checks from customers on good faith with the understanding that the customer knows who they got the check from and that there is funds in that account," said Gary Kishner, Chase Spokesman.
In this case, the bank said they would reverse the amount deposited. As for Pacheco, she didn't wire back money or spend any that she deposited.
17 News tried contacting Surveys.com, but they hung up.
Meantime, the Better Business Bureau says to be on the lookout and reminds everyone to take precautions when signing up for online jobs, especially if it involves wiring money.
