I have received a letter and check from Mystery Shoppers PLC from new york; is this real or a scam.?

I received the same type of letter with check inclosed. Of course I do my research before getting involved with mailings like this. I highly encourage you to NOT deposit the check in any personal accounts and Do Not cash the check. I checked a couple of websites and found some helpful information in handling mail like this. The following information was copied from http://www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/alert/2008-3.html "Consumers who receive a counterfeit or fictitious item and associated material should file complaints with the following agencies, as appropriate: · Federal Trade Commission (FTC): by telephone at 1-877-FTC-HELP or, for filing a complaint electronically, via the FTC’s Internet site at www.ftc.gov. · Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Canadian Scams): by telephone at 1-888-495-8501 or via e-mail at [[email protected]]. Their Web site, www.phonebusters.com, provides additional contact numbers. · Better Business Bureau – The BBB system serves markets throughout Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United States, and is the marketplace leader in advancing trust between businesses and consumers. The international Web site (www.bbb.org) offers contact information for local BBBs, objective reports on more than two million businesses, consumer scam alerts, and tips on a wide variety of topics that help consumers find trustworthy businesses and make wise purchasing decisions. · Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Fraud Complaint Center (Scams that may have originated via the Internet) at www.ic3.gov · If correspondence is received via the U.S. Postal Service, contact the U.S. Postal Inspector Service by telephone at 1-888-877-7644, by mail at U.S. Postal Inspection Service, 222 S. Riverside Plaza, Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606-6100, or via e-mail at http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm." Contact any or all of these organizations and let them know you want to report a possible fraud. I also recommend keeping a list of every organization you contacted (date, time, method of communication) as well as a copy of the original letter and check. I plan on contacting the US Postal Service, Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commission and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (since it has a canadian postage stamp). I will also take the original letter and check to the FBI agency in town to see if it is in their jurisdiction to handle. I won't mess with verifying its authenticity with the bank it is drawn from because they usually don't care..they say it is a matter for the FBI or some other government agency. Besides that by they time they find out it is bad, the money has already paid to you and you will have to pay it back--not the scammers. Hopes this helps!

Its a scam, bin it