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A recent rash of constituent reports involving mystery shopping, alleged monetary windfalls, “free grants” and other financial scams has prompted Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) to push for tougher consumer protection laws. Hikind is concerned about what he sees as a burgeoning industry preying on countless innocent people, many of whom are unemployed or in dire financial straits. Hikind has written to Attorney General Cuomo to request an investigation into this upsurge.

“Unfortunately, in this economy, many people are feeling the crushing despair of debt,” Hikind noted. “These scams offer a welcome respite from that, causing otherwise reasonable people to buy into offers they know are really too good to be true. New Yorkers have to be better protected from these kinds of deceptive practices.”

The latest scam to come to the Assemblyman’s attention is particularly egregious because the solicitation contains a check in the amount of $2,987.75 (pictured above) which is drawn on a Park Avenue Bank account. The check appears to be perfectly authentic, right down to its security watermark on the reverse side.

All that is required is for the unsuspecting victim to deposit the check into their personal account, and then act as a “customer service evaluator” or a “mystery shopper” at any Western Union location to “evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the payment system you choose to visit.” Participants must then wire $2367.00 to their “training agent” via Western Union. For each mystery shopping task completed, a payment of a few hundred dollars is promised, along with assurances of future assignments and higher salaries. In reality, once the scammer’s check is deposited into a victim’s bank account, the victim’s funds are stolen within a matter of days. Hikind contacted Park Avenue Bank and was told that while the account is real, a hold has been placed on it until further notice.

“Ultimately, consumer protection is about vigilance,” said Hikind. “People need to do their research before accepting any sort of unsolicited offer, and they should avail themselves of the wealth of resources available in order to make an educated decision.”

For more information or to file a complaint, Hikind urges consumers to contact the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs by dialing 311 or the Office of the New York State Attorney General Consumer Helpline at: 1-800-771-7755.