Back in 2010, some criminal masterminds perpetrated a scheme where bogus checks bearing the PwC logo were sent to random people informing them that they have been selected to be "secret shoppers" requesting them to cash the checks at specific banks and then to wire them to another secret shopper. It would sound pretty good to anyone with dreams of stumbling across a quick-rich scheme and as long as some meddling kids aren't around, the crooks could pull this scam off with relative ease.
Today, we learn that some fake PwC checks have cropped up again to the north:
Earlier this week, PwC learned that a number of individuals in cities across Canada received a letter by an entity claiming to be PwC Management Services LP. The individuals contacted have been presented with cheques — bearing PwC's name — as compensation to act as a mystery shopper in a consumer research project. This is a fraudulent scheme and PwC is in no way involved with having issued these letters or the accompanying cheques. The cheques are counterfeit and under no circumstances should the cheque be presented at a financial institution to be cashed. We have contacted authorities with respect to this fraud and the cheques will not be honoured by PwC's bank. Anyone who has responded to the letters and has been defrauded should report the incident to local authorities.
Right now, we don't know if the two incidents are related but the MO* is pretty much the same. Keep your eyes peeled, Canada.
[via PwC]
