Complaint Review: Sigmon Survey Pro - White Oak Texas

My Aunt received a letter dated 12/04/08 in the mail from this "company" for $4,995.00, telling her she had been chosen to qualify as a "mystry" (the spelling is not mine) shopper. She wanted to know for sure if this was a sham, so I did some research and thorough reading of the documentation that was sent to her.

She did not solicit this mailing, so she was skeptical, and rightly so. The first red flag was the awful and obvious spelling errors in the letter that accompanied the "check". The subtitle on the letterhead reads "Mystry Shopping, Market Consulting & Counselling".

Then the letter stipulates the following: "Note that your credibility have been verified before your appointment, therefore, if you uphold the fund provided for research, our CREDITORS will take a legal action against you. DO NOT DEPOSIT THE CHECK IF YOU WOULD NOT ACCEPT THIS OFFER PLEASE. We appreciate your participation in this program and we assure you of the total confidentiality of information you have submitted in the course of your participation in the program." This is an exact quote. Spelling errors in it are not mine.

The type-written signature (just below the scribble that is supposed to be a signature, that looks like it starts with a 'B') says: "Stuart David's"

Stuart David's secretary? Stuart David's scam artist? We'll never know...

This "company" is asking you to send over 4000$ of the enclosed money back to a person named "Julian" and "your last name" through a system called "Moneygram" and "Money Gram". Then if you do that, you qualify for a permanent part time position as a mystery shopper, and up to $450 a week thereafter.

The scary part is that they are naming well-known franchises Home Depot, Gap, JC Penny, Wal-Mart, K-Mart and Sears as users of this system called "Moneygram/Money Gram", and for less discerning or older citizens receiving this in the mail, this could be what seals the deal.

$300 of those supposed funds are supposed to go toward your "training". Then, $105.00 is supposed to go toward your shopping, and you get to keep whatever you bought so long as you report to them and send them the 4000 some-odd dollars through money gram to "Julian".

There is no "Citizen Bank" in Texas. There IS a Citizens Bank chain, however. The "check" enclosed was for a "Citizen Bank". I've never seen a bank miss print their name on their checks in the 25+ years I've been banking.

The company name on the check is "Sigmon Production CO., INC". A search on Google found that Sigmon Production is an oil company, and says nothing about its successful endeavors to support mystery shopping and money transfers to Julian. I highly doubt anyone in an oil company cares whether this illusive "Moneygram/Money Gram" service works at Home Depot.

This is really scary. My eldest aunt received this during a time of family tragedy. We lost someone very close to us, and anyone who has been in a similar situation knows that you're not really paying attention to the 'fine print', so to speak, during that time.

Amid the confusion and my aunt's limited income, it was difficult for her to discern - at first - the illegitimacy of this letter and the enclosed "check". Rested minds and a little bit of research have proven that this is just an awful attempt to take advantage of people and hurt them.

These people want access to your bank account and are probably successfully ripping people off left and right, unfortunately. Please make sure you get the word out.

Aesav

Colorado Springs, Colorado

U.S.A.