Michael McDowell, WA surveys, Mystey shopper

[jsinisc395]

This is a scam. A few weeks ago my husband received the same e-mail. "Thinking" it through, we felt that if the money was transferred into a banck account and the cash was available to withdrawl it had to be legitimate. How could a bank give you cash if it wasn't available? Well, they can and did. We set up the Citi-bank account and the $899.00 was deposited as we were told it would. My husband withdrew the amount he was suppose to send via Western Union at a local K-Mart and did the survey and turned it in to WA Surveys. Later that evening, we received a call from Citi-Bank saying that our account was overdrawn. We immediately called Western Union and stopped the transaction. Luckily, we got out with only loosing $16.98 Western Union processing fee. My husband like many others has been out of work for quite a while and loosing $900.00 would have been a tremendous hit on us financially. Guess no matter how old you are you are always learning.

[Bill4]

That's a terrible thing, but the money is gone. Only $16.98 fortunately, but it was yours. Don't feel too bad about it, I have been chasing scammers since 2005 and last week my wife fell for a very convincing one. We reported it to the RCMP and hope they will get the criminals.
To cover your losses explain the bank what happened (they will eventually start paying better attention while accepting checks) and the local police as some other victims might not discover it before.... and might held responsible for their fake check scam, your report might get them of the hook and save them from worse than just loosing money.
If.. then you did your good deed for the week and the $16.98 is spend on a good case.
Thanks for reporting it here, Google will now help to help others with the same scam.
Have a great weekend.
Bill4 Justice

[kamikazimomma]

OK, all you out there..boy have I got news for you! Been hot on this one, as Yullan's post for help caught my attention. Michael McDowel, aka Michael Friedman, aka Michael Vernard, with the following links or associations to: Daniel Feinstein, Sarah ****, among some others I cannot currently post. Without headers I am a little limited...but some other things to report: BBB in Seattle area says that WA Surveys has an "F" rating (REALLY BAD) and this co IS NOT a member, nor a member of any secret/mystery shopper associations. As I spoke with the investigations coordinator today, much was learned about our phantom Michael. Efforts are already underway there, due to the volume of inquiries and complaints. Furthermore, the address listed in the post is a hotel. No individual by any of the names is associated, employed or staying at that hotel. On another site, a Seattle Psychologist by one of these names has had his actual photo posted, and not happy about it either. This scam has a huge spider web going, hence the need to change his name over time. Some of the associations are linking all the way to Moscow and Zurich, as you see above. Rip-Off Reports has some good dishing and bashing going on pertaining to the Friedman/McDowel names so far. This is without a doubt a scam, and a fairly slippery perp. He has unknowing individuals sending these spams to recruit victims for him as well.

[ma143hal]

To All:

I also received and email from this company and found that this is indeed a scam.

From:
Michael McDowell
WA Surveys
410 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105
http://us-surveys.net

I did a little research about this company. Their website is very well put together. I was really excited about this position, but upon checking the address for some reason, using MAPS.GOOGLE.COM the satellite cannot pin-point the exact location. It keeps showing around 4844 Roosevelt Way NE, the view of the street seems to be residential and no office building here. There is a Bombay Grill & Lounge and Volkswagen dealer across the street from each other.

In case you'd like to find a location, use MAPS.GOOGLE.COM. Just input the whole address (try yours), you can zoom in to view the street. You will be amazed, you are like physically standing there.

Have wonderful day, peaceful night and life without worries.
Best Regards
*~*

[kamikazimomma]

I personally spoke to an employee at the BBB in Seattle on Friday. She knows the address at 410 Roosevelt Way NE is a Hotel/Inn by the name of University Inn.

Hello to you all,

thank you very much for the excelent research work!

I received this kind of spam this morning, I looked for the adress ....and found this forum.

You did a grate work! People: keep on rocking like this! ;-)

Kind regards from Munich

[jluciani]

This is how the email came in and I got scammed by Michael McDowell (WA Surveys). I believed all the info about the $999 and western union, I followed it and now my account is negative $451.00. Please if anyone can help catch this people I have all the documentations received from thsm

[emilee2]

I have been corresponding with Michael McDowell for the past week. Here is what happened. He contacted me for the Mystery Shopper position. I responded in the affirmative with my name and street address. He then told me I needed to open an account with CitiBank. Citibank is not located in Cleveland, Ohio - so I inquired as to how I should proceed. He proposed that I open a basic checking account on line. I did not need money to open the account. I did so. I received the bank debit card within the week and contacted Michael with my account number.

The next correspondence occurred yesterday (after which I received the same e-mail above). I was informed that $999.00 had been transferred into my checking account, whereby I was to withdraw $899.00 which would be used at a nearby Western Union and sent to another Mystery Shopper. The main purpose was not the transfer of money, but the report that I was to make of the Attendants at the Western Union location I was visiting. OUt of the $899.00 I withdrew I was to take the cost of the wire transfer ($62.00) and wire the remainder to this Mystery Shopper. This is who I sent the money to: (Yuliya Abrosimova, 42 Prorezna St., 07385, Ukraine, Kiev).

The next step of the process was to make my report on every single detail I witnessed at this Western Union and upon completion, fax them the report and receipts of the wire transfer. I completed everything by 12:30.

Yesterday evening, Michael McDowell sent me another e-mail congratulating me on a great report, and stating that further instructions as to my next survey would be sent on tomorrow - which is today.

The e-mail I received this morning required that I use my own money for a $300 transfer to the same person in the Ukraine, use my own money to pay for the cost of the transfer and they would reimburse me after I sent my report and receipts to them. The reason he gave me as to why I had to use my own money is blatantly stupid - Mystery Shopper Rules state that any money less than $500 could not be wire transferred from their accounts into mine.

I responded that I could not comply with his wishes. I was not comfortable with this type of transaction and that although I knew I was trustworthy (and yes they trusted me with their money) we had not developed the type of relationship that would allow me to believe he or his company were just as trustworthy. I told him I knew that he would understand. And left it at that.

So, I came away from the deal with $100 in my pocket (I withdrew the remainder of the money from my checking account) and a little wiser for having taken the time to actually see this thing through. I don't recommend it, I'm sure they have made mucho dollars preying on the innocent and trusting, but I am having some difficulty as to what they have gained (they gave $100 to me - obviously they didn't need the report).

I received another e-mail from Michael sometime after 3 p.m. today stating should I not comply with the instructions given to me earlier that I would no longer be considered a Mystery Shopper. I responded by stating that I felt it would be a foolhardy gesture on my part to comply with their rules and hand over $350 of my own money and their practices smacked of foulplay and I believed WA Surveys was sham/scam company (listing 8 reasons why I shouldn't comply). I relinquished this Mystery Shopper position back into to his proverbial arms. Thank you very much!

I am so happy to have happened upon this site! It confirmed my suspicions. It is unfortunate that the qualities we possess we assume others to have - that is an innocence none of us can no longer afford to have!

[emilee2]

I have a question for those who have been contacted by Michael McDowell.

What bank are you dealing with?

It seems to me that the bank could be involved! I was fortunate enough not to have had an account with this bank (Citibank) as they cannot be found in Cleveland, Ohio. Citibank uses US Bank's ATM's for cash withdrawals only over here. Therefore, I had no money other than the money that was transferred to me in that account; and I have not heard anything back from the bank as to the money not being "good" or whatever their explanation is as to why everybody is now missing their money from their accounts!

That is ridiculous the bank is in complicity with this scam artist - no doubt~!

I'm sorry - but they are walking away with good people's monies!

Has anybody contacted the FBI?

[ANURAG]

Thanks to you all,
thank you very much for providing the information!
I received this kind of mails from yesterday, it was showing the same to and from mail address. Thats why I started looking about it.

Great work guys,