Lou Twillman of Bettendorf is in his 80's , and he signed up on-line to be a part-time "mystery shopper", to keep busy and earn a few extra bucks.
He tried it many years ago in Denver, and said it was a fun experience, evaluating local retailers and reporting his findings. Typically, he received a small payment, and could keep the product he bought.
Earlier this year, he signed up online, to try it again, and says it could have been a financial disaster.
Twillman was instructed by letter and then text, to go visit a CVS pharmacy first, and then evaluate two Moneygram locations. He was sent a check for close to $2,000 at first, and told to cash the check, keep $300, and then, wire the rest of the money back to the company. All, as part of his secret shopping assignment.
More checks followed, and so far, he and his wife have received close to $11,000. But...
"Everyone of those checks are frauds. I called the banks. Every one. It's a scam," said Gypsy Twillman, Lou's wife.
The Twillman's aren't cashing any of them, but continue to get letters, texts, and checks. When they call the number of the company, the latest called "Marketforce", they are told to cash the checks, and complete "their assignment."
The Twillmans say they are not out any money, because they never wired any money back the first time, because "something just didn't feel right."
The Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Division says there are legitimate mystery shopping opportunities out there, but so are plenty of scams.
"If an opportunity is on the up and up, you won't have to pay an application fee or deposit a check and wire money on to someone else," says the FTC.
The Twillmans called Marketforce and the guy on the phone pretended to be legit, instructing them to "finish out the assignments today, the next assignment will be sent out tomorrow. Take the check to your bank, have it cashed, and do the CVS assignments, and Moneygram assignments. Okay, and send the reports to me," he said.
When WQAD-TV took the phone and questioned his motives, the phone went dead.
"It makes me very mad. There's so many people that are hurting. so many trying to make ends meet, and you get something like this", said Mrs. Twillman.