A scam almost defrauded a Scotland County resident, according to officials at the Sheriff's department.

A woman was sent a fraudulent check in the mail with the hope that she would cash the check and send the money to Nigeria, according to Steve Smith, chief deputy with the Scotland County Sheriff's Department

Smith said that the scam, which goes under the name Retailers Profilers, Inc., starts when someone who is interested in being a "Secret Shopper" receives a check in the mail.

In this case, the check as for almost $5,000.

The person is supposed to cash the check and send most of it to a person in Nigeria through Western Union.

"The check looks legit," Smith said. The bank on the check, Commonwealth Bank in Mount Sterlington Kentucky, is a real bank and the phone number on the check for the bank is real - it is the account number that is bad.

The scam says the person gets to keep $300 and has to spend so much in several different area stores.

The scam requested that the woman send $2,800 to the Nigerian through Western Union, then later wire almost $1,500, officials said.

The problem is that when the bank finds out that the check is no good, the victim of the scam is responsible for paying the bank back.

Smith said the woman immediately contacted the Sheriff's office because she figured something was wrong.

Smith said that they have contacted the Mount Sterling Police and that the Secret Service is involved in the investigation. He said that there wasn't much that the agencies could do to catch the people responsible at this time.

Scopes.com, a website that looks into rumors, myths and alleged scams lists secret shopper scams as "real fraud which typically costs its victim between $500 and $6,000."

The website indicates that there are a number of identical scams and to be wary of any party that asks you to cash a check and then wire the money to someone else.

Mystery Shopping Providers Association, a group that represents legitimate secret shopper programs and is recognized by the Federal Trade Commission, warns about check-cashing scams.

"A new crop of mystery shopping scams has popped up all across the United States, offering consumers the opportunity to make 'easy money' by cashing a large-sum cashier’s check and evaluating the service they receive," the organization said.

“Mystery shopping is a valuable customer service tool that has gained widespread acceptance in the retail, financial services and restaurant industries, and proves highly valuable to companies that use it to gain customer experience metrics. However, it is not a quick and easy way to make a large sum of money and receive numerous freebies,” John Swinburn, executive director of Mystery Shopping Providers Association, said in a statement on the companies website. “It is unfortunate there are scammers out there preying on individuals looking for legitimate mystery shopping opportunities. The bottom line – if the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

The Federal Trade Commission has some tips for avoiding secret shopper scams:

"Fraudulent mystery shopping promoters are using newspaper ads and emails to create the impression that they’re a gateway to lucrative mystery shopper jobs with reputable companies. These solicitations usually promote a website where consumers can “register” to become mystery shoppers — after they pay a fee for information about a certification program, a directory of mystery shopping companies, or a guarantee of a mystery shopping job."

"The truth is that it is unnecessary to pay money to anyone to get into the mystery shopper business. The shopping certification offered in advertising or unsolicited email is almost always worthless. A list of companies that hire mystery shoppers is available for free; and legitimate mystery shopper jobs are on the Internet for free. Consumers who try to get a refund from promoters of mystery shopping jobs usually are out of luck. Either the business doesn’t return the phone calls, or if it does, it’s to try another pitch."

The FTC warns against mystery shopping companies who:

• Advertise for mystery shoppers in a newspaper’s ‘help wanted’ section or by email. While it may appear as if these companies are hiring mystery shoppers, it’s much more likely that they’re pitching unnecessary, and possibly bogus, mystery shopping services.

• Sell “certification.” Companies that use mystery shoppers generally do not require certification.

• Guarantee a job as a mystery shopper.

• Charge a fee for access to mystery shopping opportunities.

• Sell directories of companies that provide mystery shoppers.

If you think you have encountered a mystery shopping scam, file a complaint with your local consumer protection agency, the Better Business Bureau, your State Attorney General, or the FTC.