Troubled Tuesday

Troubled Tuesdays is basically my complaint day to complain about all of the troubles I have, which could range from what is happening on TV shows to who knows what.

• I got a check in the mail yesterday for $1,970.00 from Walmart Services Group.  It says I was selected to be a secret shopper.  Ummmmm….could I have signed up for this, it is very possible.  Do I think this is legit, not so much?  I double checked with my neighbor who worked for a bank and she said, “Nope, it’s a scam.” Thanks T-T.  I played along just to see what would happen and you have to go online to activate the check so you can cash it.  So I went online and activated it, but I have 24 hours from that point to complete my first secret shop.  Okay, if it is one of the places they say (Walmart, Kmart, Rite Aid, Kroger, Sears, Home Depot, Office Depot, Costco, or BestBuy) I can totally do that.  I activate it and my first job is to go to Western Union and send $967 to a Matthew S H…(my last name), in Madrid, Spain.  No need for an address or phone number.  Oh yeah, I cannot tell the Western Union person what I am doing (meaning being a secret shopper), and if they tell me not to do it because it may be fraudulent to not listen to them.  Okay so there is flag number what four?  My next task is to use Money Gram and send $468 to a Moon H…(my last name), in Atlanta, Georgia.  Yup, T-T was right, and this was totally a scam.  So here is my question, how do people actually fall for this?

    These are just a few of the red flags that jump out at me:

• Cash a check and send money out before the check has a chance to clear.
• Send money to someone who is not you but has your last name twice.
• It states right there in the letter if you are warned that this is fraudulent and you should not do it, do not listen to them and this is totally legit.
• I’m sure there are more red flags; these are just the big ones that pop out at me.

• I really want to get a lot of stuff for 90% off at Target.  Can I get everything I want?  Will it go today or tomorrow?  It is really worth it to get up early and go check, especially if it didn’t go and I gave a day up a day to sleep in because B was home? Yeah, it’s totally worth it because I am obsessed with the hunt and Target.
• B was outside last night mowing the lawn at 9:15pm.  We do not have a noise ordinance where we live, but I set some rules for B so when S gets older our neighbors will hopefully be considerate of him having to go to bed early.  During the school year no loud noises before 8am or after 8pm.  When school is out no loud noises before 8am or after 9pm.  He is breaking our own rules that we made.  What the heck?  Hopefully no one minds; guess we will find out in the next few days if someone was really mad about it.
• So S has discovered Froyo and loves to go and get it.  When we go S’s total is usually around $1.50, because he doesn’t like sweets that much.  My total is usually around $1.75, and B’s total is usually between $4-6.  How is that even possible?  We get a little frozen yogurt with a little topping and B gets the whole “kitchen sink.”

What is troubling you?