Charlotte Staton, a Buckingham County woman, is sharing a cautionary tale after she was scammed out of more than $1,000.
Staton signed up for a secret shopper program with a company called Dataworks Team, Inc. She received a check for $1,927.35 and was given a job ID number and password for shopping assignments.
Staton wanted to make sure the check was legitimate. She said, "And I talked to my son and he said let's go to the bank and find out, the bank should know if the check is any good, and she told us it was fine."
But 10 days later the scam unraveled. "My son went to see how much he had left for lunch that day and found that it was a negative of $1,927," said Staton.
Staton has to pay $1,300 out her own pocket, money she doesn't have because she is on disability and manages a fixed income.
NBC29 attempted to call Dataworks Team Inc., but only received a busy signal after three attempts.
"I've tried to call them several times and I get the same message. I've even emailed their coordinator and no response whatsoever," said Staton.
Staton hopes her story will serve as a reminder that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. "If you don't know who the check is from, don't do it," she said.
