SPRING GROVE – Authorities are warning residents about mystery shopping promotion scams that try to bilk residents of money. Fraudulent mystery shopping promoters are using newspaper ads and emails to create the impression they can help residents get jobs with reputable companies, the Spring Grove Police Department said in a news release.

One scam involves claiming to be with a legitimate company and sending out large counterfeit cashier’s checks and money orders that the “shopper” is asked to cash and send back the majority of the money, keeping the rest as pay, police said.

When the counterfeits are later discovered to be fake, the victims who cashed them find themselves liable for the full amount.