Fraudulent checks bearing an identical likeness to Crystal Cruises’ corporate checks are being issued throughout the United States through mail or popular Internet Web sites featuring job postings, Mystery Shopper programs, Sweepstakes/Draw Winner and payment for objects being sold.
According to Crystal, these are not legitimate checks and this is not a Crystal promotion. The cruise line does not believe that customer personal information has been used to generate the checks.
In a statement issued Aug. 3, Crystal advises recipients not to cash or deposit the check. Crystal is working with the authorities to investigate this matter further and asks that recipients e-mail [email protected].
To help the cruise-line apprehend and prosecute the criminals behind this scam, recipients can also fax 310-277-8150 or call 310-785-9300 and ask to speak with the company’s Fraud Alert Department.
The illegal check scam urges the recipient to cash the check, which the perpetrators explain comes from a “financial sponsor.” The recipient is then advised to deposit or send the same amount of money to a third party via Western Union under the guise of a Secret Shopper program.
www.crystalcruises.com
