The WSB Consumer Action Center has been flooded with calls from people about a number of old scams. "There is this call we constantly get saying I got a check from the international lottery or I got a check from mystery shopping", says Fran Mitchell is the WSB Consumer Action Center. She says these are old bogus scams.

The Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA), the largest professional trade association dedicated to improving service quality through the use of mystery shoppers, advises the public to disregard letters or classified ads that promise fast cash and free gifts by performing mystery shopping and service evaluations.

WSB's Sabrina Gibbons reports the most recent scam asks the consumer to cash a cashier's check and wire the money back to a specified address, typically outside the country. The "reward" to consumers - they keep a percentage of the original cashier's check as payment.

In these scams, the cashier's check bounces several days later and the consumer is held liable for the entire amount of the money they wired to the international address - typically between $2,500 and $3,500.

The following tips are provided for those interested in becoming a mystery shopper:

• Respond directly to the companies that post the assignments (not to MSPA)

• Sign up with as many companies as you can. If a company asks you to pay, decline and move on to the next company.

• Be patient. It takes time, sometimes months or even longer, to be contacted with an offer to conduct a shopping assignment.

• Once assigned a shop, ensure it is completed according to the guidelines set forth by the mystery shopping client. Shoppers who do a good job have a much higher likelihood of being invited back for future assignments.

• Prospective shoppers should never need to pay a fee to become a mystery shopper. If a shopper receives an email or visits a Web site that requests a fee, simply disregard it.

  If you think you've been targeted by a counterfeit check scam, report it to the following agencies:

• The Federal Trade Commission: Visit the FTC web site, or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

• The U.S. Postal Inspection Service: Visit the Postal Service web site, or call your local post office. The number is in the Blue Pages of your local telephone directory.

• Your state or local consumer protection agencies: Visit the National Association of Attorneys General web site for a list of state Attorneys General, or check the Blue Pages of your local telephone directory for appropriate phone numbers.