Woman says hundreds of mysterious checks appeared in her mailbox

ATLANTA — A reputable Buckhead market research firm is looking into a forgery attempt, after Channel 2 Action News discovered droves of counterfeit checks that look like they're signed by the firm's local director.

A Midtown woman contacted Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Nicole Carr, after she received hundreds of envelopes in her Post Office Box. She wanted to remain unidentified because she was unsure of how large-scale an operation she was dealing with recently.

“This looks suspicious, she said. It’s some type of scam, and I need to know what’s going on.”

TRENDING STORIES:

• 2 Ga. Southern students from Acworth killed in wrong-way crash
• Postal worker killed outside post office ID'd as 22-year-old mother
• FBI joins search for 3-year-old who disappeared from home

The envelopes were addressed to real people across the country, and returned to the woman’s box. The box number was correct, but the Riverdale zip code didn’t match her address or any legitimate mailbox.

“I’m just getting bombarded with mail and notifications from the post office that I have mail, and when I get there, it’s not for me,” she said.

Carr took some of the open mailings and discovered large checks, nearing $4,000 each, in the envelopes. They appeared to be from Plaza Research Corporation off East Paces Ferry Road. A quick search of state records showed the company to be legit and in good standing with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.

Carr followed instructions in the letter that came along with the check.

An agent, claiming to be with Plaza Research, verified the check number in Carr’s name, even though that check was written out to a South Dakota woman. He assured her it was  completely legal, legitimate market research project, where respondents were assigned to check out product displays in Walmart and Walgreens.

When Carr told the agent about the checks in her possession, she was put on hold and told by the same agent that the mailing was a mistake. He rescinded her assignment.

Then she identified herself as a journalist on a recorded call, and the agent hung up.

After the phone call, Carr headed into the Buckhead firm office, where employees were caught off guard by the bag of mail.

The director discovered the checks appeared to bear her signature.

“Oh my gosh,” said Krista McTernan. “Yeah no, I didn’t sign any of these. Let me just put that on camera. I did not sign any of these.”

McTernan and other office employees said they’d  recently received a couple of calls from people in other states, asking whether the checks could be cashed.

They didn’t think much of it after informing the callers that they wouldn’t mail checks in such large sums.

“We tell them that it’s not ours,” said Jimmy Durden, another Plaza Research employee.

While Plaza Research does pay respondents, they say their checks never amount to anything larger than $500. They don’t have red backgrounds or six digits, either. The company pointed out other inconsistencies in the checks Carr brought to them.

“We don’t do printed checks at all,” said one employee.

“No, all of our checks are handwritten,” McTernan added.

Plaza Research made copies of the open mailings, and are awaiting guidance from their corporate office on what legal steps to take next.

Cox Media Group