Scam Type
Other Scam
Business Name Used
Trader Joes Imposter
Date Reported
Sep 07, 2022
Victim Postal Code
44077
Total Dollars Lost
982
Scam Description
I’ve had my own business for 6 months and I had someone call me claiming they were the manager from Trader Joes and that they would have a guy in the area that would come out to my store if I was interested in being the only Wellness store in their magazine for a year. Also, if I knew of any other stores that were interested I could provide their information. I gave them the information for a salon in the area. I was told my business would be in a magazine called Living Life Today which is featured in Giant Eagle and they were also supposed to make a video about my business, which I would receive a QR code for so that I could put the video on my website. I never heard back about the video so I contacted them but kept getting an answering machine. I contacted Trader Joes in Mentor directly and I was told there is only one manager and they never called me about a magazine. They told they have received other calls about this scam. I kept trying to reach the salesman but wasn’t having any luck so I had my son try and call. He was able to get through and the person my son spoke to said his name was Carl Winslow, the same name as the original salesman but they were not the same person. He told my son he was also interested in his business. I paid these people $981.88 and the owner of salon I gave the information to lost $2000.00 to them as well. I just received a letter in the mail stating they are going to send me to collections because I stopped payments to them, the letter looks hand typed and the ink is smearing.