🕵️ A "Mystery Shopper" Check, a "Final Notice" on a Home Warranty You Never Bought, a Phone Screen That Says You're Locked and a "Deputy" Calling About Jury Duty: Your Scam Watch for This Week

Or: When a Stranger Hurries You, Slow Down and Check It Yourself

By Thomas Seest, Dunlap.Today · Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Good Tuesday morning, neighbors. Sun’s coming up over the ridge, the coffee’s hot, and this week’s list is a short one. Every trick on it has the same engine under the hood: somebody you didn’t call is trying to hurry you. Hurry to cash a check. Hurry to renew a warranty. Hurry to call a number on your screen. Hurry to pay before a “deputy” comes knocking. The fix is just as simple. Slow down, and check it yourself with a number or website you already trust.

Here’s what’s on the porch this week: the Better Business Bureau says fake “mystery shopper” job offers are back for the holidays, and they start with a check that will bounce; police in Savannah, Tenn., are warning about “your home warranty is expiring” letters; a couple got caught in a fake Apple pop-up that said their phone was blocked; and the Chattanooga Police Department reminds us that no officer calls demanding payment, right after an East Ridge man sent money to a fake “deputy.” The mystery-shopper and warranty warnings come from West Tennessee but apply statewide. The pop-up story is from Wisconsin, and the trick is national. The fake-deputy call is local, in Hamilton County, just down the road. We haven’t seen a Sequatchie County report of these this week, but mail, phones and pop-ups don’t stop at the county line.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• A “mystery shopper” job mails you a check and says to buy gift cards with part of it? Don’t deposit it. That check will bounce, and you’ll owe the bank.
• A letter says your home warranty is expiring and names your mortgage company? It’s an ad dressed up as a bill. Your lender’s name is public record. Toss it.
• Your phone or computer freezes with a warning and a phone number? Don’t call it. Real security warnings never ask you to call a number. Close it or restart.
• A “deputy” says you missed jury duty and owe money? Hang up. No real officer calls asking for Cash App, gift cards or a wire.
• Need local help? In Dunlap, call police at (423) 949-3319 or non-emergency dispatch at (423) 949-9912.

🕵️ “Get Paid to Shop!” Then a Check Shows Up and You’re Told to Buy Gift Cards. That’s the Scam

Statewide: Better Business Bureau serving the Mid-South (reported by WBBJ, Jackson)

Lots of folks want a little extra Christmas money, and the Better Business Bureau says scammers know it. In an Oct. 26 report on WBBJ in Jackson, Daniel Irwin of BBB Mid-South said people are being “inundated” with fake mystery-shopper offers, and that “these scams tend to resurface every fall.”

Here’s how the BBB says it works:

• You get a job offer you didn’t apply for, promising easy, flexible work as a “mystery shopper.”
• A check for several thousand dollars arrives for your first “assignment.”
• You’re told to deposit it, keep some as your pay, and use the rest to buy gift cards and send the numbers.
• Later the bank finds out the check was fake. By then the scammers have the gift-card money, and you’re responsible for paying the bank back.

The BBB says it sees more of these every year around the holidays, and they seem to start earlier each year. The Federal Trade Commission says the same thing: no real job will send you a check and ask you to send part of the money back, and nobody legitimate asks to be paid in gift cards.

What it means for you: It’s like a fellow paying you for a calf with a big check and asking for “a little change back” in cash. The money showing up in your account doesn’t mean the check is good. It can take the bank days or weeks to find out a check is fake. If a stranger’s check comes with instructions to send money somewhere else, don’t deposit it. Real mystery-shopping work doesn’t pay you upfront. If a grandchild is job hunting, remind them to apply on the store’s own website.

👉 Read more (WBBJ: BBB warns of mystery shopper scam targeting holiday job seekers) · FTC: Mystery shopping, (fake) checks, and gift cards

🏠 A “Final Notice” Says Your Home Warranty Is Expiring? You May Never Have Had One

Statewide: Savannah, Tenn., Police Department (reported by NBC 39) and the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office

On Oct. 26, police in Savannah, Tenn., warned about suspicious letters going around West Tennessee claiming that home warranties need to be renewed. Police said anyone who gets one should check with their bank and not share personal or financial information.

This one has been mailed around Tennessee before. In a 2022 consumer alert, the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office described letters that say your home warranty “may be expiring or may have already expired,” even if you never bought one. Here’s what the AG’s office said to remember:

• The letters hint that they come from your mortgage company or the “county deed records” office. They don’t.
• They know your lender’s name because some mortgage information is public record and can be found online.
• They set a deadline and warn you could lose “coverage.” The AG’s office says threatening language and unnecessary urgency almost always mean a scam.
• The AG’s advice for these letters: ignore them and throw them away.

What it means for you: It’s like finding a note on your truck that says your “extended warranty is expiring” on a truck you bought used from your cousin. The note is a sales pitch wearing a bill’s overalls. If you’re not sure, call your mortgage company at the number on your monthly statement, not the number on the letter. And if you’d like a real home warranty someday, the AG’s office suggests researching the company and checking it with the BBB first.

👉 Read more (NBC 39: Police warn West Tennessee residents of home warranty mail scam) · TN Attorney General: Scam home warranty letters

📱 Your Screen Freezes and Says Call “Apple” or “Microsoft”? Don’t Call. Close It or Restart

National: a Wisconsin couple’s story (WBAY, Green Bay) and Federal Trade Commission guidance

Here’s one for anybody with a smartphone or a computer. In an Oct. 21 story, Green Bay’s WBAY told about a woman named Jan who was reading a Bible verse on her iPhone when a pop-up appeared saying her phone was “completely blocked.” The pop-up wouldn’t go away and showed a toll-free number. She called it, and the man who answered said he was from Apple.

He texted her a picture of a “security supervisor” badge, had her share her screen and even knew details about her credit union accounts. After about an hour and a half, he asked for her driver’s license and Social Security number. That didn’t sit right. A neighbor told the couple to hang up, and they called their credit union, which locked down their online banking right away.

The Federal Trade Commission’s tech-support guidance keeps it simple: real security warnings never ask you to call a phone number. Real tech companies don’t use surprise pop-ups to get you to call them, and they won’t ask you to share your screen or give them remote access out of the blue.

What it means for you: It’s like a sign nailed to your own gate that says “Gate locked. Call this number to open.” You wouldn’t call a stranger to open your own gate. Close the browser, or turn the phone or computer all the way off and back on. If it’s still acting up, call a local computer shop you know or the company’s real support number from its website. And if you already gave someone access or bank details, do what Jan did: call your bank or credit union first, using the number on your card.

👉 Read more (WBAY: Fake Apple security alert scam targets local couple) · FTC: How to spot, avoid and report tech support scams

🚓 Update on Fake-Officer Calls: Chattanooga Police Say It Again. No Officer Calls Asking for Money

Local: Chattanooga Police Department and East Ridge Police (Hamilton County)

We’ve covered fake jury-duty calls before, but there’s fresh news close to home. In an East Ridge Police report posted Oct. 26, a man said a caller calling himself “Deputy Scottie with Hamilton County” phoned on Oct. 24, said he’d missed jury duty and owed $9,000 to avoid arrest, and told him not to leave home except to go to the bank. He sent four $500 payments through Cash App before calling East Ridge police, who explained how real jury duty works and reassured him he would not be arrested.

The same day, the Chattanooga Police Department repeated its warning. CPD says any call or text threatening fines or arrest unless you pay is a scam, and that “Law enforcement agencies will NEVER contact you demanding payments.” To check whether a Chattanooga citation, fine or warrant notice is real, CPD says to call the City Court Clerk at 423-643-7541. The BBB adds that these callers may use a real officer’s name, make caller ID show a real police number, and even send official-looking “warrants.”

What it means for you: Think of it like a fellow in a borrowed uniform at the end of your driveway, telling you to bring your wallet to the mailbox. A real deputy with real business comes with real paperwork through the courts, and never asks for Cash App. Hang up, then call the sheriff’s office or court yourself using a number you look up. In Hamilton County, the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line is 423-622-0022. Here at home, call Dunlap police at (423) 949-3319. If you already paid through an app, call the app’s support right away and report it to police. Being fooled is nothing to be ashamed of. The man in East Ridge did the right thing by calling for help.

👉 Read more (Local 3 News: Chattanooga police warn about “popular” law enforcement scams) · Chattanoogan.com: East Ridge police report

✅ Your Front-Porch Scam Checklist

• ✅ A real job never mails you a check and asks you to send part of it back.
• ✅ Money showing up in your account doesn’t mean the check is good. Wait, and ask your bank.
• ✅ Anyone who wants to be paid in gift cards is a scammer. Every time.
• ✅ A “home warranty expiring” letter isn’t from your mortgage company. Toss it.
• ✅ Not sure about a letter? Call the number on your monthly statement, not the letter.
• ✅ Real security warnings never ask you to call a phone number.
• ✅ Screen frozen? Close it or restart. Never let a stranger share your screen.
• ✅ No deputy, court or officer calls asking for money. Hang up.
• ✅ Look up the sheriff’s office or court number yourself before you call back.
• ✅ Already clicked, called or paid? Call your bank first, change passwords, then report it.

The practical rule: When a stranger hurries you, slow down. Check it yourself with a number or website you already trust.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Glossary

• Mystery shopper: Someone paid to shop at a store and report on the service. Real jobs exist, but real ones don’t mail you a check to cash and send back.
• Fake check scam: A stranger sends you a check, asks you to send part of it somewhere else, and the check bounces later. You owe the bank.
• Gift-card PIN: The number on the back of a gift card. Whoever has it can spend the money, so never read it to anyone.
• Home warranty: A service contract you can buy that pays for some home repairs. It isn’t the same as homeowners insurance, and your mortgage company doesn’t send renewals for it out of the blue.
• Public record: Information anyone can look up, like who holds the mortgage on a property. Scammers use it to sound official.
• Pop-up: A box that suddenly appears on your screen. A fake one may say your device is “blocked” or “infected” and show a phone number.
• Tech support scam: When someone pretends to be from Apple, Microsoft or another company to get into your device or bank account.
• Screen sharing / remote access: Letting someone else see or control your phone or computer from far away. Only allow it for help you asked for yourself.
• Spoofing: Faking caller ID so a call looks like it’s coming from a real police department or company.
• Payment app: An app like Cash App, Venmo or Zelle that sends money fast. Once it’s sent, it’s hard to get back.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

I already deposited a “mystery shopper” check. What do I do?

Don’t spend any of it and don’t buy any gift cards. Call your bank right away, tell them the check may be fake and ask what to do. If you already bought gift cards and sent the numbers, call the gift-card company at the number on the back of the card. Then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and the BBB Scam Tracker.

How can a fake check clear if it’s fake?

Banks have to make deposited money available quickly, often within a day or two, but it can take much longer for the bank to learn the check is bad. So “it cleared” doesn’t mean “it’s good.” If a stranger’s check comes with instructions to send money back or buy gift cards, it’s a scam.

The warranty letter has my mortgage company’s name on it. Doesn’t that make it real?

No. The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office says some mortgage information, like the name of your lender, is public record and can be found online. Scammers use it to look official. If you want to be sure, call your mortgage company using the number on your monthly statement.

A pop-up won’t go away on my phone or computer. Is my device broken?

Probably not. Close the browser tab or app. If it won’t close, turn the device all the way off and back on. Don’t call the number on the screen. If it keeps coming back, ask a trusted local computer shop or a tech-savvy family member to take a look.

I let a “tech support” caller into my phone or computer. Now what?

Turn the device off or disconnect it from the internet. Call your bank or credit union using the number on your card and tell them what happened. Change your passwords from a different, safe device, and turn on two-step login. Then have a trusted repair shop check the device and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

How do I know if I really missed jury duty?

Call the court clerk’s office yourself, using a number you look up, not one the caller gives you. Courts handle missed jury duty through the mail and the court system, not with phone calls demanding payment. In Chattanooga, CPD says to call the City Court Clerk at 423-643-7541 about citations, fines or warrants.

I already clicked a link or paid someone. Is it too late?

Act quickly, but don’t panic. Call your bank, card company or payment app using the number on your card or statement and ask what can be done. Change any password you gave out and turn on two-step login. Then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, to the Tennessee Attorney General at tn.gov/consumer and to local police (Dunlap Police: (423) 949-3319). If your Social Security number was taken, IdentityTheft.gov has a step-by-step plan.

🔗 Other Resources

• WBBJ: BBB warns of mystery shopper scam targeting holiday job seekers
• FTC: Mystery shopping, (fake) checks, and gift cards · FTC: Fake check scams
• NBC 39: Home warranty mail scam warning · TN Attorney General: Scam home warranty letters
• WBAY: Fake Apple security alert scam · FTC: Tech support scams
• Local 3 News: Chattanooga police on law enforcement scams · Chattanooga City Court Clerk: 423-643-7541 · Hamilton County Sheriff non-emergency: 423-622-0022
• WBBJ: BBB on scammers posing as law enforcement
• BBB Scam Tracker · National Elder Fraud Hotline (U.S. Justice Department): 1-833-372-8311 · AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline: 877-908-3360
• TN Attorney General: Scams, Schemes & Swindles
• FTC: What to do if you were scammed
• Report a scam: ReportFraud.ftc.gov · IdentityTheft.gov

🌄 Rest Easy: Real Jobs, Real Lenders, Real Tech Help and Real Deputies Don’t Rush You

Here’s the calm takeaway: a real job won’t mail you a check to cash and send back, your mortgage company didn’t send that warranty letter, Apple and Microsoft won’t put a phone number on a frozen screen, and no deputy wants your money over Cash App. Every trick on this week’s list needs you to hurry. So don’t. Set it down, pour another cup, and call somebody you already trust. That one habit is worth more than any lock on the door.

Share this with the grandchild looking for holiday work, the neighbor who just paid off the house, the friend who’s always on her phone, or anybody who’d jump if a “deputy” called. We’ll keep watch and bring you what’s new. Read Dunlap.Today and sign up for our newsletter for plain-English scam alerts and Valley news.