DALLAS - North Texas is becoming a target for a sophisticated international fraud scheme using cashier's checks to steal money from consumers. The scam uses legitimate businesses to gain victims' confidences.

Don Edinburg said he was surprised when he recently found a cashiers check for $2,875 in his mail.

"When I get a cashier's check in an uninsured envelope I became very suspicious," he said.

He soon learned the check was likely part of a scheme to get several thousand dollars of his money.

The scam started with a classified ad placed in The Dallas Morning News.

"Part time and full time available. Earn as much as 200 per research evaluation," the ad read.

After sending in an application, Edinburgh got an overnight letter with instructions purporting to be from CRG Mystery Shopping. Enclosed inside the letter was a cashier's check for $2,875 that was made out to him.

Edinburgh, the letter said, was to be a so-called mystery shopper at Wal-Mart. The letter said he would be paid to test a money gram service at the store.

"I was to pretend to be a consumer going into a Wal-Mart to purchase a money gram," he said. "And we're testing how good the clerks were, how efficient they were."

The letter said he should deposit the cashier's check in his own account and then wire it to a third party to test the service. After writing a report, he could keep $200 for himself.

"They're cashing a fake check, unbeknownst to them [and] then they are wiring most of that money to the crook," said Jay Newman, with Dallas Better Business Bureau.

The Dallas Better Business Bureau says 19 fictitious companies are using North Texas addresses for phony cashier's check schemes. Many use phone numbers that are nearly impossible for consumers to trace to a location.

"The schemes may last 30 to 45 days and then they may run on to another company or they scam another firm," Newman said.

Toronto is the purported site of the company that sent Edinburgh the check. While the Purolator overnight letter has a return address for the Morris and Morris law firm in Toronto, but there is no Kevin Williams there. The law firm said it has received an invoice for Purolator letters billed to its address. Three were sent to Texas.

Wal-Mart said it does not use mystery shoppers.

Meanwhile, back in Dallas, Edinburg said he still receives phone calls from Williams asking him to return his call. He said he hasn't responded.

Earlier this year, authorities in Toronto arrested two people in a bogus international cashier's check scheme. Most of the attempted crimes have a Canadian connection.

E-mail bharris@wfaa.com