Somebody pays me for mailing his stuff on his behalf?

Question

I was looking for a job.
One day I got an email just say :" I need assistant. Reply for more detail"
Then I replied. And almost one month later I got his response, saying he's out of US, and now need somebody to :
Mail services (Receive his mails and drop them off at UPS)
* Shop for Gifts
* Bill payment (pay his bills on his behalf)
* Sit for delivery (at home) or pick items up at nearby post office.
He said he will pay me in advance to do all of those. Even said I can open the packet if I want before mailing it away.
I am very confusing but I need a job. It sounds good but my instinct says there's something not ok.
Anybody was in this situation before? PLease give me some advice. Thank you

Answer 1

I have never been in this situation before, but I do know that this guy sounds really shady. I would advise against you taking this job. Get the name of this guy, call the police to run a background check on him, and if nothing comes up, take the job. Also, search registered offender lists for your area.

Answer 2

This sounds very suspicious to me, I would report it to the police, it could be drugs, pornography, weapons. Don't get involved.

Answer 3

this is a scam that's been around for a long time.