Sure, secret shopping is a work-at-home opportunity that will never pay an inordinate amount of money, but the idea is to make money so you should never lose money to a mystery shopper scam!
People do secret shopping because it’s can be fun, and they can make extra money and maybe get some free products and services. Plus, work-at-home moms like that they can often bring the kids along. But this lure of free stuff and relatively easy money is exactly what con artists use to find victims for their fraudulent schemes.
So if you’re interested in trying it, educate yourself about the difference between a legit secret shopping job and a mystery shopping scam. Unfortunately, there are many ways that scammers use mystery shopping to find victims.
The Check-Cashing Mystery Shopper Scam
This is the potentially most costly of all of these kinds of scams, costing victims thousands of dollars. In fact, it is a form of online fraud that pops up in all sorts of places. Beware of any “opportunity” that involves check-cashing.
Mystery Shopper Fees
How This Scam Works
- If it seems too good to be true, that’s because it is. Not all mystery shops pay top dollar. Anyone who promises big money could be a scammer.
- Don’t respond to email pitches or newspaper classifieds for mystery shopping. You can’t know who is behind them, and these are the typical places scammers look for marks.
- Don’t pay for anything. This includes classes, directories, guaranteed placements, background checks, certifications, or products.
- Check the MSPA list of verified members to see if a certain company is vetted.
This article originally appeared at thebalancecareers.com by Laureen Miles Brunelli on August 05, 2018