How to Recognize Secret Shopper Scams

It sounds too good to be true: Get paid to shop. While there are legitimate secret shopper organizations, many online offers are a scam. If you fall for them, at best, you might lose a small fee for which you get nothing. At worst, you might cash a fake check and be out hundreds of dollars. By staying on the alert, you can keep yourself from being the victim of a secret shopper scam.

Instructions

1. Understand how secret shoppers are paid. Secret shopper scams might initially look like offers of employment. However, when you respond, you'll suddenly discover that you must pay a fee for more information or "training." A legitimate secret shopper company may require training, but it will never require you to pay for it.

2. Forget notices that arrive in the mail. Do not respond to a secret shopper solicitation that comes blindly to your email. Real secret shopper companies may advertise when they need to recruit shoppers, but they will not send out spam. They will place ads in print publications and legitimate online sites.

3. Run in the other direction if you receive a check in the mail. Do not respond to a secret shopper job offer that comes in the mail and includes a check. You may receive a notice that you've been chosen to be a mystery shopper at Western Union or another money wiring service. You're instructed to cash the check, wire most of the money to a designated recipient, write a report on the experience, and keep the rest as your fee. However, the check will be returned as a fake, and you will be held responsible for the full amount.

Tips & Warnings

• Even if you find a legitimate secret shopping job, be realistic about the earning potential. Scam ads often claim that you can earn hundreds of dollars in a week, or even in a day. The real pay scale is far more modest. You will receive a flat fee that might range from $10 to $50 and the amount of your purchase will be reimbursed.

Resources

• Snopes report on secret shopper scams.