An NBC News affiliate in Pennsylvania posted a video about how scammers are using fake checks to lure would-be mystery shoppers. Check this out:
Here is what you should keep an eye out for:
Unsolicited Checks
Under no circumstances will a legitimate mystery shopping company send an unsolicited check to you. Payment is only ever given after a mystery shop has been completed.
Recruitment
Speaking of unsolicited, mystery shopping companies will not assign you a shop without your direct consent. They typically recruit shoppers through classified ads, either in print or online, of through word-of-mouth. Once you’ve signed up to access that mystery shopping company’s job board (which should always be free), you’ll be able to request the shops that interest you.
Gift Cards
The only time gift cards should be involved is when you are sent one to use for your shop. You will not be instructed to buy one as part of your experience. Other times, they might be given as payment, but this is uncommon. In fact, most shops deal in direct reimbursements rather than gift cards to avoid confusion.
Transfering Money
No mystery shopping company will ask you to wire money, mail money orders, or send gift-card codes through text messages or over-the-phone. You will not send or transmit anything of monetary value. Ever.
Out-of-Pocket
You may be asked to go out-of-pocket when buying a meal or making a small purchase at a register (to evaluate a cashier, for example), but those purchases are for you—they will not be sent to the mystery-shopping company.
The Goal
Mystery shopping is about evaluating the customer service experience, the cleanliness, and product quality of client businesses. If you’re asked to do anything that is outside of this scope, you should be suspicious.
Want to learn more? Reach out to us at The Brandt Group. We’re A+ rated with the Better Business Bureau, and we’ve been in business for 30 years. You can also learn more about mystery shopping here.
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