1/6/2009

The following is general information on mystery/secret shopper scams.

The BBB warns about a new version of the fake check/wire transfer scam that is targeting consumers, especially those looking for jobs on popular search engines and job boards.

Catchy "employment" ads have been surfacing with tag lines resembling those of mystery shopping opportunities, with claims of evaluating stores, businesses, restaurants, etc in exchange for compensation. Consumers responding to certain ads of this variety have been contacted by individuals advising consumers that the service that was to be evaluated was money wiring through Money Gram or a similar service. Shortly afterwards the consumers who responded to the ads received legitimate looking checks in the mail in the amounts of anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars, with instructions to wire the funds to a person that they are to claim is their relative. Included in the instructions the consumer also finds generic-looking forms with general questions regarding customer service, etc.

The BBB cautions that the offer at hand is part of the prevalent check scam going around the country, where consumers receive alleged mystery shopping jobs with legitimate looking checks addressed in their name and are told to deposit them in their accounts. The checks have no real funds backing them up, so if the consumer were to proceed, deposit the check, and forward a part of it for alleged fees and taxes, they would essentially be forwarding their own money to a thief. Besides forwarding their own money, many consumers who fall victim to the check scam wind up with insufficient funds and subsequent bank fees due to not having enough money to cover the amount forwarded.

The new twist on this scheme is the classic check scam cloaked in widely seen mystery shopping offers. Consumers are urged to exercise caution when responding to employment ads online or in popular local publications. If anyone requests you to accept money and forward it to another party on their behalf, cease and desist contact with them immediately.

Consumers should be sceptical of mystery shopping promoters who:

• Advertise for mystery shoppers in a newspaper's "help wanted" section or by email. While it may appear as if these companies are hiring mystery shoppers, it's much more likely that they're pitching unnecessary and possibly bogus mystery shopping "services".

• Sell "certification". Companies that use mystery shoppers generally do not require certification.

• Guarantee a job as a mystery shopper.

• Charge a fee for access to mystery shopping opportunities.

• Sell directories of companies that provide mystery shoppers.

If you have been victimized by the above or a similar sounding offer, let the BBB know.

For further information you can contact:

Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA)

4230 LBJ Freeway, Ste. 414
Dallas, Texas 75244
USA
Fax: 972-755-2561

Website: www.mysteryshop.org

The MSPA provides information on how to register to be a mystery shopper with a MSPA-member company, a database of available jobs, and additional information on the industry in general