Consumer Blog
Mystery shopping - real or scam?
The answer is both. There are plenty of mystery shopper / secret shopper scams out there, but there are hundreds of legitimate companies that hire and pay people to do this. Scambusters.org has a nice article that explains how to become a mystery shopper, how to spot the real opportunities from the scams and how to find a reputable company. There is actually an association of these companies.
When it comes to real vs. scams, two big pointers: if they contact you unsolicited, it's probably a scam. If they want money up front, probably a scam. And if they send you a check, then ask you to send some of the money elsewhere, that's the overpayment scam.
You can check to see if our office has complaints against one of these companies at our KnowMO link.
Technorati Tags: fraud, mystery shopper, mystery shopping, scam, secret shopper, secret shopping, work at home opportunities, work from home opportunities, moagoconsumer, consumer protection
Posted by on February 5, 2008 12:19 pm :: Comments (2) :: Permalink
2 Responses to "Mystery shopping - real or scam?"
says:
April 4, 2008 8:37 am
How do I know if an internet company is a scam. I joined reunion.com and paid a $60 fee by credit card. But now I can't access my account. I called them and they say that their accounts got mixed up and they will correct the problem within 24 to 72 hours. Is this compnay a scam?
says:
April 4, 2008 9:52 am
To Nancy:
Can't answer about this company, but you were wise to pay with a credit card. If you don't get what you paid for, you can call your credit card company and ask them to block the charge.
If you still don't have success, you can file a consumer complaint with our office.
