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Mystery shopping is a legitimate way to make money; however, if you received a large check and were told to wire money somewhere, don't do anything until you read about mystery shopping scams.

Safe Surfing – How to Protect Yourself Online

Posted on November 26th, 2008 in Identity Theft,Online Security,Technology and Secret Shopping by Cathy Stucker

computer_toolbox.jpgYou probably know that there are lots of online scams, where scammers go after your data. Once they get your login IDs and passwords, account numbers, or credit card numbers, they can use them for identity theft or  to run up fraudulent charges or empty your bank account.

It can be hard to tell a scam site from the real site sometimes, as many of these crimes are very sophisticated. One of the reasons that these scams are so prevalent is that so many people fall for them.

Feeling a little paranoid? Afraid to switch your computer on? Don’t be. Although nothing is 100% safe, taking a few simple precautions will keep your data secure and make it very unlikely that you will be the victim of a cybercrime. …continue reading Safe Surfing – How to Protect Yourself Online

Another Mystery Shopper Scam

Posted on July 29th, 2008 in Mystery Shopper Scam,Online Security by Cathy Stucker

An email turned up in my spam mailbox this morning. The subject was MYSTERY SHOPPER!! and it came from someone claiming to be in the UK. Lots of things did not seem right about this email.

In addition to an abundance of grammatical errors, there are several other clues that should get your spidey-senses tingling. First, let’s take a look at the email itself then I will tell you some of the other clues that should alert you to a possible scam. …continue reading Another Mystery Shopper Scam

Your Password is Not Private

Posted on January 4th, 2008 in Online Security by Cathy Stucker

Although the information we enter in our profiles at mystery shopping provider sites is not public, that does not mean that no one else sees it. Schedulers and others at the mystery shopping company can see your profile and that often includes the password you use to access the site.

Why does this matter? …continue reading Your Password is Not Private

Phishing Scams – How to Recognize Them

Posted on October 9th, 2007 in Online Security by Cathy Stucker

In a recent post about mystery shopping and PayPal, I mentioned “phishing” schemes. You probably get lots of phishing emails that say they are from PayPal, banks, eBay, Amazon or some other known and trusted company, but are really attempts to get your personal information. If you are not sure if you would recognize a phishing scam (lots of people get conned by them every day) I found a simple and fun way to learn more about recognizing and avoiding phishing scams. …continue reading Phishing Scams – How to Recognize Them

PayPal and Mystery Shopping

Posted on October 3rd, 2007 in Online Security by Cathy Stucker

Many mystery shopping companies require that you have a PayPal account in order to shop for them. Here we will talk about what PayPal is, how it works, why mystery shopping companies want you to have a PayPal account, and what you need to watch out for when using PayPal. …continue reading PayPal and Mystery Shopping