Mystery Shopper's Manual

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How to Avoid Spam

April 30, 2012 by Cathy Stucker

In a previous article I shared some of the hazards of using a challenge/response system to keep spam out of your inbox. Let’s look at some things you can do that will reduce or eliminate spam without the problems of challenge/response.

Don’t post your email address publicly in forums or on your website. Spammers use software to harvest email addresses from the web, and posting your email address on a public website guarantees that you will get more spam.

Be careful where you share your address. Before you give your email address at a website, make sure that you are on the site you think you are on. Some sites look deceptively similar to others. Then, look for signs that the site will not give or sell your address to anyone else. Each of my websites has a privacy policy that says I will use your email address to send what you have requested (e.g., an email course, newsletters and updates, or receipts and other information related to purchases). I don’t send other emails and I don’t share email addresses with any other person or company.

Continue Reading

Safe Surfing – How to Protect Yourself Online

November 26, 2008 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

Another Mystery Shopper Scam

July 29, 2008 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

Your Password is Not Private

January 4, 2008 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

Phishing Scams – How to Recognize Them

October 9, 2007 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

PayPal and Mystery Shopping

October 3, 2007 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

Mystery Shopping Companies

Updated 4/20/18! Access my free curated list of more than 150 legitimate mystery shopping companies.

Scam Warning

If you received a check or money order with instructions to cash it and wire money to someone, DON'T DO IT! This is a scam.
Click here to learn more about
mystery shopper scams.

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