Mystery Shopper's Manual

How Do Mystery Shopper Scammers Get Away With It?

by 17 Comments


Every year, scammers take millions of dollars from unsuspecting victims who believe they are doing mystery shopper jobs. The scam is always the same. The bad guys send a forged check to the victim, get the victim to cash the check and wire most of the money away, then the victim is left holding the bag when the check is found to be worthless and the bank demands repayment of the money they received.

The victim usually wires the money to the bad guys, using Western Union or MoneyGram, so the obvious question is, why doesn’t law enforcement set up a sting and arrest the crooks when they go to pick up the cash? The scammers call the victims and give them a number to call, so why can’t the phone number be traced?
Continue Reading

Does Western Union Get Mystery Shopped?

by 12 Comments

western-union-mystery-shopBy now you have probably seen the infamous check scam that tries to pass itself off as a mystery shopping opportunity. You know how it works: cash a large check, shop at WalMart or some other major retailer, keep a few hundred dollars for yourself, then wire the bulk of the check amount to someone via Western Union or another service.

The scam? The checks are bogus. Although banks are legally required to release funds within a few days, the fact that the check is a fake may not be known for weeks. The victim believes that the check is valid (or why would the bank have given them the money?), they send the money off and later learn that the check bounced and they are responsible for repaying the money from the check to the bank.

There are, however, legitimate mystery shops involving Western Union. Here is how to tell if a shop opportunity you received is legitimate or a scam.
Continue Reading

Where to Report Mystery Shopper Scams

by 8 Comments

The fake cashier’s check scam has been around for a long time (well before the Internet) and it continues to ensnare new victims every day. The scammers send one or more checks or money orders to the victim, ask them to cash them, keep some of the money, then wire the rest to someone. The latest twist is that instead of wiring the money, victims are asked to buy pre-paid MoneyPak cards and send the PINs to the scammer. That is just a minor variation on a long-running scam.

This is not just a “mystery shopper scam.” Yes, the mystery shopper scam works this way, but this scam has been run on eBay, CraigsList, and in other marketplaces, as well as in direct dealings with victims, such as this law firm.Continue Reading

The Green Dot MoneyPak Mystery Shop Scam

by 18 Comments

The scammers continue to come up with new angles for scams. One that is becoming more popular is a variation on the fake check scam. Instead of wiring the money to the scammer via MoneyGram or Western Union, the bad guys have their victims purchase Green Dot MoneyPak Cards or other pre-paid cards and send the PIN numbers to the scammers. Here is how it works:
Continue Reading

Is This a Legitimate Mystery Shopping Company?

by 9 Comments

One of the common signs of a scam email is that the scammer uses a free email service, such as Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail. But maybe the scammers are getting smarter.

A shopper recently emailed about an “offer” she received via email. Based on her description, it sounded like a scam to me, but she said that the company name matched the email. They even had a website. But something had her worried. Turns out, she was right to worry.

Continue Reading

Victim of a Scam?

by 27 Comments

Don’t get scammed again by someone offering compensation or scam victim help.

The mystery shopper scam and others like it have taken millions of dollars from people all over the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and elsewhere around the world. Often, the victims of these scams are the people who can least afford to be taken for thousands of dollars. So, when someone comes along saying that they have been authorized to repay the money that was scammed from them, these victims may line up to get scammed again.

I get many emails a week that are similar to the one below. In each case, there are signs that this is yet another scam; however, someone who is desperate could overlook those signs, just as they did the first time they got caught up in one of these schemes.

Take a look at the scam email, then I will point out some of the signs that it is not a legitimate offer:
Continue Reading

Mystery Shoppers Aren’t the Only Ones Getting Scammed

by 1 Comment

So by now everyone reading this has heard about the check scam that lures victims by telling them they can earn hundreds of dollars for an hour or so of work. All they have to do is cash a check for a couple thousand dollars (generously provided by the scammer), keep a few hundred for their time, and wire the rest to another person (often in Canada, but they could be anywhere).

The scam? Sometime after the money has been sent off by the victim and claimed by the scammer, the check is discovered to the a forgery. The victim’s bank demands that they pay back all of the money, plus fees for the returned check and any checks the victim has now bounced because their account was debited for the amount of the bogus check.

We refer to mystery shopper scams, but in fact this is a check/wire transfer scam. Continue Reading

Mystery Shopper Scams – Could You Be a Victim?

by 5 Comments

online-fraudScams appear to be on the rise. The most common mystery shopper scam is the cashiers check scam. The victim receives a large check and they are instructed to cash it and wire most of the money to someone, usually in Canada. Although this is a common scam, mystery shopper scams represent a small percentage of the fraud perpetrated. Other types of scams include lottery and sweepstakes scams, financial investment scams and other versions of the cashiers check scam.

Recently, the psychology department at Exeter University, working on behalf of the UK’s Office of Fair Trading, released a study detailing how and why people fall victim to scams. They found that several persuasive techniques were commonly used by scammers, including:

  • Appeals to Trust and Authority – In the secret shopper scam, this is done by using the names of trusted mystery shopping companies, and well-known businesses such as Wal-Mart, Western Union, McDonald’s and others.
  • Visceral Triggers – Scammers prey on basic human desires and needs to get an emotional response from their targeted victim. Many scams, including the secret shopper scam, convince the recipients that large sums of money await them.
  • Scarcity – Many mail and e-mail scams appear to be personally directed to the recipient. They make it sound as though you were “chosen” out of many other people for this opportunity. There is also a stated or implied sense of urgency—you must respond now or miss out.
  • Behavioral Commitment – Scammers may begin by asking for a small commitment. For example, they may ask you to respond to the e-mail with some basic information. Once the victim has taken an initial step, no matter how small, it becomes easier for them to take the next step and the next.
  • The Promise of a Big Reward for a Small Cost – The mystery shopper check scam promises hundreds of dollars in return for work that they claim will take more no more than a couple of hours.

Although many of the findings of the study were as to be expected, there were some surprises too. Continue Reading

Do Not Engage Mystery Shopper Scammers

by 40 Comments

phone-womanHave you received one of those mystery shopper scam bogus checks? In addition to the fake check and the form you are supposed to use for your “mystery shopper assignment,” the package includes a phone number where you can call the “mystery shopping company.”

It may be tempting to call the scammer and give him or her a piece of your mind. However, telling them that they are low-life slime and threatening to call the police on them is not your best course of action.Continue Reading