Be careful! There are many scam artists out there posing as mystery shopping companies. They will rip you off in a heartbeat. We want these companies to get caught because they give mystery shopping a bad name.
Please make sure that any company you shop for is legitimate. Keep these things in mind:
You should never be asked for money up front.
You should NEVER be asked for credit card or bank account numbers.
Be very wary of shops requiring you to wire money to strangers.
If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is!
Here are some ways you can check out a company and make sure that it's 100% legitimate:
Legitimate companies - like Marketing Endeavors - are members of the Mystery shopping Providers Association (MSPA).
Volition is a website where mystery shoppers from around the world share information about mystery shopping companies. So if you are thinking about working for a mystery shopping company, head to Volition, search for the company, and see what other shoppers have to say about it. You can even ask questions of other shoppers to get their advice on good or bad companies.
Here is a recent MSPA press release
for additional details on common scam techniques and how to avoid them.
Should you ever receive sketchy offers or
question the legitimacy of a job listing, don’t take any chances!We urge you to contact the appropriate authorities: