Mystery Shopper Scams:
A Real Scam Email I Received
Mystery shopper scams have been around for years, and although the way scammers contact people has changed, one of their basic strategies remains the same: make a fake mystery shopping opportunity look legitimate long enough to get your money.
I know because I received one myself.
On October 22, 2009, an email arrived offering me a mystery shopping job. The sender used the name of a legitimate mystery shopping company and included enough believable information about the company to make the offer sound convincing.
But the real objective became obvious. The sender wanted to mail me a check for between $1,000 and $5,000. I was supposed to deposit it, keep a percentage as my payment, and send the remaining money through MoneyGram.
That is a classic fake-check mystery shopper scam.
Want more help getting started? My book, Take That Job And Mystery Shop It!, walks you through finding assignments, completing shops, writing reports, and avoiding many of the mistakes new shoppers make.
What Made This Mystery Shopper Scam Convincing?
One of the interesting things about the email was what the scammer said they would not ask for.
The message specifically said they would never request my bank account number, routing number, credit card information, passwords, or Social Security number.
That sounds reassuring.
But they didn't need any of those things. They wanted me to deposit their check and send real money somewhere else.
A counterfeit check can look legitimate and the money may appear to be available before the bank determines that the check is fake. By then, if you've already sent the money elsewhere, you can be responsible for the loss.
Warning Signs I Saw in the Email
Looking back at the message, there were warning signs everywhere.
The grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and spacing were terrible. The company's name was even misspelled in the email address.
The message also created urgency. I was expected to respond quickly and was told that communication would require replies within 24 hours.
Most importantly, the sender promised to send a "certified bank check" ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 before I had performed the assignment. I was instructed to keep 10 percent and send the rest through a MoneyGram location.
That's the part that should stop you immediately.
Legitimate mystery shopping exists. But if someone sends you a large unexpected check and tells you to deposit it and then send part of the money to someone else, don't do it.
The Actual Mystery Shopper Scam Email I Received
I'm including the original message because I think it's useful to see how a mystery shopper scam was presented to a potential victim.
This email was received on October 22, 2009. I removed the names of the legitimate mystery shopping company and the person the scammer claimed to be. Otherwise, I left the message as I received it—including its spelling, grammar and other errors.
Subject: MYSTERY SHOPPER JOB OPPORTUNITY!!!
From: Joe Legitimate Person(serviceswanted@name of company, which was misspelled.com)
Sent: Thu 10/22/09 5:00 PM
To:
Name of company is the world's largest Mystery Shopping company. Established in 1994, we operate in over 50 countries with a global team of over 200,000 Mystery Shoppers.
We are a company that conduct surveys and evaluate other companies. We get hired to go to other peoples companies
and act like customers in order to know how the staffs are handling their services in relation to their customers.
once we have a contract to do so, you would be directed to the company or outlet, and you would be given the funds
you need to do the job (either purchase things or require services), after which you would write a comment on the
staffs activities and give a detailed record of your experience.
Examples of details you would forward to us are:
1) How long it took you to get services.
2) Smartness of the attendant
3)Customer service professionalism
4)Sometimes you might be required to upset the attendant, to see how they react to clients why they get tensed.
And we turn the information over to the company executives and they would carry out their own duties in improving
there services. Most companies employ our assistance when people give complains about their services, or when they
feel there are needs for them to improve their customer service. your Identity would be kept confidential as the
job states (secret shopper)
Your job will be to evaluate and comment on customer service in a wide variety of shops, stores, restaurant and
services in your area.
We understand that the confidentiality of your personal details is critical. For this reason our application
process is completely secure.
No commitment is made on this job, and you would have flexible hours as it suits you. This is a part-time job and
it does not affect your Daily Activities/Job.
WE will communicate mostly through email which you have to reply swiftly within the time frame of 24 hours
Your response to this email is needed , so that we can reconfirm your mailing address details we have in our
database.
For the next 4 weeks,We will be evaluating MONEY GRAM AGENT OUTLETS so as to know the efficiency of their customer
service. We will be updating you on when you will be getting the payment which will be in form of certified bank
CHECK ranging from ($1000-$5000) for the commencement of the mystery shopping,you will deduct 10% of the payment
for every outlet you survey and send the rest through the MONEY GRAM AGENT OUTLET to any of our mystery
shoppers in
the US and get back to us with the details of the efficiency at the MONEY GRAM
OUTLET.
If you are interested do send in this information:
FULL NAME:
CONTACT ADDRESS:(NO P O BOX)
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP-CODE:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
AGE:
OCCUPATION:
So we can look at your distance from the locations which you have to put your services into, and your address would also be needed for your payments.
N.B:Note: We will never ask you for anything more than that which we have stated above. No bank names, No bank account number, routing number, credit card, passwords, SSN# etc. If anyone asks for those on our behalf,please do not give out this infomation.This is to ensure your security and non involvement in cases of Identity theft.
Yours Sincerely
Joe Legitimate Person
Name of company Survey Public.Relations.Officer, LLC
www.name of company.com
What Has Changed Since 2009?
The delivery methods have changed considerably since I received that email.
A mystery shopper scam today might arrive through email, text message, social media, or another messaging service. Scammers may impersonate legitimate businesses, and modern technology can make fraudulent communications look much more professional than my 2009 example.
That's important because I would no longer tell readers that bad spelling and grammar are enough to identify a scam.
They can be warning signs, but a well-written message can still be fraudulent.
The underlying fake-check scheme, however, hasn't disappeared. Scammers can pose as mystery shopping companies, send fraudulent checks, and direct people to buy gift cards or send money.
How to Protect Yourself From Mystery Shopper Scams
Before accepting an unfamiliar mystery shopping opportunity, investigate it independently.
Don't rely entirely on a website, telephone number, or email address supplied by the person who contacted you. Find the legitimate company's website yourself and verify that you're dealing with the actual company.
Be especially cautious if you're asked to deposit an unexpected check and send some of the money elsewhere, buy gift cards and provide the numbers or PINs, wire or transfer money, pay an upfront fee to get a mystery shopping job, or act immediately before you have time to investigate.
One More Important Lesson
The scammer who contacted me in 2009 used the identity of a legitimate mystery shopping company.
That's an important distinction.
Finding a fraudulent message that uses a company's name doesn't automatically mean the real company is responsible. Scammers can impersonate legitimate businesses and individuals.
If something doesn't seem right, contact the company independently and ask whether the opportunity is legitimate.
Mystery shopping has provided me with many legitimate assignments over the years. I've shopped restaurants, hotels, apartment communities, automobile dealerships, new-home builders, and other businesses.
That's exactly why mystery shopper scams are frustrating. They take a legitimate business and use its name to steal money from people who are simply looking for an opportunity to earn extra income.
My 2009 email may look old-fashioned today, but the lesson behind it isn't.
If a stranger sends you a check and tells you to send part of the money somewhere else, stop.
A legitimate mystery shopping opportunity should pay you for doing the work—not put your own bank account at risk.
For more current warning signs, read my Mystery Shopper Scam guide.
Here are a couplle of additional scam resources worth checking out.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service: Mystery Shopper Scams
About the Author
I'm Mystery Don (Donald J. Servais, Jr.), and I've completed mystery shopping assignments for restaurants, hotels, apartment communities, automobile dealerships, new-home builders, and other businesses.
I created MystShopper.com to share what I've learned from my own experiences, help new shoppers avoid common mistakes, and explain how legitimate mystery shopping really works.
I'm also the author of Take That Job And Mystery Shop It!, which includes beginner-friendly advice, real-world mystery shopping experiences, and a directory of more than 150 mystery shopping companies.
Drawing on my 45-year career in television, I've also written 7 Keys to Success in a Changing Television Industry, a guide for people interested in building a career in television and video.
My goal is simple: honest guidance without the hype.
We're always looking for new faces to visit different places.
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