Printable View
Check the Address and business name on the check, and in the information they sent. There will be alot of misspelling, and incorrect address info. Use this to check the addy: http://www.whitepages.com/reverse-lookup
My brother got this same thing and I told him not to do it. It is a major scam.
If you havent shredded it take it to the police..they are trying to track these people down.Quote:
Originally Posted by suzziq03
This is a portion of an article that I read today on aol find a job. I think it lists some legitimate companies. Hope this helps.
Becoming a Mystery Shopper
Mystery shopping is a job category that is shrouded in, well, mystery. There have been some scams associated with the field, including fraudulent "certification" programs even though no governmental or industry certifications exist for mystery shoppers. However, the majority of companies in the business are legitimate, Gagnon said. Hundreds of companies conduct market research using mystery shoppers. Many of these firms specialize in particular industries such as finance, automotive, retail, and lately the field of education.
If you're interested in becoming a mystery shopper, the trick is getting in contact with these organizations. A giant in the research business is the multinational Maritz. Like other large research firms, Maritz offers potential mystery shoppers the opportunity to register at the company's Web site. The company then reaches out to this pool of shoppers when opportunities arise.
Individuals can contact other firms one at a time, or find sights that have up-to-date mystery shopper assignment databases from hundreds of research companies. One such site is www.PremierShoppers.com.
We contacted Gary Cohn, the president of Premier Shoppers to find out what would-be mystery shoppers need to do in order to get started, and what they can expect in the process. "Research companies provide us with daily updates of current research projects," Cohn told us, "People who want to be mystery shoppers register at our site, and based on the information provided by each registrant we then act like a match maker between the research firm and the mystery shopper." Cohn's network automatically sends out daily e-mails to those registered about work opportunities in their area that meet the registrant's personal criteria.
We asked Cohn whether an individual could make a living mystery shopping. "There may be a few people in the country who can make a living mystery shopping," he said. "Realistically I'm talking just a handful. But you can make extra money every month. Depending on how many assignments you find and accept, you could generate $500 to $2,000 per month. Some people might be able to make more."
Cohn cautioned that mystery shopping is real work. As a shopper, you must be aware of a shopping opportunity, and then apply for that "shop" (what the industry calls an assignment). If you are selected for the shop, then you must visit the targeted establishment, take time to complete the assignment (for example, buying shoes, getting your car's oil changed, having lunch), then complete and file the required forms (paper and/or on-line) to the research firm. Shoppers are hired as contract or project employees. Companies issue workers a 1099 tax form at the end of each year for income tax reporting.
The compensation for each "shop" ranges from about $10 to $30. Not much for the 60 minutes or more required to properly complete the task. However, shoppers can be reimbursed for the cost of services rendered or products purchased.
Registration at PremierShoppers.com is free. Along with linking shoppers with research companies, Cohn's site offers practical Web seminars that help virtual attendees learn about different aspects of the mystery shopping business.
Cohn wasn't aware of any specific assignments listed on PremierShoppers.com for education-directed research. "But on any given day we have up to 150,000 assignments listed, so it's kind of hard to keep up," he said.
Try volition.com You will find legitimate mystery shopping companies there.
make sure and take everything she got to the police...20/20 just did a show on this scam deal...what a racket...many of folks out a lot of $$$$$$$$...glad she will not be a victim.
Thank you all so much for the info. im taking her today to the police department to turn it all in. appreciate all the help and info on this matter.
Around here, when someone receives one of those checks (either after they've been scammed or before) and contacts the police, the police put a warning in our local paper to help prevent others from getting scammed.
And around here you get accused of being in on the scam. We've gotten several of these from different companies. I told my husband the first time he got one that it was a scam. He tried to cash the check at the check mart. The woman got on the phone and said to someone, "we got another one trying to pass one of those bogus checks." She tore it up and told my husband I'll let you go but don't try and do anything like that again. I hate when they turn it around and try and make the victim the guilty party.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jenefer3
TrendSource is reliable, but they sure don't send big checks. I get $14 a shop and some times some thing comes along that pays a little better. You sure won't get rich doing secret shopping.
If you search MSPA, it will take you o a list of legit secret shopping jobs and you can sign up with the companies that posted them. And the only fees you should have is whatever it costs to actually go & shop or eat out or whatever they want you to do. They should reimburse you for what you spend and pay you the whater fee the shop is worth. When it states fee, it is not what you pay, it is what they are paying you to do the shop. There are a lot of companies out there. I know that marketforce.com pays. I do shops for them every month. They pay once a month. They send me a check but you can get direct deposit also. Also, if you go to mysteryshoponline.com, they send info on mystery shopping that is very helpful. Have fun!