How To avoid the Mystery shopping Scams, Please be careful.
Dear Readers,
Mystery shopping sounds good doesn’t it, FREE stuff and you get paid as well, It just doesn’t get any better. BUT there is more than one Mystery shopping scam out there so I hope this will help you avoid them.
The mystery shopping scam ads have even been found on the Australian Government’s Job site so they are everywhere. Some will even send you on Bogus JOBS so that you are willing to give them more information.
Here are a few basic steps to avoid being scammed by bogus Mystery Shopping companies.
Tip 1: NEVER Give the company your Payment details in your application. This should ring a bell if they ask for your account details in the application process. You don’t have the job yet so they don’t need to pay you. DO NOT Give your Bank Details Upfront.
Tip2: Search the company details on the asic website. All Australian Companies are required to show an ABN Number. Use this to do some back ground on the company you are applying to. Even ring the Governments Hotline to make sure the company is legit.
Tip 3: Set up an email address that you only use for Mystery shopping work. I get 30 times more spam after putting in several Job applications, Once you are sure the Mystery shopping company is fair dinkum then change the address to your main one. Use a throw away for the applications though.
Tip 4: Make contact by phone when you get your first job, Just tell them this is your first job and you need some pointers. If you can’t get a phone number and a contact person them bail out fast. Proper Mystery shopping companies will welcome the contact, Scams will not.
Tip 5: Use your Common sense, $500 a job is Bullshit. Most pay between $13 and$25, if you are being offered Hundreds of dollars then you are being scammed. One Scam I came across was this: The Fake mystery shopping comapny offers to put Money in your bank to make a Major purchase. You keep a % as your fee. I actually had $30,000 Placed in My account. Lucky the bank was onto them and I avoided any Pain.
Being a mystery shopper is excellent, I have a lot of fun with the jobs and get paid. The FREE stuff is nice too. But you can get scammed so do your Homework.
If you can get into a few Mystery Shopping companies then you can make excellent Money. For most, Like me, it is a great way to earn some extra cash and have a free Lunch a few times a week.
Happy Mystery Shopping.
One Dumb Aussie.
