2. What is Mystery Shopping? Getting paid to shop! Some retailers hire marketing companies –Make a purchase –Evaluate the quality of service –Report on the experience Plenty of legit opportunities

3. The Bait You receive a check or e-mail You’re hired to evaluate MoneyGram Deposit a check in your bank account Withdraw money and wire it to a “relative” Fill out a report and send it Keep some of the money

4. The Catch The check you deposited bounces You owe your bank the money you withdrew Your bank wants their money back

5. What You Can Do Never: –Deposit a check from someone you don’t know –And then wire the money back Never pay fees to be a mystery shopper Remember: money-back guarantees offer no protection Avoid “Too good to be true” offers

6. If You Want to be a Mystery Shopper Do your homework: research companies online Legitimate companies don’t charge to apply Look for online sites with tips Read online reviews and comments Never pay a fee; never wire money

7. Recognize Scams Newspaper ads E-mails offering to register people as mystery shoppers Snail-mail checks – TGTBT Being asked to pay for the certification process

8. Report Scams: The Federal Trade Commission The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center Your state Attorney General Better Business Bureau--click on file a complaintclick on file a complaint

9. Mystery Shopper Scam Video Teen Super Shopper Scam Super Shopper Scam

10. Consumer Fraud Reporting OnGuard Online.gov FTC Consumer Alert Snopes Consumer Affairs Y ouTubeConsumer Affairs Y ouTube