How To Avoid Mystery Shopper Scams

If you're looking to make some side money in a legitimate business opportunity and you love to shop, you're going to need to know how to avoid mystery shopper scams. Contrary to popular opinion, there are mystery shopper jobs which are legitimate but, weeding through all of the scam artists to find the honest work can take some street smarts. With a few tips through, you can become a pro at learning how to avoid mystery shopper scams.

1. Know where to find legitimate mystery shopper jobs. There are hundreds of businesses that advertise mystery shopper opportunities and most of the legitimate ones will be members of Mystery Shoppers Providers Association. The association has standards and ethics that must be followed in order for the business to remain in good standing,.There are some legitimate companies that may not be members of the association but, if you find a company that is a member, you know that you can trust the business. You can research the businesses you're interested in by going to the MSPA website.
2. If your mystery shopper opportunity requires you to pay any money whatsoever, you're about to be scammed. Legitimate mystery shopper opportunities do not ask you to pay up front to join their organization, complete an application, or pay any kind of fee to participate in their programs. Any training materials are always free if you're not being scammed. You will, however, need to purchase items on your own for which you will be reimbursed.
3. Beware of any outrageous claims. Scam businesses will advertise that you can make $50 to $100 per hour simply by visiting your favorite store. Another popular scam is that you may keep designer clothes. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Mystery shoppers get paid by the job with pay from scales anywhere from $7 to $100 per job.