It’s unfortunate that mystery shopping is beset with a lot of scams and scam artists. It’s given the mystery shopping industry a bad reputation. The fact is that mystery shopping is growing throughout the world. It’s used by nearly every large consumer oriented corporation, as well as countless local stores. Fortunately there are legitimate opportunities to get paid to shop, and simple steps you can take to avoid the scams.
Protect Your Identity by Getting an EIN
An EIN is like an alternate social security number for your business. I’ve gotten a lot of emails from people worried about giving away their social security numbers when applying to mystery shopping companies. This is far and away the best solution. You can get your EIN in a matter of minutes, and be completely protected. To apply, just do a google search for “EIN.” You should be able to apply for one online, and get it almost instantly!
Verify that the Mystery Shopping Company is Legitimate
If you are concerned or unsure about a mystery shopping company, there’s a few things you can do to check whether or not they’re legitimate. The first thing to do is check to see if they’re part of the MSPA(do this at mysteryshop.org.) You can also check to see if they are members of the BBB. Finally, check them out on one of the various mystery shopping forums or websites. Volition.com has a lot of useful info about companies.
You Don’t Need to Pay to Mystery Shop
There are a lot of websites out there selling information about mystery shopping. A lot of these websites promise you’ll make thousands of dollars with little work. The bottom line is, mystery shopping won’t make you rich. You can make decent money at it — but don’t expect to earn more than a supplemental income. Be wary of any companies promising thousands of dollars if you sign up for their website. You never need to pay to mystery shop. There are plenty of legitimate mystery shopping companies you can apply to for free, online.
Watch Out For Money Order Scams
Beware of any emails you get claiming to be from mystery shopping providers that ask you to mystery shop companies that sell money orders. This is a scam. What they’ll do is send you a money order for a large sum and have you cash it. Then, you wire the money back to them. But the money order turns up as being false a couple days later — and your are in trouble, and out of luck. The bottom line: Stay away from money orders and mystery shopping.
i recieved a letter and a check in the mail from orange grove research center claiming to be a division of mysteryshoponline.com is this a legit thing?