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Make money by shopping? How to find real mystery shopper projects

Posted at 11:32 AM, Nov 28, 2022
and last updated 2022-11-28 13:51:30-05

Trying to make some extra money for the holidays? How about getting paid to shop and test customer service? Sounds great until you hear about people scammed by fake secret shopper job postings.

"Congratulations. You got approved for the job. We'll send your task in a couple of days," Stephanie says.

She thought she had found gold — a job where she could shop and get paid a lot for it.

"Ten tasks a month, $4,000," she says.

Stephanie would be a mystery shopper.

She would buy money orders and send them back, testing customer service at the post office.

They sent her a $2,995 check and told her to keep $300 for the initial payment.

You can guess what happened next. The check was bad, and Stephanie's money was gone.

She was another victim of a shopper scam.

But there is a thriving legitimate mystery shopper industry, where people are getting paid — and sometimes a lot!

"Depending on how complicated the assignment is, it can get into the hundreds of dollars," says Rich Bradley.

Bradley is with MSPA-AMERICAS.org, an organization connecting businesses with shoppers.

"Any company listed has been vetted by us as a legitimate company," Bradley says.

Their site lists open mystery shopping projects, including Arizona opportunities.

On the day I searched, one of the local jobs offered $12 if you go to Best Buy, Lowes, or Home Depot and ask about a front-load washer.

Another project gives you $25 to buy and return something at local shopping centers and share your experience.

"Go into a restaurant order two drinks, dessert, two entrees, and evaluate the customer service," says Bradley.

Jobs can last a few minutes or more than an hour.

More money means more involvement.

Make $50 at a bank reporting back about your consumer loan experience.

Get paid $200 if you go to a car dealership and apply for a loan. You won't accept it but will share your experience.

Bradley says while their listings are safe, always be cautious.

"Nobody is going to send you a $2,000 to $3,000 check if they don't know you and you are not already in a business relationship with them," he says.

And you should never be asked to send money back.

To search for jobs, you need to sign up.

You can sign up to be an independent contractor for free or pay $35 for access to learning opportunities.

Sign up and check the MSPA site for mystery shopper job opportunities.

Learn more about online job scams here.

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