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Secret Shopper Scams: When “Mystery” Means Your Wallet Disappears

With the holidays behind us and credit card bills piling up, the promise of a secret shopper gig might sound like the perfect solution. Get paid to shop and judge cashiers? 
 
What could go wrong? As it turns out, everything.

One unsuspecting person received what looked like an urgent official letter. “I thought maybe I forgot to pay a bill or something,” they said, recalling the panic that hit them before opening the envelope. 

Instead, inside was a “golden ticket”—a check for thousands of dollars and a letter bearing Walmart’s logo inviting them to become a secret shopper. “Jackpot!” they thought. 

Spoiler alert: It wasn’t.

The Gift Card "Tango"

The instructions were straightforward: deposit the check, hit up Walmart to buy some gift cards, and test the cashiers. Oh, and don’t tell anyone about your secret mission!

But as tempting as it was, something didn’t sit right. “People don’t just send thousands of dollars for fun,” they wisely noted.

Meanwhile, another unsuspecting shopper shared a similar experience. Last summer, they got an email with an equally juicy offer: mystery shopping at CVS or Walgreens. 

Same drill—deposit the check, buy gift cards, and remain as secretive as a spy on a top-secret mission. “Don’t let the cashier know what I’m doing? That’s not suspicious at all,” they quipped.

 Red Flags Flying Higher Than Walmart’s Clearance Signs

The Better Business Bureau is waving red flags faster than a lifeguard at a shark-infested beach. 

Here’s the scam playbook:

  1. Step 1: Send a fake check.

  2. Step 2: Ask the “employee” to spend their own cash on gift cards.

  3. Step 3: Leave the victim holding the bag when the check inevitably bounces.

And voilà, you’re not just a secret shopper—you’re also secretly broke!

“Any job that sends you a check upfront is almost always a scam,” said a consumer watchdog, who probably wishes they didn’t still have to say this anymore.

“Legitimate companies don’t pay you before you work. You’re not getting a participation trophy for showing up.”

The Better Way to Shop in Secret

If you’re dying to live out your dream of judging cashiers and aisle organization, the Mystery Shopping Providers Association can guide you to legitimate gigs. 

No unsolicited checks, no cloak-and-dagger nonsense, just actual jobs. And if you do get one of those unsolicited letters, take the best advice you’ll hear this year: rip it up and toss it!!

“They make it look so professional,” said one expert. “Logos, fine print, even fake customer service numbers. But unless you’ve got an Oscar for playing naïve, don’t fall for it.”

So, before you deposit that too-good-to-be-true check, remember: there’s no such thing as free money, and the only “mystery” here is how many gift cards you’ll have to buy before you realize you’ve been scammed. Don’t waste your money—waste the scammer’s time instead.

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