Is this a scam ?

[pandora174]

Ok, I've been filing out surveys & freebies & am interested like most people now awdays for extra ways to make $ & I got this e-mail for a mystery shopper. Is it a scam ? I'm leervy & my gut tells me it's too good to be true. What do you guys think ? Here's the e-mail :



Thanks for the interest.


About Us .

We are a company that conducts surveys and evaluate other companies. We get hired to go
to other people's companies and act like customers in order to know how the staffs are
handling their services in relation to their customers.

Once we have a contract to do so, you would be directed to the company or outlet and you
would be given the funds you need to do the job (either purchase products or required
services), after which you would write a comment on the staffs activities and give a
detailed record of your experience

Examples of details you would forward to us are:
1. How long it took you to get the services requested.
2. Smartness of the attendant
3. Customer service professionalism
4. Sometimes you might be required to upset the attendant, to see how they
react to clients why they get tensed .

We turn these information over to the company executives and they would carry out their
own duties in improving their services.
Most companies employ our assistance when people give complains about their services or
when they feel there are needs for them to improve their customer service. your Identity
would be kept confidential as the job states (secret/mystery shopper) you would be paid
$200 for every duty you carry out, and bonus on your transportation allowance, and funds
would be given to you if you have to dine as part of the duty, Your job will be to
evaluate and comment on customer service in a wide variety of shops, stores, restaurant
and services in your area.

No commitment is made on this job, and you would have flexible hours as it
suits you.

If think you have what it takes to join a fast-pace, professional environment, then
please apply immediately as soon as possible via e-mail as this position will be filled
quickly but before you fill the list below make sure you read the INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR
AGREEMENT attached to this mail.

FULL NAME:
CONTACT ADDRESS (no P.O.Box please):
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
CELL PHONE:
HOME PHONE:
GENDER:
PRESENT JOB STATUS/POSITION:
EMAIL:

As soon as you respond, we can look at your distance from the locations which you have to
put your service into, and your address would also be need for your
payments.

Thanks For Your Total Understanding and Moral Cooperation and we hope to read from you
soon .

Warmest Regards,

-Hiring Manager

MYSTERY SHOPPER INC

 

[loonytoony]

If think you have what it takes to join a fast-pace, professional environment, then
please apply immediately as soon as possible via e-mail as this position will be filled
quickly but before you fill the list below make sure you read the INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR
AGREEMENT attached to this mail.

Depends what it says in the attachment but I am gonna guess it is a scam if they ask for money

 

[Traveliz]

Generally speaking mystery shopping is like any other job -- you go looking for it and applying for it - - on occasion schedulers will use creative measures to find new shoppers but the above is highly unlikely.

There is a legitimate mystery shopping company with the name

Mystery Shoppers Inc (notice the legit company has an s on their name).

If you go to their website you will see they have a warning about others using the name in an attempt to scam people.

Hope that helps.

Liz

 

[xmlguy]

Can't you tell that this is a total scam?

It's obvious that the writer isn't a native English speaker.

If you read "Thanks For Your Total Understanding and Moral Cooperation and we hope to read from you soon" and don't fall over laughing, then you must not be a native English speaker too.

No, I don't think I'm going to morally cooperate with these scamsters, and neither should you.

Still laughing.

 

[tar heel]

There are legitimate mystery shopping companies. You should seek them instead of them seeking you.

I would be cautious of this one b/c it has some of the awkward phrasing and odd statements that we associate with scams originating from other countries. I think this was written by someone whose English is pretty good, but you still have things like "complains" for "complaints" and "please apply immediately as soon as possible." Of course, "Moral Cooperation" is just plain weird.

 

[a1tinkfans]

SCAM, though a neighbor of mine was a mystery shopper and ditched it soon after, saying it was a lot of effort, no money and not worth it.

More importantly.....
ANY job that tells you YOU are a "self employed contractor"
MEANS you pay YOUR half of social security and THEIR part of social security, so basically take THAT right out of your check, and it is paid quarterly.....


You need to make a really good hourly wage to pay that IMHO!

RUN don't walk...................

 

[Shmily1]

Yes, it is a scam. Anything requiring you to put out money for mystery shopping is a no! Also, if it involves anykind of company like Western Union it is a scam. You can read more about scams using real mystery shopping company names by looking up MSPA (mysteryshoppers.org), the organization that certifies mystery shoppers.

 

[xmlguy]

Of course, "Moral Cooperation" is just plain weird.

Are the alternatives:

Immoral Cooperation?
Moral uncooperation?
Immoral uncooperation?

I don't think I'd want to do any of these with a stranger, but if she's a hot girlfriend.... I might be cooperative or uncooperative, as required.

 

[Tinkerbelle9980]

I'm willing to bet it's a scam. I work for a bank and had one of these checks last week. The woman got one for almost $3000. The check was from an out of state bank, the company address was a different state, but the routing number didn't match either state. Good luck with it!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.

I do some mystery shopping (especially restaurants) and I will get reimbursed after I have completed the transaction and submitted my report.

And my mailing address is a PO Box (which they don't want) and they are asking for two phone numbers (I've never been asked for more than one) and current employment status (which is absolutely none of their business). And, incidentally, their asking for Gender is a violation of the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Act.

And $200 per report is way out of line on the heavy side.

 

[M5ward]

If it sounds to good to be true it usually is! Aside from the fact that operating as an independent contractor makes YOU liable for Soc. Sec. and Medicare taxes at the very least, once you submit those payments, you are hung out there for other taxes.
Wouldn't touch this one.

 

[PinkRhombus]

And $200 per report is way out of line on the heavy side.

There is no way a legitimate company would be throwing $200 shops at a newbie. I did that for a few years...not hard core shopping, mind you...but the best I got to was $150 dinner shops that took me 2 hours to type up the reports. Not easy to accomplish when you don't get home until 9:30 or so from the shop, and you're full of yummy food,dessert and wine.

 

[Allison]

The writing is very poor. It's a complete scam.

Look at this as an example:

4. Sometimes you might be required to upset the attendant, to see how they
react to clients why they get tensed .

 

[mommababs]

yes-- this is a scam......... first of all a mystery shop company would never charge you to do a shop for them and secondly you are not going to make $200 either............ if you make more than a profit of $20 you are doing well. Please be careful with these things......

 

[pandora174]

Thanks I had a gut feeling. I didn't open the attachment so I'm sending this e-mail to spam.

 

[Traveliz]

Several of the above posters have mentioned its a problem also because you are an independent contractor. I work for dozens of different mystery shopping companies and all of them treat their shoppers as independent contractors with agreements.

Yes there are tax implications.

But yes alot of us still make money doing this.

Liz

 

[chattyann]

I have been doing mystery shopping jobs since Nov. 2008. I have not saw a job yet that pays you 200.00 for one job. I do pretty well with my jobs. I make an average of 550.00 a month but it takes work and effort to do it. Once you have done work for some companies and they see how good your work is, you can get better pay for jobs.