CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's office is warning consumers to be cautious when responding to offers to become secret or mystery shoppers.
Some companies offer people the opportunity to shop at your favorite stores and get paid for it. However, scammers have learned to take advantage of people’s desire to be part of such a venture.
“Mystery shopping can be a valid way to make some extra money,” Morrisey said. “But consumers need to have their wits about them or they can get ripped off.”
According to the AG's office, legitimate secret shopper opportunities can be found through the mystery shopping trade group, Mystery Shopping Providers Association. Scammers, however, will set up fake websites, post newspaper ads and use emails to convince consumers the money is free and easy.
Typically, the fake mystery shopping company will send you a check to deposit and then ask you to “shop” for gift cards and send the company the cards or the PIN codes or ask the consumer to test a wire transfer service by sending the money to someone else. Then, the check is identified as fake and the consumer is responsible for the money they spent. Or, the fake mystery shopping company will want interested parties to pay a program fee to be certified or to be guaranteed an assignment.
Legitimate companies won’t require payment and won’t pay upfront for shopping.
Anyone who believes they have been the victim of a secret shopper scam is asked to contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 800-368-8808, the Eastern Panhandle Consumer Protection Office in Martinsburg at 304-267-0239 or visit the office online at www.wvago.gov.
