Mystery Shopper Scams in East Texas

TYLER – The Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas is warning about fraudulent job offers for positions as ‘Mystery Shoppers’. Posing as BestMark,Inc, the scammers are attempting to convince job seekers that an offer to be a mystery shopper, accompanied by a phony check, is legitimate. The BBB is warning consumers about mystery shopping scams using the name of reputable companies in an attempt to defraud the public.

“Using the name of a legitimate company is a common ploy of scammers”, said Mechele Mills, President and CEO of BBB Serving Central East Texas. “But a legitimate company will not ask you transfer funds into their account as part of a mystery shopping assignment.”

BBB offers following tips when considering a mystery shopping opportunity:
*Always check with BBB before doing business with any company. Visit bbb.org to view the company’s BBB Business Review to find out more about their marketplace performance.
*Exercise extreme caution when considering job offers which involve the transmission of money, especially to foreign countries. In addition to potentially significant financial loss, acting on these offers also puts you in danger of unwittingly violating local, state and even federal laws. Only forward money via wire when you know and have had personal contact with the individual.
*Remember that if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
*Visit the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MAPCA) website at http://www.mysteryshopping.org/shoppers for a list of reputable mystery shopping companies and opportunities. Contact the companies, not the MSPCA, directly, for more information on how to become a shopper.
*Verify company contact information with third party sources such as BBB or MAPCA.