7 Ways To Catch A Secret Shopping Scam

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There are ways to avoid getting into a secret shopping scam . Those who are keen to become hidden shoppers are in danger of falling into the traps of swindlers who are lurking in large numbers over the internet. They can not only empty your accounts in a jiffy, but also steal your identity and make you nobody in seconds.

The advertisement on the web looks tempting. It draws you like a magnet towards it. You just cannot help but click on it and lo, before you even know it, you have fallen for a scam. Yeah. They ask for your account number or send you a check for thousands of dollars, which of course is forged. These are just a couple of examples of shopping scam. Here are 7 sure shot signs that indicate a scam.

Signs Of Scam

CHECK - you receive a check for thousands of dollars even before you are hired. Why would anybody want to pay you without hiring you they do not even know you this alone should sound an alarm in your head.

SUDDEN CONTACT - one fine morning, you get an email stating that some company is eager to hire you as their secret shopper. They claim to have noticed your resume on some job site. Remember, genuine companies NEVER go hunting for shoppers. And they certainly do not refer to job sites to get their detectives. Only scammers do such things.

FEES - no genuine shopping firm in the world would charge you a fee for application or whatsoever. If they charge you either for applying or training, its a secret shopping scam , nothing else. There is an industry association that provides shopper certification. This has a price attached to it. People who are certified have better chances of getting the job of shopper. However, it is not obligatory to produce a certificate to get a job.

MEMBERSHIP CHARGES - you must be careful with paying for any such membership. Often, such things lead you directly to the data extracted from the job boards of genuine companies. What wrong in that well, the data is taken WITHOUT the companies permission you could become a part of shopping scam by signing for such memberships.

OFFERS - they seem to look real AND irresistible. They also ask you to use your credit card. You must always read the fine print. Generally, it so happens that you authorize for a small sum, which follows with charges every month that may eventually increase. THIS IS NOT UNDERCOVER SHOPPING.

GUARANTEES - if they provide you a guarantee for the amount of payment you will get or the number of shops you will hit, they are scamming. Hidden shoppers work independently. How many shops they hit and how much money they make, depends on them. Also, factors like their place of living, time they devote on this job, type of shops they hit, and quality checking play a considerable role in this.

UNBELIEVEABLE - in the field where you are paid for shopping, you must not go for something that sounds totally unbelievable. One of the best examples of this is receiving a check for a hefty amount and being advised to send it to an unknown destination.

You need not be a techie to keep yourself safe from scams. Just a little common sense can help you catch a secret shopping scam . Do not be too desperate to become a secretive shopper that you overlook the signs of an impending disaster.

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.