Category Archives: News

Psst, here’s a secret. Some of those great opportunities to be a mystery shopper are nothing but a way to con you out of your cash Willie Smith, a veteran who served in the U.S. Army from 1975-79, went online looking for a way to make some extra money. He saw a site offering a […]

Who wouldn’t like to earn a little extra money, just by shopping or dining out? Being a mystery shopper can be fun and easy to do. Unfortunately, there’s a good chance it’s a scam. There are some legitimate mystery shopper jobs. But the field, like work-from-home jobs, has proven to be fertile ground for scammers […]

Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek. Some passengers just don’t matter. That’s the impression one can easily get when flying certain airlines. They’ll pander to those in the front of the plane. As for those in the back, they’ll throw them a […]

Marissa Lopes and her friend Erin Sayago had just arrived in Miami Beach on vacation from Toronto when they were hustled into an Ocean Drive cafe by fast-talking waiters. The waiters offered them two drinks for the price of one, so the women ordered two mojitos and a small bowl of guacamole and chips. “They […]

PETERSBURG, KY (FOX19) – A Northern Kentucky woman is warning that scammers are using fake companies and fake checks to try and steal money. Lisa Koors said a piece of priority mail showed up in her Petersburg mailbox, and she discovered that what was inside was part of a scam. “I honestly think people would’ve […]

Get That Money is an exploration of the many ways we think about our finances — what we earn, what we have, and what we want. Here, a teacher explains her secret side hustle as a mystery shopper, which allows her to take trips she could never afford. I became a music teacher straight out […]

BUFFALO — You’ve been invited to check out a favorite retailer by secretly shopping the store and evaluate the quality of service, product availability, and, the best part — keep the items plus earn a paycheck. It really does sound like a too-good-to-be-true opportunity, however, such a job does exist and is sanctioned by the […]

Lauren Leblanc of Altamonte Springs is a 51-year-old receptionist, but she’s also an undercover agent of sorts. Leblanc is a mystery shopper, supplementing her income by $1,000 to $2,000 a year with a few assignments per week. “They give you a scenario about what you are supposed to buy or ask for,” Leblanc said. “Then […]

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning consumers to watch out for the resurgence of a long-standing scam that combines fake checks with secret shopping. “We’ve been hearing a lot about it lately,” Emma Fletcher of the FTC’s Division of Consumer and Business Education wrote in an online consumer advisory. “Here’s how it starts. You […]

Mystery Shopping is Big Business Secret shopping is a form of market research. Companies use it to measure the quality of their customer service. To put it bluntly, it is a way for management to spy on their staff. Low-waged front-of-house employees may be tempted to cut corners when no supervisors are present. Mystery customer […]