Beware of Mystery Shopping Scams

Scammers are using fake mystery shopping offers to steal money. These scams often look professional, but they are designed to trick you into depositing counterfeit checks and wiring money to criminals.

How the Scam Works

Victims receive a letter with an official-looking logo and a check, often for several thousand dollars. The letter invites them to become a “mystery shopper,” deposit the check, and wire part of the money to another party while keeping a small amount as payment.

Once the check bounces, the victim is responsible for the full amount.

Common Red Flags

Watch for these warning signs:

• You receive a check before doing any work. Legitimate companies never pay in advance.

• You’re told to wire money or buy gift cards. Real mystery shopping companies never ask for that.

• You’re asked to pay to join or to purchase materials. No reputable mystery shopping company charges fees.

• The email address is from a free service (like Gmail or Yahoo) instead of a company domain.

• The mailing postmark doesn’t match the return address.

• The job promises high pay for easy work.

• The offer doesn’t require a proper application through an official website.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

What to Do if You’re Contacted

If you receive one of these fake offers:

• Do not respond or deposit the check.

• Report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service online or call 1-877-876-2455.

• Contact your local police (Cyber Crimes division if available).

• File a complaint with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

• Report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at reportfraud.ftc.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP.

• If the scam came through email, notify the email provider (Google, Yahoo, AOL, etc.) using their “Report Abuse” or “Contact Us” page.

What Scammers Are Doing

Fraudsters often copy company branding and use real employee names to appear legitimate. Some even lift text from company websites to sound convincing.

A Closer Look’s Commitment

At A Closer Look, we value our shoppers and take your security seriously. We never:

• Pay shoppers in advance.

• Ask for payments to participate.

• Contact shoppers from non-company email addresses.

All legitimate A Closer Look opportunities require you to apply through our official website: www.acloserlook.com.

If you ever receive a suspicious offer claiming to be from us, reach out through our verified contact page before responding.

Stay Alert

Mystery shopping is a real and rewarding way to earn extra income, but only when done through trusted companies. Stay alert, protect your information, and share this warning to help others avoid becoming victims.

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