Mystery shopping has become one of the ideal forms of employment for those who have been laid off during the past few years and because of the high unemployment rates, scammers are taking advantage of this fact to lure mystery shoppers into a false job which ends up costing them. Secret shopping scams are not new and in fact there are plenty of case studies to work from, the majority of which include the scammer requesting the mystery shopper to cash a check (which is forged) and then wiring the money to an account (the scammers) by way of online payment system (Western Union most commonly).

Recently the Better Business Bureau has noted an increase in mystery shopping and work from home scams. Some of these involve the mystery shopper paying an admin fee in exchange for getting the job. The BBB warns that people should not be fooled by these scams. No legitimate company will ever ask you for a fee or any upfront money to work for them, or even to do a background check or credit check.

Most people are spending time online nowadays looking for job opportunities and this is where most scam artists are focusing their attention. They send unsolicited emails to you with supposedly unbelievable offers, and they also create website that you can upload your resume to, which will unbeknownst to you take all your personal information like your social security number.

The BBB reiterates that people should not click on any links that they are sent in an email, no matter who the email claims to be from. Mystery shopper jobs that are advertised through emails will expect the recipient to click on the link which then infects your computer with spyware so that scammers can track your internet history and gain access to your bank account and other important personal information such as user names and passwords.

It may be tempting for those who are struggling financially and who have no work, to go for these mystery shopping scams that are emerging, and it is hard to tell which are real and which are not, but the most important thing to remember is that legitimate mystery shopping opportunities can always be corroborated by the Mystery Shopping Providers Association and by contacting the Better Business Bureau to find out of there is a scam similar to an opportunity you have discovered.

To learn more about how to find the legitimate mystery shopper careers you should visit Mystery Shopper Job Finder today and become a member to learn about all the current opportunities.

If you are looking for a quick and easy way to make money, then mystery shopping jobs might seem like the obvious choice, however, you would be mistaken. Mystery shopping is not simply about going shopping and getting paid to buy stuff, it is rather about being an analyst. You need to be alert and have the ability to pick apart a store to find its weaknesses and give constructive criticism. When you are a mystery shopper you are working for the headquarters of a franchise or branch and typically you will receive assignments that will test the store’s and employees’ abilities.

This feedback is very important for the heads of the store to see what is working and what isn’t. They will have firsthand knowledge provided by you about whether the store’s problems are its design, cleanliness, staff members, management, position, and how other customers enjoy shopping at the store.

Aside from a store, secret shopping jobs can also be done at movie theatres and restaurants, where you will get to rate the quality of service you received and provide feedback about the overall experience. The goal of this is to find out if the branch is doing well and gives the owners an insight into what could be improved.

The truth about mystery shopping jobs is that they are not just a matter of rating a store or service, but in fact providing details about the experience and offering a comprehensive, well rounded feedback to the client. This requires more work on your part in terms of keeping your eyes and ears open whilst on assignment, taking in everything around you. You also have to remain calm and not give away who you are. Acting normal is the key to success here.

You also need to have a good memory. If you walked around making notes of everything, it would give you away, so the best thing to do is to write everything down as soon as you get home. Making detailed notes about your experience is the most important aspect of mystery shopping, as is following the assignment to a tee.

You might be required to ask specific questions or order certain items. You might be required to purchase something one day and then bring it back the next day for exchange to see how this is handled. Whatever your tasks, you must be sure to describe exactly what happened and how the store reacted and treated you throughout. Any small issue should be mentioned, and excellent service you received should also be highlighted, although a subjective approach should be used at all times.

If you provide an excellent, well written, detailed account of each assignment, you will be chosen for many more secret shopping and market research jobs. This is a great way to boost your income and although it will take a huge effort to make this into a full time career, it could be the start of a brand new career path where you are self employed and have the freedom to work from home.

If this sounds like a job that you could do well, then you should check out Mystery Shopper Job Finder. Here you will gain access to 150 pages of information pertaining to secret shopping and discover the best mystery shopping companies to join. You will also learn about the many scams that come with a mystery shopping career and find out how to avoid them.  There is also a job board that you can check every day for any new mystery shopper jobs that are listed.

Mystery shopping is a profitable and viable source of income if you know where to look for legitimate mystery shopping job offers and how to avoid the various mystery shopper job scams out there. Firstly, when you are searching for a quick and easy way to make money, scammers know that these people are vulnerable and perhaps a little desperate. Anxious for a secret shopper job where they can get paid to do their every day shopping, many fall for these scams.

Just recently, this happened to 87,400 people in the United States from 2001 to 2004. A California man, Steven Todorovic, has been sentenced to 6 years in federal prison after it was discovered that his mystery shopping job opportunity was a fake and that he had scammed people out of $71 each. The total amount that was discovered due to the mystery shopper scam, was $6.2 million.

Aside from the false mystery shopping career he promised, he also conned consumers and bartenders, by offering certification training programs from the Consumer Response Group and the American Bartending Institute as well as job referrals on the completion of the program. He advertised these training courses and job opportunities in local newspapers, online and wherever else he could to get a huge response, which was inevitable. Of course the certifications were bogus and there were no jobs to offer, but he had set up overseas accounts for the training course fees to go into.

This is just an example of one mystery shopping job scam that people could have avoided had they known the signs. The number one rule when looking for a legitimate mystery shopping job is that you never need to pay for it. The job opportunity works like any other, where you apply for the job, get interviewed, get selected, and get paid to do the work – no money required from you. If any company asks for upfront payment for any reason, even if it is for “admin” purposes or “to secure your place”, be aware that they’re probably lying, so don’t fall for it.

There is an easy way to find mystery shopper work, and that is if you look on the Mystery Shopping Provider’s Association website at their list of approved companies that are legitimate. You can also learn more about what it takes to work as a secret shopper, how much you can earn, working hours and working conditions, as well as where to begin searching for mystery shopping jobs, visit the Mystery Shopper Job Finder website.

With access to over 180 pages of information regarding secret shopping and a Job Board with various recent mystery shopper assignments that you can apply for, this is the ideal place to come if you want to get into the mystery shopping and market research industry.

According to the Better Business Bureau, the top 10 scams of the year are not only those that have affected people in 2010, but also those that are likely to continue in 2011 in full force. The top 10 scams include mystery shopping and work from home job ads coming in at number 7 on the list. The main way this works is that the mystery shopper is sent a check which is in actual fact a fake check.

Without realizing this, the mystery shopper is told to deposit this check and wire the money to a certain account. They are told that the project is to evaluate and report on a wire transfer service. Meanwhile the money wired comes directly out of the mystery shopper’s account and the check that was used does not clear and bounces.

Other common mystery shopping job scams include those where you are asked to pay an upfront fee for the information or to join a mystery shopping group. These are fake, as you should never have to pay to become a mystery shopper. It is like applying for any other job.

This is not to say that all mystery shopping jobs are scams. On the contrary, mystery shopping makes a very good career option for someone who wants to have flexible hours, and who wants to make money whilst they are going about their ordinary day to day activities. Usually secret shopping suits stay at home parents and the elderly who are retired and have the time to perform these assignments.

The one thing that you have to make sure of is that when you take on any assignments for mystery shopping companies that you have a clear indication about what you are going to be doing and that the company you are working for is legitimate. To find out what legitimate mystery shopping jobs there are you should contact the Mystery Shopping Providers Association. They have a list of all the accredited mystery shopper groups and these will be safe to work for.

This is the best way of finding mystery shopping jobs that pay well and that will give you regular assignments. When you start out with any secret shopping company you will have to provide them with detailed information. This is not to be nosy or to use your information in a harmful way, but as most tasks require a specific type of person, they need to know everything about you. Some details might include how tall you are, if you are married or single, if you are a parent, what your demographic is, if you have any illnesses, how old you are and more.

If you want to learn more about the legit mystery shopping jobs and how to avoid scams, then all you need to do is visit Mystery Shopper Job Finder and become a member.

Thanks to US market research company, Industrial Info Resources, 50 new market research jobs will be created in Galway, Ireland. These jobs will be largely in the sales and administration fields as well as research for the heavy manufacture, industrial processing, and energy industries around the world.

The President of Industrial Info Resources, Ed Lewis, commented, “Galway is an ideal location to grow our operations to better service our customers throughout Europe. We are confident that the skills we require are readily available in Ireland for the long-term success of our European operations.”

According to the Minster for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe, the investment is just what Galway has needed. “IIR’s investment in Galway reinforces the western region’s growing reputation as a location for high-end business services operations.”

Market research is something that will never lose business and as long as people demand quality of service, in any sector, then market research companies will always have work and make money. Companies are determined to find out what makes people tick, and how they can improve on their services, customer satisfaction, and filling a niche. This is the kind of thing that market research companies do.

When you work for a market research firm, you can become a private mystery shopper, but for industrial purposes there will obviously be different kinds of market research being done. You can find yourself heading up various departments, working directly on the research, doing analysis, and much more.

The main aim of market research is to find out what the target audience is for a company. This is not just a once of thing either. New research will have to be done continuously to account for any trend changes, company changes, product changes and more. You might find that a store decides to get a modern new look and this can suddenly appeal to a different group of people than it did before.

These various changes will have to be picked up on with market research with the market research companies offering statistics along with advice for marketing and even packaging. Sometimes a company will want to make a change of sorts, but would first like to find out from the public how it will be received or get ideas on how to make the changes. A market research panel will be assembled to discuss these ideas, and usually individual mystery shopper or freelance market researchers will be called in to assist, giving their impressions.

Market research can go a long way towards helping a company to achieve its goals and provide the platform for an effective ad campaign based on the results found. If you think you have what it takes to be involved in market research and you want to learn more about available market research jobs like the ones in Galway, you should join Mystery Shopper Job Finder. Here you will have access to insider information about the jobs and what the best companies to work for are, as well as find out how to avoid scams. Market research jobs can be applied for directly from the Job Board.

If you have looked into secret shopping or mystery shopping jobs as a great way to make some extra cash, then you are on the right track. What many people fail to understand, however, is that even though you don’t require any previous experience or high level of training, it is beneficial that you get some training before taking on any mystery shopping assignments. Being a secret shopper or mystery shopper is delicate work and you have to be quite particular.

After all, companies are relying on you to provide an accurate and detailed account of your shopping experience and they base many of their top decisions on your report. If you want to start working as a mystery shopper, then you will have to find out more about what you need to do in terms of training. While there are no specific degrees that you have to possess, most secret shopping organizations and market research companies will offer courses that you can take to make you a better secret shopper.

These will teach you how to be observant and what to look for when on any secret shopping assignment. They will also teach you how to methodically fill out the report when you get home to complete your evaluation.

The training is also about what steps you need to take to become a mystery shopper who is reliable and this in turn will ensure that you get continued work. This involves always letting the company know promptly that you have accepted an assignment, returning your report on time, and giving the most detailed information possible that is objective.

The training you receive will also prepare you for being discreet, because that of course is the entire point of being a secret shopper. You will need to shop as normal and ask your questions as casually as you would if you were shopping for real. The store or restaurant being evaluated cannot know that they are, otherwise it will not be an accurate or fair representation.

This can be hard for some people to do, which is where the training you receive will come in handy. It is always best to choose to complete the training given so that the companies can see you are dedicated and interested in making your secret shopping a regular job. Being observant is probably the most important skill that a secret shopper should have, and if you are not particularly observant you might not get a lot of work.

The training programs will teach you how to be more observant, giving you advice about what to look for when you are on an assignment. You will learn a step by step method that helps you cover everything you need to when assessing a store.

One of the main aspects to being a successful secret shopper is the ability to write down your report effectively. You can take an online writing course to help you with this. It will truly give you the edge when you want to apply as a mystery shopper, because many companies ask for a writing sample.

You can also get mystery shopping certification which will show people that you are doing this as a career choice and not just as a hobby. The Mystery Shoppers Providers Association has a Silver and a Gold online course that you can do for a small fee. This will entail doing a short course and writing an online test to get your certification.

For more details on how to become a mystery shopper and where to find work, then visit Mystery Shopper Job Finder today.

Mystery shopping is a career choice that many find strange. They don’t understand the concept of getting paid to simply shop like you normally do. Well, here is a little more information about mystery shopping and details about the kinds of mystery shopping jobs you can get, which should help to clear things up a bit.

The first thing to remember is that mystery shopping is not easy and straight forward. It is not simply an ordinary shopping trip and you will have to put some work into each assignment. Depending on the mystery shopping company you are with, some tasks can be quite simple and others are more complicated. This is also dependant on the store that is being reviewed. For example a restaurant mystery shop will probably have more tasks to complete as opposed to a retail store secret shop.

When you become a mystery shopper or secret shopper, it basically means that you are undercover. You have to act like you would when you are out shopping normally, but you are actually taking mental notes of your experience to report back to the company.

You will have to write out your experience when you get home, so firstly a good memory and attention to detail is important. You may be wondering why you can’t just make notes while you are there. Well, the entire point of a mystery shop is that it is a mystery, meaning that the staff or managers cannot know why you are there and that you are assessing them. Of course if you know you are going to be assessed you will put on your best effort and behavior, which does not help to know how a store usually runs.

In order to maintain the high standards that various franchises and companies have, the mystery shoppers help them to isolate problem areas and problem stores to be dealt with accordingly. Your job is very important in the customer satisfaction department.

Now that all this is explained, you might wonder how a typical mystery shopping assignment would work. Let’s take an actual mystery shopping example for Hard Rock Café. This major company has establishments all over the world, and to this end, mystery shoppers are employed in every location. The assignments are emailed and you will have to inform the company if you are willing to complete it and for which area you are applying.

The mystery shop includes going to the restaurant and spending a certain amount of money. You might be told to order a specific meal or beverage. You will also be given a voucher for the gift shop that you have to spend. Some assignments will have specific questions that you will be expected to ask the shop assistants or manager and you will have to memorize these so that you look and sound natural. Most of the time, these stores can recognize a secret shopper quite easily, so you have to try and act as normally as possible so that you don’t give yourself away.

If you think that you have what it takes to become a mystery shopper and you want to work flexible hours whilst earning some good money, then join Mystery Shopper Job Finder right away and gain access to a huge database of current mystery shopping opportunities.

Mystery shopping is something that many people think of as a part time job, or just a way to make extra cash, but there are ways that you can go about getting hired by certain companies so that you can make mystery shopping a full time job. It does not have to be just another scam or money making scheme, but an actual way to make a living. Here are some tips on how you can get hired as a mystery shopper to earn a good amount of money:

Look Out for Scams

As you will find in any industry, there are scams, and because mystery shopping is generally focused on the stay-at-home mom or the retired consumer, scammers try to take advantage. You should be very careful about scams when you start out looking for mystery shopping work and don’t just go for the first opportunity that you come across. A good way to find the legitimate mystery shopping jobs is to contact the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA). They will have a list of the best possible options as far as joining a company goes.

Find Big Mystery Shopping Providers

Using the MSPA you will be able to find out which the most popular providers are and which ones are the largest offering the biggest paychecks and the most amount of work. Remember that mystery shoppers of all ages, races, education levels, sexes, and geographic locations are required, so find out where you are needed the most and where you can benefit the most. You don’t have to be affiliated with just one provider either. Join as many of the large companies as possible to establish a good career.

Keep a Schedule

If you are planning on making mystery shopping or secret shopping a full time career, then you should run it like a business. Keep a schedule of the assignments you have and make sure that you never double book yourself for an assignment with two different companies. Keep track of your assignments and yourself time to give accurate reports.

Be Honest and Impartial

Mystery shopping requires that you have an impartial attitude and the ability to be honest. You will have to be objective in your assessment of the store you visit and the staff members. Attention to detail is important, as you will have to detail everything you saw and experienced in your report. Companies need mystery shoppers so that they can make certain decisions about their stores, so all your work should be done with pride and returned on time with excellent notes making sure that all instructions were followed precisely. Being a good mystery shopper means that you will get hired more often and can therefore turn a part time hobby into a full time job.

Be Professional

Aside from following instructions to the tee and being precise in your assessments, you will have to also learn to conduct yourself in a professional manner when you are carrying out your assignment in the store. There is no need for overly agnostic behavior and conducting yourself with a bad attitude to try and get the staff to make mistakes. You just have to be an ordinary customer. You should not give away that you are a mystery shopper either. Just pretend that you are out shopping as normal. This will see that you get lots of mystery shopping job opportunities.

To find out more about the types of mystery shopping jobs that you can get, scams to avoid, and to find companies that are hiring right now, check out Mystery Shopper Job Finder and become a member!

Many people think of working from home as not real work, and that you will never be able to support a family, but with the digital age we are living in, more and more people are finding excellent and sustainable home based careers. These can be online based or working in a field like mystery shopping. Mystery shopping jobs are offered all over the world for many different large corporations to ensure that their products, franchises, stores, and staff are all meeting the high standards that these companies expect.

Now you can imagine that with a huge corporation there will be some dissention in the ranks and that some quality will be lost along the way, but that is why these industry giants hire mystery shopping firms as an effective means of quality control. 

Mystery shopping firms are located all over the world and will hire freelance mystery shoppers who are sent out on various assignments. Now, this is great because you can do the job as you go about your daily business, and most importantly you can work from home writing up your report. It gives you the ideal secondary or full time income that you need, and is great because you can work in your own time.

The assignments are usually to be completed within a certain period of time, but it is usually enough time that you can plan a day for it and enjoy the freedom of working at home and being with your family. In fact, many secret shopping jobs are actually designed for 2 people where you might have to go to a restaurant or attend a movie. This means that you can actually get paid for eating out, having fun and spending time with your loved one.

Working at home allows you to earn money when you want to and how you want to. You are not hampered by strict deadlines, and you have a flexible working schedule. With mystery shopping though, the assignment usually becomes part of your daily schedule anyway of going to the shops, enquiring about a product or attending an establishment. The pay usually covers your costs for that assignment, be it a meal, tickets, or a product purchase, and you will get to keep the product as well. Above that you will receive a payment for your assignment which could be in the region of $40.

If you can make mystery shopping a full time career, by doing one assignment per day you can earn a good living just by working from home.

When you are searching for a job that you can do from home and that offers flexible hours, mystery shopping sounds ideal. However, with all the scams that are apparent and reported on in the media every day, how do you know who to trust? One place to start is the Mystery Shopping Providers Association or MSPA. This association lists just about all of the legitimate mystery shopping companies that you can join when you are thinking about earning some extra cash as a mystery shopper.

A mystery shopper and a secret shopper are the same thing. Essentially you are going under cover and pretending to be just an ordinary customer at any company. This could be at a retail store, a movie theatre, a bank, or any other business that requires quality control. Head offices usually hire a mystery shopping company from the MSPA as the have 2 levels of certification and are fully equipped to deal with the assignments required.

Part of the assignments that are given to mystery shoppers will be to go to a store, purchase something, enquire about something and leave. They are then required to assess the service received, if the product was in stock, how the staff handled the questions they were asked and the overall look of the store.

The great thing about being a mystery shopper is that although you don’t get actual company benefits, you do get certain rewards including tax benefits such as claiming for home office space. You can also get certain products that you are required to buy as part of your assignments. Now, you have to remember that you will also get paid a set amount for each assignment and when you look for legitimate opportunities it is always best to go with a company that explains in detail how the payments will work. If you can, try to speak to someone else who works for the company to find out how reliable they are.

It is also useful to read about some of the mystery shopping job scams that are out there so that you can identify them easily and you will be sure to know if you are looking at a scam or not. If you are unsure about a mystery shopping job that you have come across or that you have been offered, you should contact the Mystery Shopping Providers Association to find out if they know about it or the company offering the job.

If you are unsure at all about any mystery shopping job offer, then rather don’t do it. As the old saying goes, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Rather stick to the companies that are legitimate and listed with the MSPA. If you want to learn more about mystery shopping and find out how you can become a secret shopper, then join Mystery Shopper Job Finder. You will gain access to some of the best mystery shopping jobs and start earning a secondary income in no time.