Audits where they want you to report illegal activities.

I'm doing audits of different companies. The report asks you to report and take pictures of any guns, drugs, gambling or any other illegal activities (such as prostitution) How would you answer those questions? (if you ran across them) This is after you give them the authorization letter with your picture on it.

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How? Honestly.

You're doing audits of say mortgage companies or construction companies and they ask you to take pictures of any guns, drugs, gambling, prostitution or any other illegal activities. .I haven't run across any of these issues, but the clients look surprised and laugh.

For my own safety, I would not take a picture of illegal activites. I would document the activities in the report and explain why I did not snap it.

"I told myself to quit you; but I don't listen to drunks." -Chris Stapleton

I ran across one the other day that wanted shoppers to bribe the test administrators to fake their results when they went in for a drug test. Although it is clearly illegal to mess with a drug test, bribery is a felony in most states. They included $100 reimbursement to cover the bribe. I can't even remember which MSC it was, but who is gonna pay the legal defense if this one goes awry? This one wanted you to attempt to entrap somebody who might or might not have otherwise committed an illegal activity into committing one while you too commit an illegal activity (e.g., bribery). And how many MSCs want shoppers without felonies? This one will pay you to commit one. Not touching that one with a 10-foot pole. Such as that does not give mystery shoppers a good name.

How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg?
"Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."
-- Abraham Lincoln

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/2022 01:48PM by GinnyLynn.

@HonnyBrown wrote:

For my own safety, I would not take a picture of illegal activites. I would document the activities in the report and explain why I did not snap it.

I don't want anyone knocking at my front door at midnight, with a baseball bat and copies of the pictures. LOL

That's one of those things I don't even try to do, any of those shops trying to get somebody to do something illegal.

I suppose my question would be, which MS company is so desperate for business that they would accept a program like this? I get the tobacco and alcohol purchases, they're a little sketchy too, but bribery...

I've done many of these audits. Never had any of these issues. Many of the questions have nothing to do with the type of business I'm there to audit. It's like they have a blanket form to cover different businesses. Most are just home offices. I'm surprised some of the clients have not complained. I'm just there to take pictures of the office, business and ask a few questions.
For an auto repo company, one of the questions was "Are there any wild animals on the property?" Must be for a tough neighborhood.

I've done money transfer shops, where you set up a story for an illegal money transfer. In one case you ask the person, if I offer you $100 will you make the transfer. You don't give them any money, you just offer it. If they say "yes" to the biribe you just say I'll get the money and be right back. Money is never shown, you're just asking. You want to get a reaction. I did one of the bribe shops and the manager told me to get out of the store now.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2022 03:36AM by johnb974.

@mfisherri wrote:

I suppose my question would be, which MS company is so desperate for business that they would accept a program like this? I get the tobacco and alcohol purchases, they're a little sketchy too, but bribery...

With tobacco and alcohol sales to minors, the establishment could loose their ability to sell those lucrative items. I fully understand that they want to make sure their employees are asking for proof of age.

Aren't illegal activities supposed to be left to law enforcement or licensed detectives? I would stay far away from any involvement.....imagine having to go testify on your own time? ugh, no....

How you plan on getting the prostitution pictures? lol
Now they want us to inconspicuously take pictures of guns and drugs, I swear these shops get funnier by the day

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2022 05:46PM by SunshineQT.

I've always avoided these. I hate the idea of "setting someone up" as part of a shop. Most of the employees are regular people just trying to get by. I understand why the company does it, but it just feels slimy to me.

(edit, my response was in regards to the money transfer bribe shops)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2022 06:40PM by joanna81.

@GinnyLynn wrote:

I ran across one the other day that wanted shoppers to bribe the test administrators to fake their results when they went in for a drug test. Although it is clearly illegal to mess with a drug test, bribery is a felony in most states. They included $100 reimbursement to cover the bribe. I can't even remember which MSC it was, but who is gonna pay the legal defense if this one goes awry? This one wanted you to attempt to entrap somebody who might or might not have otherwise committed an illegal activity into committing one while you too commit an illegal activity (e.g., bribery). And how many MSCs want shoppers without felonies? This one will pay you to commit one. Not touching that one with a 10-foot pole. Such as that does not give mystery shoppers a good name.

I saw that shop last month then backed away from the computer verrrry slowly... /s
Seriously, that just sounds like trouble.

@johnb974 wrote:

For an auto repo company, one of the questions was "Are there any wild animals on the property?"

"Only me, sir!"

@BarefootBliss wrote:

Aren't illegal activities supposed to be left to law enforcement or licensed detectives? I would stay far away from any involvement.....imagine having to go testify on your own time? ugh, no....

No. Police and detectives aren't going to test whether employees request ID to prove age of majority. They come in once a crime has occurred. The client wants to see which employees, if any, are not to be trusted to ask for ID. (It's often uncomfortable requesting ID.)

I once worked at a convenience store. My co-worker failed to ask a minor for ID, and the police came. It was a problem. I couldn't believe the employee sold beer to such an obvious minor. I wasn't aware it had happened until police arrived.

That's why these shops are done. Stores can, indeed, lose their licenses to sell alcohol and cigarettes if they fail to comply with laws against selling to minors.

These shops are not done in a store. They are done are homes or the business (supply shop, repo business)

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Audits where they want you to report illegal activities.

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