They also sent me a very detailed lwtter about what to do. No checks no money transfer

Just one more thing: where did you apply to become a secret shopper for Ardent? You keep writing about receiving a welcome letter but never answered the question about where you filled out the application.

Welcome Shopper,

You signed up for a part-time secret shopping program with us online. Your details have been verified and stored in our database. Here is your unique I.D number we hereby confirm your entry as one of the candidates for the role of a Secret Shopper/Survey Agent.

ARDENT INC. is one of the most effective market research companies in the world as reflected in our yearly ranking among the top market research firms. Our goal is to offer a clear view of the dynamics for success in today’s complex and competitive marketplace. Through our custom quantitative and qualitative approaches, we provide global brands with the most strategic and actionable guidance to deliver better business performance and growth.

MYSTERY SHOPPING PROGRAM

Mystery Shopping is a tool used by companies to measure the quality of the goods and services they provide. Shoppers are sent by companies to act as typical shoppers to interact with the business and report back on the experience of the goods and/or services received. The reports provide a tool for management to assess the quality and performance of the goods and services they provide. At no time does the shopper reveal the real purpose of the visit.

Our shoppers look upon shopping as an opportunity to help improve service levels at the places they like to frequent. Our shoppers are conscientious, reliable and objective. They approach each new assignment as if it were the first time they had ever heard of the store. They only accept assignments, which they will complete on time, objectively, and without bias. They know the importance of following directions, they read and follow each client's evaluation criteria to the letter.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

*You will receive funding for each assignment.
*You will receive the instruction for your assignment via mail on the location and details of the assignment.
*You are to complete the assignment as fast and discreetly as possible.
*You will be asked to visit a business location to conduct business be
it a restaurant, shopping store etc.

PAYMENT TERMS:

You will receive a flat sum of $300 per assignment and you will be working on at least two assignments per week. The company will furnish you with all expenses needed for the assignment and any other expenses incurred during the course of executing your assignment.

ASSIGNMENT UPDATE:

Your first assignment instructions will be sent to you via email as soon as you receive your first package. It will be delivered to you next week via US Priority Mail, please be on the look out for it.There are no hidden fees, there’s no catch. You can earn money doing something you probably love.

Kindly answer the questions below:

1. Do you have any of these departmental stores around you?
Walmart, CVS, Best Buy, Walgreen's, Target.

2. Do you have an Apple store close to you?

3. Do you have a Post Office near you?

NOTE: Please confirm the receipt of this email by sending a text to (708) 887-9844 and endeavor to always check your inbox and SPAM/JUNK folders for updates from us. You can also add our email to your address book for easier communication with us.


Best Regards,
Henry Walker,
Head of Recruitment,
ARDENT INC.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2018 05:15PM by Missingmissett.

What did they tell you to do? There will be a large check coming eventually, they are trying to lure you into the scam. Go ahead and do whatever it is you are going to do, but I promise you that there is no Henry Walker for Ardent Services. I have been a shopper for them for about 10 years and was an editor for their company for about a year.

I am not planning on doing anything. Just wanted to know the 411 on them. I have it I have been scammed
Thank you again

Yep, you are being SCAMMED. This is a pretender using the Ardent name who is out to beat you out of money. You've been warned. Proceed at your own risk.

SCAM SCAM SCAM...you see where they say that you will receive funding for each assignment? It doesn't work that way. You get paid the following month after completing your assignments with real MSCs.

Also, $300 per assignment is ludicrous. You won't make that much mystery shopping a couple of casual eatery restaurants. The average with Ardent is about $25 flat fee, and what you spend on the meal is taken out of that. Please do not fall for this. It seems like you don't want to listen to anyone, but when that check comes in the mail, turn it over to the FTC.

Good to hear, no you haven't been scammed because you did not fall for it! You have a good day.

@Missingmissett wrote:

I am not planning on doing anything. Just wanted to know the 411 on them. I have it I have been scammed
Thank you again

Duplicate

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2018 05:20PM by JASFLALMT.

No I am not doing anything because you guys helped me.
Sorry not trying to offend,thank you again for the heads up.
And of course I am not looking to be a federal prisoner
Thanks for assuming though

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2018 05:23PM by Missingmissett.

Well if I seemed like I was assuming you might be at risk, it's because there have been sooooo many people who have come here AFTER they fell for the scam. There was even one person we told not to do it and they did it anyway.

And because you kept asking about it after getting repeatedly told it was a scam, it seemed like you didn't believe what I was saying and possibly were going to go ahead and fall for it.

Have a good day, all.

Even though that letter was a scam..keep in mind that mystery shopping itself isn't. If you really want to be a mystery shopper scroll to the bottom of this forum and sign up for companies that way. They will ask for your ssn but as long as you follow the links below they are legit company's. Also as mentioned you are not paid upfront. It takes anywhere from one to 4 months after the shop. Most shops pay anywhere between 5 dollars to 50 dollars per shop..Some go higher than that, but that is rare. I would highly suggest visiting the new shopper forum you can find it at the bottom of the page. It should help you determine if you want to become a mystery shopper. Also know it isn't easy money. In some cases it is alot of work for not alot of pay. It is fun sometimes and sometimes not..

Lastly I'm glad you ended up on the forum so that you didn't become a scam victim...

Here are some links to some forum threads discussing this scam. This is just going back the past couple of months. We have years and years of threads just like this, and some are really sad. This scam gets perpetrated by different people using different companies as their front, but it happens more often than you would think:

[www.mysteryshopforum.com]

[www.mysteryshopforum.com]

[www.mysteryshopforum.com]

[www.mysteryshopforum.com]

[www.mysteryshopforum.com]

Thank you Dawn!! I am sorry to anyone I offended wasnt trying to.
Thank you again

Sorry I said it in a different reponse I honestly dont remember. I do kniw i signed up for a few.
Honestly didnt think any were legit.
I miss working in hospitality. So I figured I would try.
Thank you again

Makes me sick to think so many people so many got dubed.
Thank you for helping me

I am so relieved, it tears my heart up when people get duped, especially so often they are already strapped for cash and have kids at home.

In that list for Official Mystery Shopping Companies (below) there are some good companies. Try the ones in the 15 most discussed companies first. The more you apply for the more work you can get. I personally recommend Marketforce, Trendsource, and Maritz as great beginner companies (I still shop for them) because the shops are pretty easy and it will help you get a feel for what the industry is all about. Just remember that with Maritz you have to invoice them after the shop is completed to get paid but it's all pretty easy to figure out.

Good luck to you and congratulations on not becoming a victim!

I am going to run out and do some shops shortly. Happy Sunday everyone!

Thank you so much for all of your advice and help.
Hope you have a fabulous day!!

I am very happy to read a success story!

I too received an invite to sign up to be a mystery shopper. The invite came in through one of my LinkedIn connections through InMail. Of course I thought it was a legit offer because it came from a personal connection and through a reputable social media platform. I signed up and received the same welcome email as the one listed above. It told me to text a number that I received the welcome email, so I did. I received a second and third text saying that I would be receiving a package containing my first assignment via USPS today. I opened up the package to find a letter and 3 Money Orders in my name for $2,925.00. Right away I got this sinking feeling and knew I had been scammed.

The letter told me to deposit the money orders and wait for them to clear. I was to keep $300 for myself as commission. Once cleared, I was to contact Henry Walker to find out what the rest of the assignment would entail.

I'm not naive and honestly trusted the person who sent me the invite to sign up for this experience. Once I realized that this was a scam, I did some research and came across this website and forum. I took someone's advice and submitted a claim to the FTC. I made copies of all communications to document this scam. However, the LinkedIn InMail message disappeared and my friend is no longer a connection. I can't find him on LinkedIn anywhere. I think his account was hacked and his connections were sent the email asking to sign up for the mystery shopper experience.

I am not falling victim to this scam and I hope that by writing about my experience, it will help someone else out as well.

Thank you for posting. A couple weeks ago a guy I had as a connection on Linken "Mike Barrett" told me about a part time he was doing that paid well. I told him I would be interested. I then got an email from Henry Walker, who said my application had been approved and I would get an assignment if I was still interested. I just received a check in the mail for close to $2500, and my instructions were to buy 4 $500 ebay gift cards, $300 for me and the remaining was an advance on the next assignment. There was a spreadsheet to evaluate the store as well. Something in my stomach told me this is too good to be true, who pays in advance. This thread confirms that this is a scam. I did google Ardent and thought it was legit. I feel bad for the company because someone is going around using their name. I'm just glad I didn't try to deposit the check. I literally just got it last night.

I got that check yesterday. Very real looking,also when you clicked the link and took ot to the actual site.even in the security email info. Was legit. Well you know what I mean.
Thank you to everyone that hepled me understand what was going on.
I will be reporting the check and taking it to my bank.
Thanks again
Dee

@JASFLALMT wrote:

Duplicate

Well said

I am so glad that this forum has helped people from becoming victims.