I thought I was signing up for a legit Mystery Shopper assignment. I received a letter from KSS International along with a check for 2500. The letter welcome me as a Mystery Shopper. It also instructed me to cash the check, go to two different Wal-Mart's and purchase four five-hundred gift cards, scratch off the information to reveal the card number and send a picture of the front and back of the gift cards. This was obvious a fraud. The letter had typos, no reputable company send out letters without proof reading.

I am still amaze that these types of scams are still going today. Has anyone ever done legitimate work with this company?

Please, Please do not fall for this scam!

Welcome to the forum.

So glad you did NOT fall for this scam!

I hope you turn over the envelope and contents to your local postmaster, as they investigate mail fraud.

(KSS is a legitimate scheduling company. They schedule for many companies.)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2019 03:16PM by ceasesmith.

Yes, I returned it to the Post Office. I am very much interested in mystery shopping with legitimate companies.

You'll find a fairly comprehensive list at the bottom of this page under "Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies".

Good luck!

Hi rnewton! Welcome to the forum! If you go to our website, www.sassieshop.com/2kern, you will find plenty of legitimate opportunities.

We never send out mail for mystery shops, are never the company to pay you (we are a scheduling company), and no company will send you pay without the job being completed first. I'm glad to hear that you did not fall for that scam.

This is one more example of a scammer using the name of a legitimate company. KSS International is actually a legitimate company. KSS is a scheduling company that schedules shops for multiple mystery shopping companies. KSS does not actually pay anyone, the mystery shopping companies accept the reports and pay the shoppers.

Be VERY suspicious if:

A company contacts you to work when you have not signed up with them on their secure website

A company sends a total stranger a check

Payment is made in advance (in legitimate mystery shopping, advance payment is very rare)

You are asked to provide SS#, address, etc., through email or by mail

A company offers to pay you to mystery shop without collecting your SS# or EIN# - how can they legally pay you? There's a clue there .......

You are asked to purchase gift cards for more than $25

You are asked to deposit a check, keep your fee, and send money to a third party (this is NOT something legitimate mystery shopping companies do)

You are offered a lot of money. The average mystery shop pays $5-$35. Even if a company has higher dollar shops (there are some high dollar shops), those shops go to shoppers with a shopping track record.

It sounds too good to be true. (It probably IS too good to be true!) Being paid $500 for purchasing 4 $500 gift cards is unbelievable - how long does it take to purchase a gift card? How much per hour is that? Why would a stranger with no required job skills be offered that kind of money? The Answer: They don't intent to pay you the $500. They are all about scamming you out of $2,000 in gift cards - they will rapidly empty the gift cards after they are sent a photo off the cards.

Good that you did not fall for it. It's surprising how many do. And sad.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2019 05:45PM by roflwofl.

thank you

Thank you.

There's a link at the bottom of this page to a list of legitimate MSCs if you do want to start mystery shopping.