There have been numerous scams over the years involving the Secret Shopping industry, which include advertisements that seek to attract applicants by offering lucrative pay and Secret Shopper Jobs.
These ads will charge a "small fee" ranging from $20 to $50 for registration and promise you the best Secret Shopper positions available in your area.
To convince you further, they will also post "testimonials" of previous applicants who had "made it big".
Victims of such scams who responded to the Ads are likely to receive worthless information regarding Secret Shopper companies.
There is not much one can do because there is no refund and phone calls or emails are never answered.
One should remember that genuine Secret Shopping Companies never charge fees to the applicant.
There have also been reports of scam where already employed Secret Shoppers are requested by some "company" to send or divulge information regarding completed shop reports, companies worked with and pay slips etc, with the promise of more rewarding positions.
The actual intention here is not known but it's best to never disclose personal Job information to anyone.
While applying for a Secret Shopper Job, if you come across a hiring company Advertisement with the promise of instant riches, beware.
You cannot and never will make millions with a Secret Shopper Job, which is only meant to be part time.
Earnings, for example are rarely more than $20 to $40 per assignment, especially if you are a beginner.
Remember, a genuine legitimate company will never promise you the moon.
Only scammers do.
Do not deal with people on the phone who will not disclose their names or the name of their enterprise.
If you visit any website, find out the kind of information and how much is given, and build your judgment accordingly.