untrappable

Mystery shopper scam: the check is the trap

Editorially reviewed · Last updated August 7, 2026

Yes — this is a scam. A shopper job that sends a check and asks you to wire money back is a fake-check scam.

Paid secret shopper assignment — check enclosed
C
Customer Experience Hiring
assignments@shopper-review-team.com
8:37 AM
You're approved for a paid shopping assignment. Deposit the enclosed check, keep $350 as your fee, and wire the remaining funds to our evaluator before today's deadline: shopper-review-team.com/assignment
View assignment
The Email, as received

Other versions you might get: A letter, job-board post, or social-media message offering a secret-shopper or customer-evaluator role; a check for several thousand dollars; or a request to buy gift cards, send a wire, or “reimburse” an evaluator. The job title changes, but honest work pays you — it does not ask you to move money first.

What to do right now

  1. Do not deposit or spend the check. A bank making funds available does not mean the check has cleared; a counterfeit can bounce later and leave you owing the money.
  2. Do not wire money or buy gift cards. Never send part of a check back for taxes, fees, shopping, or “evaluation.”
  3. Verify the offer independently. Find the company through a source you trust, not the message or check, and check whether the named trade association actually hires or advertises shoppers.
  4. If you deposited the check or sent money, call your bank and payment company now. Tell them you suspect a fake-check scam and ask whether the transfer can be reversed or frozen.
  5. Report the offer. File at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and your state attorney general's office, and keep the job post, check, envelope, messages, and payment instructions.

How to make sure it never bites you

A fake shopper job may return with a second assignment, a refund story, or a new fee after the first payment. Keep the evidence, use your bank's real contact details, and restart any job search from an independently verified company site.

Untrappable · Public service advisory

Stop the next one at the source

You got this because your details are on lists that get bought, sold, and leaked. You can't unspill that, but you can make it useless to a scammer. Start with the free steps — they do most of the work.

Optional — if you'd rather it was handled for you

If you'd rather have it watched for you, an identity-protection service monitors your accounts, SSN, and the dark web, warns you the moment something new appears, and helps you recover if someone gets through.

See identity protection →

Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our verdicts. Why we can still be trusted.

Keep this · forward it to someone who needs it

Frequently asked

Is a mystery-shopper job that sends a check real?
No. The FTC warns that a check followed by instructions to wire money or send part back is a classic fake-check scam. The check may appear available before the bank discovers it is counterfeit, leaving you responsible for what you forwarded.
Do real mystery-shopper jobs charge an upfront fee?
No. The FTC says honest companies pay you, not charge you, to work. Walk away from certification, training, job-list, or guaranteed-assignment fees — the promised job is likely worthless or nonexistent.
The check cleared in my account. Can I spend it?
Not yet. Funds being available is not proof that the bank has cleared the check. Minnesota's Attorney General explains that a counterfeit may take weeks to bounce, after you have already wired the scammer your own money.
Does MSPA hire mystery shoppers?
The FTC says the Mystery Shopping Professionals Association does not hire or advertise for mystery shoppers. It points people to a list of service-provider companies instead. Do not trust a job notice merely because it uses the association's name or logo.
I deposited the shopper check and sent money. What should I do?
Call your bank and the wire or payment company immediately, say the transaction is fraudulent, and ask whether it can be reversed or frozen. Keep the check and messages, then report the offer at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Recovery is not guaranteed, but speed helps.

Related scams

Sources

A public service

Help protect someone else

Scams spread because people stay quiet about them. If this could have fooled you, it can fool someone you know — a parent, a friend, the family group chat. Passing it on is the easiest good thing you'll do today. It's safe to forward, and stands on its own as a record for a bank or the police.