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Government cautions Albertans about secret shopper scams

(Special)-The provincial government is cautioning Albertans to be suspicious of unsolicited email and text messages advertising jobs for secret or mystery shoppers for retail and service stores.

"Consumers may be tempted to respond to ads to supplement their income or work flexible hours," said Service Alberta Minister Heather Klimchuk, who is responsible for consumer protection. "The real secret is that many of these ads are an attempt to defraud consumers or steal personal information."

The ads can involve a number of different scams. Some ask for personal information that can be used for identity theft.

In other cases, consumers are sent a cheque with instructions to purchase a money order made out to the business. Consumers are told to keep a small portion of the money for testing the service. However, the cheque bounces and leaves them out of pocket.

Other secret/mystery shopper ads charge a fee to register as a secret shopper or for information about shopping job opportunities, but the jobs do not actually exist.

Consumers can protect themselves by watching for warning signs that include: unsolicited text messages or emails from a stranger and guarantees for jobs as a secret or mystery shopper.

Other telltale signs are requests for a large amount of personal information and requirements for cash or personal information before any service or information is provided.

Scam ads also often include spelling errors in the ads and may use a free email service such as Hotmail or Gmail.

Legitimate companies do hire people to evaluate a company’s front-line service. Checking the business’s history with the Better Business Bureau in the area where the company is located can help determine if it is legitimate.

Additional information on identity theft can be found at www.servicealberta.gov.ab.ca/1019.cfm or by calling Service Alberta at 1-877-427-4088 (toll free in Alberta).

Service Alberta is a partner in Fraud Prevention Alberta, a coalition of law enforcement, government and other organizations dedicated to building awareness about fraud-related activities and consumer protection. Join Fraud Prevention Alberta’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FraudPreventionAlberta or follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FraudPrevAB for tips and Fraud Prevention Month information.