Fake Mystery Shopper Prize Scams via Email
How fraudulent mystery shopper and prize-linked job offers arrive by email, combining a work opportunity with a prize notification to extract fees and deliver fraudulent cheques.
Part of: Fake Mystery Shopper Prize Scams
Last reviewed: 8 June 2026
Mystery shopper scams occupy an unusual hybrid space between employment fraud and prize fraud: they simultaneously offer a job and a prize element to double the emotional appeal of the pitch. The recipient is told they have been selected both as a mystery shopper evaluator and as a prize winner — a combination that feels highly personalised and coincidental enough to be persuasive.
Legitimate mystery shopping does exist as a form of retail quality assurance, which lends the premise basic credibility. The fraud exploits this familiar concept while introducing the signature mechanism of cheque fraud: the victim is sent a payment to evaluate a money service, asked to keep a portion and forward the rest, and ultimately loses money when the cheque bounces.
Email is the delivery channel because it allows official-looking notification letters, contracts, and payment instructions to be sent at scale with no printing or postage cost.
How this scam works on email
An email arrives informing the recipient they have been selected as a mystery shopper evaluator for a named financial services company or retailer. A fee schedule, contract, and sometimes a physical cheque follow. The recipient is instructed to deposit the cheque, keep a small commission, use some funds to evaluate a money transfer service by sending funds to a specified address, and report back on the experience.
The cheque bounces after the money transfer has been made. The bank holds the recipient liable for the full cheque amount, and the money sent to evaluate the transfer service is unrecoverable. Some variants use gift card purchases instead of money transfers.
The prize element — the 'selection' as a shopper with above-market pay — gives the offer sufficient appeal to overcome initial scepticism.
Common red flags
- Mystery shopper job arrives unsolicited without any prior application to a mystery shopping company
- Assignment requires depositing a cheque and forwarding a portion of the funds before the cheque clears
- Assignment involves evaluating a wire transfer, money order, or cryptocurrency service
- Pay rate is significantly above market rates for legitimate mystery shopping assignments
- Company cannot be verified through the Mystery Shopping Professionals Association or equivalent registry
- Cheque is issued for an amount larger than the stated assignment fee
How to protect yourself
- Never deposit a cheque from an unknown sender and forward any portion of the funds
- Legitimate mystery shopping companies do not advance funds for assignments — shoppers are reimbursed after submission
- Verify mystery shopping opportunities through the Mystery Shopping Professionals Association (MSPA) directory
- Any assignment that requires evaluating a money transfer service by actually sending money is always fraudulent
- Wait for a cheque to fully clear — typically 5-7 business days — before considering any funds available
How to report it
- Report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- Notify your bank immediately if a fraudulent cheque was deposited
- Report to the MSPA (mysteryshop.org) so they can issue warnings to their member companies
Frequently asked questions
How long should I wait before considering a deposited cheque cleared?
Banks may show funds as available within a day or two, but full clearance confirming the cheque isn't fraudulent typically takes five to seven business days or longer. Never forward any portion of funds from a cheque until your bank has confirmed it has fully and finally cleared.
Is my bank liable if I forwarded money before the cheque bounced?
Generally no — you are responsible for the full amount once a deposited cheque is found to be fraudulent, even if the bank initially made funds available. This is why waiting for full clearance before forwarding any money is critical, not optional.
How can I verify a mystery shopping company is legitimate before accepting an assignment?
Check the company against the Mystery Shopping Professionals Association (MSPA) directory, and be very wary of any assignment that asks you to evaluate a money transfer or wire service by actually sending funds — this specific task type is a hallmark of fraud.
Is mystery shopping a real job?
Legitimate mystery shopping exists as a quality assurance service. Real mystery shopping companies are listed in professional association directories and do not require shoppers to cash cheques or send money as part of an assignment.