# Is this mystery shopper job a scam?

> Be very cautious. Real mystery shopping exists, but it is occasional, low-pay work you apply to, never a recruiter who sends you a check first. The scam version mails a check, tells you to deposit it, shop, and wire or gift-card the balance back. The check bounces and you owe your bank. If a shopper job starts with a check to deposit, it is a scam.

Source: https://realjobcheck.com/answers/is-this-mystery-shopper-job-a-scam/  
Updated: 2026-06-07 - Real Job Check Trust and Safety Research Team

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Mystery shopping is a real, if small, kind of work. The scam borrows the friendly name and bolts a fake check onto it.

## The rule

Real mystery shopping is occasional work you seek out and apply to, and it pays you after you complete and submit an assignment. It does not begin with a recruiter sending you a check and asking you to send part of it back. If money arrives before you have done anything, treat the offer as a scam.

## How the scam works

You are "hired" to evaluate a store or a money-transfer service. A check arrives to cover your purchases and fee. You deposit it, the bank makes the funds available within a day, and you are told to buy items, test a wire or gift-card service by sending money, and keep your cut. The check is fake and bounces later, after your real money is gone. The FTC explains the mechanics in its [guide to fake-check scams](https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-spot-avoid-and-report-fake-check-scams).

## What it looks like

An unsolicited offer, a quick start with no interview, a check larger than you expected, and instructions to act fast "before the assignment expires." The urgency exists to get your money moving before the check bounces.

## What to do right now

1. Do not deposit the check, or if you did, do not send anyone money.
2. Tell your bank the check is part of a scam.
3. Keep the check and every message as evidence.
4. Report it to the [FTC](https://reportfraud.ftc.gov) and the [FBI's IC3](https://www.ic3.gov).

This is the [fake-check scam](/glossary/fake-check-scam/) under a different name, the same pattern as a [job that sends a check to deposit](/answers/job-sent-me-a-check-to-deposit/). The [complete guide](/learn/how-to-spot-a-job-scam/) has more. Unsure? Paste the offer into the [free checker](/#check).