Key takeaways

Never deposit a check from an employer and send money onward. The check will fail, and the FTC says you will owe the bank whatever you sent.

  • The FTC says that paying an upfront fee to become a mystery shopper is “always a scam”, and that if you are asked to deposit a check and send money back, it is a fake check scam.
  • The FTC says fake checks can take weeks to uncover, and that your best bet is not to rely on money from a check unless you know and trust the person you are dealing with.
  • BBB says legitimate employers do not typically send new hires money before work is done or ask them to return funds, and that wired money and prepaid cards are generally unrecoverable.

Got a name, website, or phone number from the sender or seller? Check the scam directory.

How a mystery shopper or fake check job scam works

Real mystery shopping exists. The FTC says it pays you to evaluate retailers or restaurants, and you are typically reimbursed for purchases you make yourself. The scam reverses that. A scammer posing as a well-known company “hires” you, often with no interview, and sends you a check. The FTC’s April 2024 alert says you are told to deposit it, buy gift cards, keep the rest as pay, and send the card numbers back. The check is fake. Banks can take weeks to find out, and by then you owe the money. The scammer keeps what was loaded on the gift cards.

BBB’s account adds that offers arrive by email, text, social media, or from an online job ad you applied to, and the company hires you immediately. In one BBB Scam Tracker example, a victim who applied to a LinkedIn posting received a check for $2,470 and was told to buy $2,000 in gift cards, keep the rest as pay, scratch off the security covers, and send photos of the cards. Other versions ask you to wire money back for “taxes” or “fees”, which the FTC calls a classic scammer move, or require a “registration fee” to join a high-paying assignment.

The fake check is used in many job-style scams. The FTC lists personal assistant jobs where the check is for buying gift cards, and car wrap advertising where you pay “installers” who do not exist. BBB’s fake check study adds nanny and caregiver jobs, law-firm collection scams, and offers to use your account to move money. The FTC’s job scams page also lists reshipping, where you receive and repackage parcels, often for shipment overseas, which it says is not a real job.

Why does the bank not catch it? The FTC explains that banks must make deposited funds available quickly, but that does not mean the check is good. Fake checks can be altered copies of real checks, real checks from stolen accounts, or electronic checks. If the check fails, any money withdrawn from your account is your own money, because the check was worthless.

Eight warning signs

  1. You are hired without an interview. BBB says legitimate employers usually want to get to know you first, and treats a guaranteed job offer from nowhere as a red flag.
  2. A check arrives before you have done any work. BBB says legitimate employers do not typically send new hires money before work is done. The FTC says any check-and-send-money-back arrangement is a fake check scam.
  3. You are told to buy gift cards and send the numbers. The FTC describes this pattern in mystery shopping scams. The scammer uses the card numbers straight away. See gift card scams.
  4. You are asked to wire money back for “taxes” or “fees”. The FTC calls this a classic scammer move. Wired money is very hard to recover. See bank transfer scams.
  5. An upfront fee, or a fee for certification, training, or a job list. The FTC says an upfront fee to become a mystery shopper is always a scam, and that fees for certifications, training, or guaranteed jobs are not legitimate requirements. Free job information is available elsewhere.
  6. Big or full-time income promises. The FTC says mystery shopping is usually part-time and rarely replaces a full-time income. Promises of large earnings are a red flag.
  7. Claims of a link to the Mystery Shopping Professionals Association. The FTC says the MSPA does not hire or advertise for mystery shoppers. BBB suggests checking the MSPA Americas member database, but notes scammers sometimes impersonate real companies.
  8. A “job” that involves receiving parcels, buying equipment, or paying installers. The FTC lists reshipping, personal assistant, and car wrap jobs among check-based scams. If the work involves spending the employer’s check or forwarding goods, treat it as a scam. See job scams.

Three ways it plays out

The first example is from BBB Scam Tracker. The others are composite scenarios built from the sources.

The LinkedIn “mystery shopper” (BBB Scam Tracker)

  1. A victim applied to a LinkedIn posting and received a check for $2,470.
  2. They were told to buy $2,000 in gift cards, keep the rest as pay, scratch off the security covers, and send photos of the cards.

BBB says the check is fake, bounces, and leaves the victim covering the full amount plus bank fees. The right response was to stop at the first instruction: no genuine job asks you to turn a check into gift cards.

The “store evaluation” wire

  1. You are told to evaluate a money transfer counter. You deposit a check into your own account.
  2. You are told to wire part of the money to someone else as part of the “test”.
  3. You wire it. The check fails days later.

The FTC describes this version, where you evaluate a store that sells gift cards, money orders, or wire transfers, deposit a check into your personal account, and wire part of the money. Once the money is sent, it is gone and the “employer” may vanish.

The personal assistant and the gift cards

  1. After applying online, you get a check and are told to buy gift cards for your “boss”.
  2. You buy them and send the PINs. The scammers use the PINs right away.
  3. The bank later tells you the check was fake.

The FTC says that when the bank finds the check was fake, you are left without the money. The check never proved you had a job.

How to check a mystery shopper or job offer

  1. Search the company name with “review”, “complaint”, or “scam”, as the FTC advises. BBB suggests confirming the company exists, has working contact details, and has reviews from former employees.
  2. Ignore any offer that involves depositing a check and sending money anywhere. The FTC says only scammers will say to do that.
  3. Do not pay to get started. The FTC says honest mystery shopping companies do not charge for certifications, job directories, or guarantees.
  4. Verify a check independently. BBB’s study advises looking up the issuing company’s phone number yourself rather than calling the number printed on the check.
  5. Do not assume a deposited check is good because the funds appear in your account. Both the FTC and BBB say the credit does not confirm the check has cleared.
  6. Ask a bank teller or someone you trust before you spend or send anything. The FTC suggests talking to someone you trust before accepting a job.

If you already paid or gave details

If you deposited a check or sent money, the quickest steps matter. These follow the FTC’s and BBB’s advice.

  1. Stop sending money and do not spend from the check. Tell your bank you deposited a suspect check. BBB advises notifying your bank, or the bank that appears to have issued the check.
  2. If you bought gift cards, contact the card issuer and the store immediately and say the card was used in a scam, as the FTC advises.
  3. If you wired money, call MoneyGram (1-800-666-3947) or Western Union (1-800-325-6000) right away and ask for a reversal, as the FTC lists.
  4. If you sent a money order, contact the issuer to stop payment. For U.S. mail, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455. If you sent cryptocurrency, contact the company you used and ask for the transaction to be reversed.
  5. If you shared ID or bank details, tell your bank and use identity support where you live. In Australia and New Zealand, IDCARE offers free help.
  6. Avoid “recovery” offers. See recovery scams.

How to report it, step by step

  1. Keep the documents: the job ad or message, the employer’s name and email, the check (front and back), deposit receipt, and every payment confirmation.
  2. Tell your bank and get a reference number. Ask what to do about the deposit.
  3. Report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FTC says to report mystery shopping scams there and to your state attorney general.
  4. Report to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at uspis.gov/report if the check or documents came by mail. The FTC lists it for fake check scams.
  5. Report to BBB Scam Tracker and to ic3.gov. BBB’s fake check study lists both, along with Western Union, MoneyGram, or Green Dot if you used them.
  6. If the victim is an older or vulnerable adult, BBB points to Adult Protective Services via elderjustice.gov for help.

Where to report

More help from official sources

BBB’s fake check study uses figures from 2014 to 2017. The scam pattern it describes matches current FTC advice. Scambaba is an independent educational project. Reporting and recovery options depend on where you live. How these guides are researched is on the editorial policy.

Frequently asked questions

Is mystery shopping ever a real job?

Yes. The FTC says real mystery shopping pays you to evaluate retailers or restaurants, and you are typically reimbursed for purchases you make yourself. It is usually part-time and rarely replaces a full-time income. An upfront fee to become a mystery shopper is always a scam, according to the FTC.

The check cleared and the money is in my account. Is it real?

Not necessarily. The FTC says banks must make deposited funds available quickly, but that does not mean the check is good, and fake checks can take weeks to uncover. BBB says a check can take two weeks or more to be found counterfeit. Once it bounces, you owe the bank.

Why do they want me to buy gift cards?

The FTC says the scammer uses the card numbers straight away. Gift cards are hard to trace and recover, and the fake check pays for nothing. No real employer asks you to buy gift cards with a check and send the numbers to them.

Can I verify a check before depositing?

BBB’s study advises looking up the issuing company’s phone number yourself rather than using the one on the check. But the safest approach is the FTC’s: do not rely on money from a check unless you know and trust the person, and never send money back from one.

I already sent the money. What should I do?

Contact your bank immediately. Then follow the steps for how you paid: the gift card issuer and store, MoneyGram or Western Union, the money order issuer or the Postal Inspection Service, or the crypto company. Report to the FTC, BBB, and your state attorney general.

Does the Mystery Shopping Professionals Association hire shoppers?

No. The FTC says the MSPA does not hire or advertise for mystery shoppers. BBB suggests the MSPA Americas member database can help identify legitimate providers, but scammers sometimes impersonate real companies.

What other jobs use the same fake check trick?

The FTC lists personal assistant jobs, car wrap advertising, sweepstakes prizes, and overpayments on online sales. BBB’s study adds nanny and caregiver jobs and law-firm collection scams. In each, you deposit a check and send money onward before it fails.