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Recruitment Scams Targeting Caregivers and Mystery Shoppers

This guide presents selected U.S. government consumer education from Federal Trade Commission. References to “we” or “us” in the source material refer to the issuing agency. Source dates and links appear below.

Nanny and Caregiver Job Scams

If you’re looking for a job as a babysitter, nanny, or other kind of caregiver, you might have searched online or used a website that matches you up with potential employers. Scammers also use these sites. Learn how to spot these fake jobs and avoid them.

What To Know About Nanny and Caregiver Job Scams

When you’re looking for potential jobs as a nanny or caregiver, you might search online or use employment matching websites like Care.com, Sittercity.com, or Craigslist.com. But scammers know this — and can post fake job ads designed to trick you into sending them money or sharing personal information. Here are a few things to watch out for:

  • Be suspicious if you’re offered a job and hired without an interview in person or over the phone. Scammers might say they’re out of town or too busy, or come up with other excuses for not talking to you on the phone or meeting you in person. But keep in mind — even if they do interview you, that doesn't guarantee it's not a scam.
  • If you get a check before you even start working, it could be a fake check scam. The person hiring you might say it’s your first paycheck, or that it’s to buy supplies or for expenses related to caring for their loved one. But later they’ll tell you to send part of the money to someone else, or return it to them. They’ll come up with excuses, like they overpaid you, they need the money to pay for unexpected medical bills, or some other emergency. The check is fake, and by the time the bank realizes it, the scammer has your money, and the bank will want you to repay the money you withdrew.

Here’s what to do if you get a job offer:

  • Check out potential employers before giving them any sensitive information. Search online for their name, email address, phone number, and even the text of the message they sent — along with terms like "complaint," "scam," or "fraud." You might find that others have had bad experiences and been scammed by the same people, or in a similar way.
  • Don’t send money to your potential boss. Your employer should pay you, not the other way around. Don’t believe any story about why your employer sent you a check for more than you expected to be paid, and why you need to send some of that money back. And if your new employer asks you to send them money using cryptocurrency, a gift card, or wire transfer through a company like MoneyGram or Western Union, don’t do it. It’s a scam and that’s not a real job.
  • Get as many details in writing as you can. Ask a potential employer to send you details of the job duties, the pay, and the hours. If they refuse, that could be a sign of a problem.

If You Sent Money to a Scammer

Scammers often ask you to pay in ways that make it tough to get your money back. No matter how you paid a scammer, the sooner you act, the better. Learn more about what to do if you think you paid a scammer.

Report Fraud

If you gave the scammer your personal or financial information, go to IdentityTheft.gov to report it and get advice to protect your identity.

Mystery Shopping Scams

Getting paid to shop sounds like a dream job — especially if you’re looking for a side job or going to school full-time. Don’t let your dream job turn into a nightmare. Find out how to avoid mystery shopping scams.

What’s Mystery Shopping?

To learn more about their customers’ experiences, some retailers and restaurants hire people to go into their businesses to try their products or services and report on their experiences. These mystery shoppers, or secret shoppers, typically pay for the product or service themselves and then get reimbursed by the retailer. Sometimes the retailer will also pay them a little bit extra for their work.

Many professionals in the field think of mystery shopping assignments as part-time or occasional work — not something to replace a full-time job.

Avoid Mystery Shopping Job Scams

If you have to pay an upfront fee to become a mystery shopper, that’s always a scam. When you’re looking for mystery shopper jobs, here are ways to avoid scams:

  • Don’t pay to work. Honest companies pay you, not charge you, to work for them. Even if they say the money is really for a certification, training, or a guaranteed job, don’t do it. No real job, including mystery shopping, involves paying to get the job. You’ll find out the certification is worthless, and there’s probably no job.
  • Don’t pay for a list of mystery shopping jobs. That information is available for free.
  • Never wire money as part of a mystery shopping assignment. A scammer might send you a check for buying products, tell you to deposit it, and wire money back for “taxes,” “fees,” or some other reason. This is a classic scammer move. Wiring money is like sending cash — once you send money through a company like MoneyGram or Western Union, you probably won’t get it back.
  • Never deposit checks into your bank account and send money back. It doesn’t matter who it’s from or what they say it’s for — don’t do it. This is a fake check scam. Any money withdrawn from your account is your own money since the check is worthless.
  • Don’t apply for mystery shopping jobs that guarantee you’ll make a lot of money. Only scammers make these guarantees. And only scammers say that you’ll be able to quit your job and do this full-time. Mystery shopping jobs are typically part-time work and don’t usually pay enough to replace a full-time job.
  • Don’t respond to a job notice saying it’s with MSPA. The Mystery Shopping Professionals Association (MSPA) is a trade association for the customer experience industry. MSPA doesn’t hire or advertise for mystery shoppers. But they do have a list of service provider companies with possible mystery shopping jobs.

Also, search online for the company name with the words “review,” “complaint,” or “scam.” Check to see what others are saying about the company before you pursue a job with them. And talk with someone you trust to get their opinion before you take the job.

Report It to the FTC

If you spot or lose money to a mystery shopping scam, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general.

Sources and publication details

The federal agency source text is U.S. government work in the public domain. Fynoptic selected, adapted, and formatted it for this guide. No agency endorsement is implied. Follow the linked sources for current program details and the rules applicable to your circumstances.

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