SHOPPER - SCAM ALERTS

Scams are common in our industry and new scams are developed every day. Scammers are operating by pretending to be MSPA Europe/Africa or our member companies, and seeking independent contractor details by email or telephone. Though we cannot stop every scam and the people behind them, we can alert the appropriate parties and minimize exposure when possible.

Be alert about the following SCAMS reported to MSPA:

2019, October

• Shoppers in the USA receive letters signed by the name Thomas James or Collins Hickman, Hector Carson or several others, use the logo of MSPA or MSPA EUROPE. This letter includs a postal money order of MSPA which is flase. There are instruction to collect the money order and buy iTunes gift cards or ebay Cards. THIS IS A SCAM, MSPA does not know the people, MSPA does not provide any mystery shopping projects or will ask shoppers directly for assigenments. Be adviced NOT to move forwasrd with these people or start communciating with them.
• US shoppers are being approached via email by a person called William Spalding who claims to be a Independent Hiring and Evaluation Consultant Multi-Value Strategies. This is a scam an NOT connected to any of our MSPA members who companies name looks simular. Please do not take any action to start communicating, cash checks or accept anassignement that sounds to good to be true....as it is. They are falsly use a logo of our MSPA member company Multi Value who are located in Europe.

2018

• Shoppers in the USA receive letters signed by the name Thomas James or Collins Hickman or several others, use the logo of MSPA EUROPE and this letter includs a postal money order of USPA. There are instruction to collect the money order and buy iTunes gift cards. THIS IS A SCAM, MSPA does not know the people, MSPA does not provide any mystery shopping projects or will ask shoppers directly for assigenments. Be adviced NOT to move forwasrd with these people or start communciating with them.
• http://www.globalsmartworld.com/   - this website or the company name is not connected to any of the MSPA member companies. This website is a copy of an actual website, the logo is replaced as well as the name. don't respond to emails you receive from this company.
• https://www.mspa-ea.org/international-evaluators-fraud-2.html - Be alert on an application that can be completed via SurveyMonkey for a possibly secret shopper job for Walmart. A person calls himself Frank Eden and poses as being an task coordinator at Mystery Shopper inc and uses several MSPA website links & images in the emails you start to receive.
• A check scam coming from Allen Tyler (allentyler667@gmail.com) who claims to be with both Mystery Shoppers Inc. and MSPA Europe/Africa has been reported. You are contacted by email and asked to cash in an amount via a check, they even use the MSPA logo and include the website domain of MSPA - this is definitely a scam. MSPA does not hire shoppers and shoppers are never asked to cash in cheques!
• Another check scam is occuring from someone who calls themself Peter Pellegrino and poses as being an employee at MSPA Europe/Africa. The checks they send look really good, but they are definitely false!

2017