Watch out for mystery shopping scams

You've probably seen ads for mystery shopping. "Get paid to shop," they typically boast, and it's a pretty alluring pitch. Unfortunately there are a lot of scams out there. Some of them can be pretty devastating. The June Consumer Reports Money Adviser newsletter mentions a shopping scam in which people receive a large cashier's check to cover the cost of a MoneyGram to be sent from Wal-Mart. The check is actually no good and if you try depositing it, you'll have to pay the bank the full amount of the check.  One woman lost $4,500 in this scam. The Federal Trade Commission advises consumers to watch out for companies that charge you a fee to become a mystery shopper.

There are genuine mystery shopping services out there. ShopSmart recently went on a sample mystery shopping assignment with Lisa M., who has done hundreds of gigs as a mystery shopper for six years. She purchases items, rates salespeople on key points of service and sometimes even takes pictures of bathrooms in gas stations and supermarkets. Over the years she has received a variety of perks such as  free clothes, oil changes, and bath and body-care products.  You probably can't get rich with a mystery shopping gig but it is a way to earn some side money and get a few free products.