Kroger Secret Shopper (Is It A Scam + Things To Be Aware Of)

There are many ways to earn extra money, especially from a side hustle like being a secret shopper.

While some retailers and restaurants offer this legitimate job, it’s also an avenue for scammers to take advantage of customers. So, does Kroger pay to become a secret shopper? Here are some of the things to be aware of!

Kroger Secret Shopper In [currentyear]

Kroger does not have a secret shopper offer as of [currentyear]. Therefore, if you receive any offer via email to become a Kroger secret shopper, the message is from scammers. Kroger customers receive such messages, which the company says are illegitimate. You can only get such offers by checking the proper site.

To learn more about things to be aware of and how to identify a secret shopper scam, read on!

What Does A Secret Shopper Do?

Secret or mystery shoppers are individuals hired by retailers or market research companies to provide more information about customer experiences.

With that, a secret shopper is hired to shop at several locations or eat at a restaurant and report back on the experience to help the company improve its services and products.

Once hired, secret shoppers can pay for the products and get their reimbursement from the retailer later or keep them after the experience is complete.

Does Kroger Use Secret Shoppers?

Some Kroger customers have fallen prey to this secret shopper scam and received offers of up $200 to $400 per assignment.

However, Kroger has issued a caution that these are scams because the company doesn’t offer secret shopper roles.

Therefore, if you receive any emails with offers to become a Kroger secret shopper, it’s advisable to avoid them to protect yourself from losing money.

What Are The Things You Should Be Aware Of?

To avoid falling prey to secret shopper scams, you need to know how they operate and what signs to look out for, such as the following:

How The Scam Works

To get you to trust them, the scammers usually send an email or text with an unsolicited job offer from Kroger to become a secret shopper.

Also, most scammers will send the email together with a check and instructions about how to complete the assignment.

Then, once you deposit the check, the funds will reflect in your account.

As part of their instructions, you’ll be asked to shop at Kroger and test the in-store money transfer via MoneyGram or Western Union.

Further, scammers will ask you to do this using the money you deposited or gift cards.

Once the check bounces, you will need to pay the bank, including penalty fees for the check. During this period, the scammers will be long gone with the money.

Apart from losing money, you could also become a victim of identity theft, especially if you provide your bank details.

Signs To Look Out For

Since Kroger does not have secret shoppers, the company will not send you any unsolicited offers to ask you to sign up for the job.

Additionally, this retailer does not send customers checks to deposit in their bank accounts.

Moreover, when hiring for any position, Kroger has a detailed hiring process; therefore, it doesn’t send out random emails.

How Can You Protect Yourself From Secret Shopper Scams?

How Can You Protect Yourself From Secret Shopper Scams?

While there are legitimate secret shopper jobs, many scammers use Kroger’s name. That said, here are some of the ways to protect yourself!

Avoid Paying For A Job

Kroger, like most companies, does not ask potential employees to pay for positions. Also, even legitimate mystery shopper jobs don’t ask for money.

Therefore, if an email asks for you to wire any money, that is a scammer.

Additionally, most scammers will ask customers to wire money via MoneyGram or Western Union, which is hard to trace.

Avoid Depositing Random Checks

If you were not expecting any checks in your email, it’s advisable to avoid depositing random ones.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), this is the most common technique used by secret shoppers to get money out of their victims.

Check The Proper Sites

While Kroger does not have secret shoppers, some retailers have this service.

To check this, you can visit the Mystery Shopper Professionals Association (MSPA) website, which lists providers.

Additionally, MPSA does not advertise these jobs; therefore, if you get a job notice advertising for secret shoppers, you should not respond to it.

Are There Legitimate Secret Shopper Jobs?

If you want to become a secret shopper, here are legit mystery shopper jobs that you can apply for; they don’t send checks before completing the assignment.

Remember, most jobs are listed on the MPSA website to avoid scams.

That said, there are different companies, and each offers different rates; therefore, you can do your research before applying for a job.

How Much Do Secret Shoppers Make?

Once you take up a job as a secret shopper, the pay is not that high; therefore, most people will do it as a part-time job.

Essentially, this job does not pay enough to become a full-time job, so you should be suspicious if you get a check in your email.

According to Indeed.com, mystery shoppers make about $21.02 an hour. However, the pay can vary depending on the experience and the company hiring.

To know more, you can also read our posts on Kroger’s hiring process, Kroger’s dress code, and does Kroger hire felons.

Conclusion

Kroger does not have a secret shopper offer, so if you receive any offer via email to become a Kroger secret shopper, the message is from scammers.

Further, you can only get such offers by checking the proper site like the MSPSA.

To protect yourself from getting scammed, you need to know the signs to look out for and keep in mind that Kroger does not have this role.

If you want to try out this job as a side hustle, you can check other retailers that provide this.

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Marques Thomas

Marques Thomas graduated with a MBA in 2011. Since then, Marques has worked in the retail and consumer service industry as a manager, advisor, and marketer. Marques is also the head writer and founder of QuerySprout.com.

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