Confero Blog

Confero Warns Consumers of Scam Artist Posing as a Confero Mystery Shop Recruiter

by Confero Inc.

As discussed in earlier posts, we have received requests from would-be mystery shoppers asking that we validate the employment of Robert Preston, Micheal Thomforde, James Clayton, Paula Moore, Carlos Burnett, Chris Jordan and now Alexander Hopkins. None of these persons work for Confero. These are made-up names used in official-looking email messages from people trying to scam unsuspecting consumers. Sometimes, the scam emails have been spoofed to look like the message is from Confero and to hide the true origin of the email. Other times, the sender simply pastes the Confero name or website into his or her email message. Either way, these scammers are attempting to fool consumers into thinking they are dealing with Confero.

Persons interested in legitimate mystery shopping may visit the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA) website for information about ethical, legitimate mystery shopping companies. Confero is a member of the MSPA. To register your interest to mystery shop for Confero,please visit the Shoppers’ Center tab above for complete details.

If you have fallen victim to this scam, or if you have been contacted by any of these scammers, please file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).. The FTC also offers information about mystery shopping and the Mystery Shopping Providers Association at
this link.

What can consumers do to steer clear of this?

  1. Only sign up to mystery shop with reputable firms. All members of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association have agreed to honor a code of ethics.
  2. Reputable firms are not likely to ask for your name, address and other contact info via email. Sign up with firms that offer a secure website for sign ups.
  3. Never pay to be accepted as a shopper. Reputable firms pay YOU to mystery shop and charge you NOTHING to sign up.

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FAQ: How Are Mystery Shop Assignments Made?

by Confero Inc.

Our team of schedulers uses a sophisticated information system and mapping software to identify Confero shoppers who live or work near an available assignment location. If your name is identified by this search, we will send you a shop posting via email to determine whether an assignment at a specific business location interests you. The shop posting will contain detailed information about how long the assignment will take to complete, when we need you to visit the specific location, and the compensation we offer for the assignment. The shop posting may also list specific instructions for applying for the shop. The posting may ask you to confirm certain information when you apply. Make sure you read the posting closely to make sure you understand the requirements. Once you have read the shop posting, you may access the job board and apply for shops after logging in.

Our scheduling team begins assigning shoppers about 24 to 48 hours after the shop posting was sent out to potential shoppers. Our schedulers look at each shop location to determine the shopper that is the best match for the assignment. There are a variety of factors that go into determining which shopper receives the assignment. Some of these factors include:

  • Type of shop- some shoppers may have more experience with a particular type of shop than other shoppers
  • Dependability- the scheduler is always trying to meet a deadline and needs to know that the shopper assigned will complete the shop as scheduled.
  • Shop rating- it is no secret that shoppers with all 9s and 10s are hard to overlook on the job board. Make sure you are proofreading your reports before you submit them on Confero Compass.

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