NEWS & MEDIA
MSPA Americas provides journalists and editors with assistance in referencing background information, setting up interviews with members, securing press materials, and checking facts. Media professionals seeking a press or public relations contact should contact Rich Bradley at media@mspa-americas.org. Please note, the contact information is intended for reporters, news producers, those writing for news publication and broadcasters.
General Mystery Shopping Industry Information:
- Mystery shopping is estimated to be more than a $1.5 billion industry
- Current estimates indicate there are 1.5 million mystery shoppers
- The scope of mystery shopping spans many industries and geographies
- MSPA Americas and the industry combat scams that attempt to legitimize themselves by claiming affiliation with the industry and/or industry participants
Additional information regarding the Mystery Shopping industry is available in our Quick Reference Guide.
NEWS
December 2022:
Dr. Laura Sicola, who was a featured speaker at CME 2022, invited Charles Stiles – President, Mystery Shopper Services to her podcast to speak about “Independent Contractors & Maintaining a Positive Influence”.
Listen to the podcast here.
November 2022: MSPA Americas Announces 2023 Elite Members – PDF Release
Avoid Scams: Stick with MSPA Companies
The Mystery Shopping industry finally has a positive message related to the cashier’s check wiring scam so many of our members and the public have fallen victim to. The MSPA wanted to share the following news with our Members.
- The Department of Justice reports that Christie Easter of Fort Worth, Texas, and Toheeb Odoffin of Chicago pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. It’s an all too familiar scheme. Easter and Odoffin sent emails to recruit Mystery Shoppers to evaluate financial institutions. They obtained personal information from interested shoppers, sent the shoppers counterfeit cashier’s checks and money orders, instructed the shoppers to cash the check at their own bank and keep a portion of funds for payment, and wire the rest back to the conspirators in order to evaluate money transfer services. Once the counterfeit check bounces, the victims in these schemes are responsible for the funds and the conspirators have stolen their money.
Remember, it is not the policy of mystery shopping providers to send you a check prior to completing a mystery shopping assignment, and legitimate assignments will not require you to wire funds or send money. Please refer to our opportunity board and contact our member companies for legitimate assignments.
For more information:
- How to become a Legit Mystery Shopper
- Stick with MSPA Companies to Avoid Scams
- Department of Justice US Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Virginia: Two Plead Guilty to Mystery Shopper Fraud Scheme
- Video: Chicago Man Pleads Guilty in ‘Mystery Shopper’ Scam
- Office Depot’s President on How “Mystery Shopping” Helped Spark a Turnaround
2018 Media Releases
MSPA Americas 2019 Board of Directors
2018 Elite Award Recipients
2018 CXE3 in Cleveland
2018 Shoppers’ Choice Recipients
MSPA Americas 2018 Board of Directors
2017 Media Releases
2018 Elite Award Recipients
2017 Shoppers’ Choice Winners
MSPA Americas ShopperFest Comes to Orlando
2017 ShopperFest Premier Sponsor
2017 ShopperFest Free Public Session
2017 MSPA Americas
Historical Media Releases
Click here for historical media releases.