security

YOUR ONLINE SECURITY - MAKING MYSTERY SHOPPING SECURE

GBW is highly reputable world-leading customer experience agency. Over the last 14 years we have conducted 4.8million in store evaluations for leading global and national brands in 53 countries.

Our global name and experience has attracted some unwanted attention. For example, from time to time, fraudsters have sent emails claiming to be from GBW. These fraudulent emails have attempted to illegally and unethically solicit personal and/or financial information from unsuspecting people. These emails may also include offers of employment that in reality do not exist.

GBW endeavours to protect our Mystery Shoppers from these fraudulent acts, by alerting consumers and working with the relevant law enforcement authorities to prevent and prosecute the offenders.

It is important to note that GBW Mystery Shoppers can only pick up mystery shopping jobs by going through our Shopper Portal, which requires Shopper ID and Password verification.

If you receive a suspicious email that claims to be from GBW, here's what you should do:

  1. Log-on to our Shopper Portal and check the shopper noticeboard for any updates.
  2. If there are no "Online Security" updates and the email is claiming to be from GBW, please send an email enquiry through our Shopper Portal, so we can verify the validity of your email.
  3. In your enquiry, don't forget to include a copy of the suspicious email or provide as much detail as possible so we can follow up (e.g. email addresses, any names mentioned, and email content).

In general, when responding to email campaigns or advertisements, to protect yourself and your privacy, please keep in mind the following:

  • Never provide your personal banking, credit card details or driver's license over email
  • Be careful when dealing with people or organizations who charge a joining fee to become a mystery shopper
  • Be very wary of opportunities that seem "too good to be true"
  • Play it safe and check the legitimacy of any email or employer that seems suspicious before you respond. Don't assume that just because an email claims to represent a company you know that it actually does. If in doubt, call/email the company and verify the email
  • Update your anti-virus software and operating system regularly to make sure you're protected from the latest threats
  • Report any emails that might be fraudulent to GBW immediately,  so we can warn others. Plus contact your local Police Authority, to report that you may be the victim of fraud

For further reference visit:

The Mystery Shopping Providers Association www.mysteryshop.org
Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Protection (US) www.ftc.gov/bcp
Trading Standards UK www.tradingstandards.gov.uk
Australian High Tech Crime Centre www.ahtcc.gov.au
Scam Watch, How to Protect Yourself www.scamwatch.gov.au
Or just search for consumer protection government bodies or associations in your country.