Mystery

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When I started trying to make money online, getting scammed and losing money were major concerns for me. As a result, I took some steps to minimize my risk. Here are a few tips based on my experience:

  1. I do not ever pay money to join a paid survey site or mystery shopping provider. Legitimate companies can be easily found with a Google search, and there is no reason for them to charge a fee. They get paid by the companies whose surveys you take.
  2. Before I sign up with any site, I type their name, plus the word “scam,” or “fraud,” into a search engine (such as Google) to see what comes up. I decided not to join a couple of sites based on what I found out about them through a quick Google search.

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I recently tried my luck as a mystery shopper. For those who don’t know, a mystery shopper visits businesses as an anonymous customer, and submits a report of their experience through a mystery shopping provider. Businesses that have been mystery shopped use the reports to improve the customer experience. Mystery shoppers typically receive compensation, usually including reimbursement for purchased items, as well as some extra money for their time. As with surveys, you shouldn’t quit your day job, but you can make a modest amount of extra money as a mystery shopper.

Back in February, I signed up for a mystery shopping provider that I had researched and trusted, SecretShopper.com. I completed their online training, passed a couple of tests, and scheduled my first job, which I completed last week. After visiting the store, I electronically submitted my report and a scanned copy of my receipt. The job took about three hours including drive time and report submission, but much of that was first-time learning. I expect that the next job will go much quicker.

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Author: Lawrence Block

Genre: Crime, Mystery, Humor

Subject: Murder

Rating: ***** (5 Stars)

Summary:


The Burglar in the Rye is one of Lawrence Block’s many “Bernie Rhodenbarr” novels, which are set in Manhattan. Bernie is a burglar. Not just any burglar, he is a highly skilled burglar, who prides himself on never leaving any sign of his presence in a home, except for the absence of valuable items of course. In fact, he has nothing but contempt for smash and grab artists who clumsily force their way in, and leave messes in their wake.

Bernie also owns a used bookstore, which he runs during the day. He rarely makes much of a profit, but that’s all right with him. It provides good cover for his real source of income.

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Author: Robert Crais

Genre: Mystery

Rating: ***** (5 Stars)

Summary:


Max Holman has just completed a ten year prison sentence for bank robbery. Upon being released, he learns that his son, Richie, a Los Angeles police officer, was one of four officers killed in a shooting. The police close the case as a revenge killing, but Holman, feeling that the facts don’t add up, starts looking for more information.

While seeking the truth about his son, Holman attempts to re-establish contact with Richie’s mother, Donna Banik, only to learn that she has died. His only remaining connection to Richie is Liz Holman, Richie’s widow. From Liz, he learns that Richie and the other three murdered officers were investigating a pair of serial bank robbers named Marchenko and Parsons, who were killed in a shootout with police. Curious as to why uniformed officers were conducting an investigation that was officially closed, and that would normally be assigned to detectives, Holman enlists the help of Katherine Pollard, a retired FBI agent. Together, they learn that over $16 million from the Marchenko and Parsons robberies was never recovered, and that the four murdered officers were looking for it.

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