Amazon Product Tester Job Scams: BasicTester/TestProductsNow
Author: Trend Micro Blog
More and more people are seeking ways to become Amazon product testers to earn extra money and enjoy free Amazon products. That’s why scammers have been creating fake Amazon product tester application websites. Don’t fall for the scam!
Amazon product tester scam
Fake product tester websites have been shared a lot recently on social media, including on Facebook and TikTok. We found several TikTok videos with titles such as “Life hacks for poor people” and “What are some company secrets you can share now that you don’t work there,” which compile Reddit comments into entertaining videos.
However, several of these videos have featured Reddit comments promoting bogus websites claiming to offer Amazon tester jobs. Below is an example:
“Former Amazon employee here – not many people know this, but Amazon has a program you can apply for where you get $1,500 sent to your Amazon account every month so that you can test and review their products. EDIT: Not sure if applications are open right now, but you can check at <URL>”
The website featured in the screenshot below is a SCAM. If you take the bait and go to the scam site, this is what you will see: an application page (it even emphasizes no resume or experience is needed):
Sample scam Amazon product tester website — Testproductsnow[.]com
Scam Amazon product tester job websites:
- Testproductsnow[.]com
- Basicstester[.]com
- Testoutbasics[.]com
- Thereviewprogram[.]com
- Testerlist[.]com
If you proceed on the scam application website, you will be taken to an online survey form that says you can claim a reward after answering a series of questions. However, in the end, you won’t receive any reward; it’ll just be a waste of time, and there are risks of compromising your PII. Be careful!
Avoid Scams for FREE
The truth is, there are lots of scams and scam websites on the internet and they’re getting harder to detect. For an easy and reliable method of detecting and avoiding scam sites, check out our free browser extension (Trend Micro ID Protection) and free mobile app (Trend Micro Check).
ID Protection and Trend Micro Check can protect you against scams, phishing links, risky websites, and much more! If you come across something dangerous online, you’ll be alerted in real-time so you’ll know to stay well clear.
How to become an Amazon product tester SAFELY
There are indeed several legitimate ways to become an Amazon product tester. Below are some examples:
#1 – Amazon Vine (official & legitimate)
Amazon Vine is an invitation-only program in which Amazon will select “the most insightful reviewers in the Amazon store” and allow them to “order items free of charge and share their product experiences with Amazon customers,” according to the program’s website.
However, you cannot sign up for Amazon Vine. You’ll need to buy products, keep writing insightful reviews, and wait for Amazon’s invitation. Plus, if you have a chance to enroll in the Vine program, you won’t get paid — which encourages users to leave the most genuine, unbiased reviews.
#2 – Third-party product reviewer websites/communities
Besides Amazon Vine, there are many non-official product testing websites. These platforms offer opportunities for participants to test out products for free and share reviews with others online. Similarly, you won’t get paid for making these reviews; any website that guarantees you money as a reward is highly suspicious.
Please keep in mind that since such platforms are NOT run by Amazon, you should do your own research to verify their legitimacy.
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This article is published in collaboration with Trend Micro
Image source: iStock
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