[G8Ralphaxi]

My friend does this sort of thing for a job - among other things. She models, does promotional work, serves as a hostess/presenter at trade shows/awards/galas, performance art, etc. When I was in college, I did some part time work with one of the companies that hires her.

DO NOT do this unless they tell you upfront WHO they are. It should either be the store itself or a reputable promotion company/talent agency. In other words, they should tell you the NAME of their company, you should know a phone number and address, be able to look them up on the web, etc. If it's just a "respond to Shopper, Inc. at P.O. Box 123456" then don't waste your time or money.

There are good opportunities for people interested in doing promotional work/mystery shoppers/etc., and it is a great way to make extra money, especially as a part time job. But there are lots of scams out there too.

ETA: I have NEVER heard of a reputable promotional company/talent agency that requires you to pay a fee for this type of work. You may have to spend money to get head shots/comp cards made (if that level of professional photos are required) and create a resume, but you should just have to submit your info to them. Then they decide if they want to interview and then hire you. No normal job requires you to pay money to interview or get hired - I don't know why the scammers in this business can get away with it so often.