The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SEAS) activities of Ag and FePt@Ag nanoparticle probes were examined using thiophenol as a Raman reporter molecule in the absence and presence of a magnetic field. Under external magnetic fields of different field strength, the SERS activities of both types of nanoparticles (NPs) were weakened as a function of magnetic field strength. The attenuation degree of SERS activity by the magnetic field in the case of FePt@Ag NPs is found to be two times higher than for Ag NPs, because the superparamagnetic FePt cores enhance the local magnetic field at the area of the Ag shells. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.