Imagine a fine summer day, you have just decided to go online and sign up to do some paid surveys. You think to yourself “what a perfect day to make some money online” only to be kicked out of the survey after 10 minutes of answering questions. You may have a fake survey to blame for this because they look like real surveys except that they are not!
Scammers use fake surveys to collect sensitive information from users. They may also get users to click non-secure links that lead to the spamming of unwanted ads. Additionally, they collect your information to send you emails about products and services. Whatever the reason may be, fake surveys are annoying and we are here to help you differentiate fake surveys from legit ones.
In the sea of paid online surveys, you are bound to wonder “are paid online surveys legit?”. How does an average user protect themselves from paid survey scams?
There are a few signs that can help identify fake surveys. Once you know these, you will almost always be able to identify a fake survey from a real one.
Here is a list of signs to look out for when attempting to do surveys online;
Paying Money For Surveys
Surveys are a safe and easy way of making money without any initial investment. Yes, some survey providers have subscriptions that give you extra benefits. But, these options can be considered once you have gained experience.
Any payment-related information should be available on their website and openly accessible to the user. If a survey is shady about its payment methods, you can try to clear your doubts by looking for reviews online first.
If you are being asked to pay money to access a survey or to sign-up, it is best to refrain from these. Fake surveys also tend to have a lot of spelling mistakes and a lack of consistency. Many apps are providing completely free surveys so make sure you search for these before you pay for doing surveys online.
Asking For Personal Information
Another way to identify paid survey scams is by paying attention to the kind of questions asked in the survey. Any information that can be used to verify your identity could be a scam.
Keep in mind that some surveys do need information that is more specific to identify the cohort of the population you belong to. This information might be similar to others in the same sample group as you such as your zip code, income bracket, and field of work. These questions can be fundamental to the research conducted and you as a participant may have to share certain details.
You should be wary of questions that can trace back specifically to you. Asking such as the following should raise suspicion and deal with carefully;
- Bank details
- Home address
- Legal name
- Phone number
High Prize For A Small Task
If you come across a survey that is promising you $1000 for completing a task or a $500 gift card for successfully finishing a survey. There is a high chance that it may be a scam.
You may get bonuses and discounts of 25-50% when you are doing online surveys. Many survey apps constantly run bonus campaigns for frequent users. But if you are being asked to pay or give traceable information to win the prize, you should reconsider that survey.
It is important to remember that giving your email or preferred name for identification purposes is safe. This information is needed during raffles or prize competitions to get in touch with you. After all, they do need to contact you if you win!!
Bank Details To Send Money
Nowadays, the process of earning money is so simple that you don’t even need a bank account to start earning. Many apps offer gift cards or ask for your Paypal email address to transfer your money from the app. Even if you don’t have Paypal, gift cards are a popular way of spending your survey money.
You should never have to share your bank information or card details to get paid for doing surveys online. If you are being prompted to give this information, try to ask for alternative ways of receiving your money.
When it comes to paid online surveys, the payment should be from others to YOU! If you find yourself as the payer, something isn’t right. These subtle details can make all the difference in saving you from scammers online. Whenever you are in doubt, go over these signs to check and you will never have to worry.
Spotting Legit Surveys ToolKit
So how do we identify fake surveys from real ones?
- Don’t pay for surveys, get paid instead
- Don’t give away traceable information
- If it’s too good to be true, it probably is
- Don’t share your credit card information
These are only precautionary measures that you can rely on when you come across a survey that looks rather… sketchy. It is important to remember that there are trustworthy and simple-to-use survey apps out there. These apps make the signup and checkout process seamless so that you don’t have to worry about being scammed. Whenever you are in doubt, it is good practice to look for reviews online for survey apps to see what other people’s experience has been so far.
We hope these tips can help you pick out a fake survey the next time you are on your journey to make some money online.
