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Paid Survey Scams
Paid survey scams are out there in abundance (in the internet world).
So the question is, are all paid surveys a scam?
And if not, how do you tell the difference between paid survey scams and a legitimate paid survey site?
Here are some signs to look for:
Being asked to pay a fee for a list of survey sites
If you are being asked to pay a fee for a "list of survey sites that pay", run the other way!
There are many "middlemen" sites on the internet that will charge you a fee for a list of legitimate paid survey sites.
There is no need to pay for this information when it can be found for free on the internet!
If you see a website charging a fee for this, it is most certainly one of those paid survey scams you want to avoid.
For my free list of legitimate paid survey sites, (yes my list really is free!).
please click here
Beware of sites that offer a "money back guarantee"
Some of these middlemen sites will offer to give you your money back if you are not satisfied with the list of survey sites you receive from them.
All I can say to that is, if the website is unethical enough to charge for a list of survey sites to begin with, then they just may be unethical enough to refuse to refund you your money if you are not satisfied.
A more likely scenario? They won't even answer your queries for reimbursement or give you a fake contact e-mail address or phone number.
Unfortunately, this is exactly what has occurred to many people. So don't let the money back guarantee sway you. It's still a scam.
Stay away from sites offering you big bucks for simply taking surveys
We've all seen them, ads or websites blaring out promises of making thousands a week for simply taking surveys at home.
I wouldn't even expect thousands of dollars a year completing surveys at home, much less thousand a week or even thousands a month.
I won't belabor this point. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
To avoid paid survey scams and get a more realistic look at how much you can make completing surveys from home,.
Beware of sites that warn you to act quickly
There are many sites that warn of "just a few spots left!" or "offering for a limited time only!".
This provocative language is geared to get people to feel that they must act quickly or they will miss out.
Don't fall for it.
In fact, why not bookmark the site and, just for kicks, go back back and visit that site in a month. Does the website still scream the same warning? You get my drift.
These are most definitely more paid survey scams that you want to avoid.
Another thing to avoid....?
Avoid paid survey scams that offer you a free laptop, plasma tv or other ridiculously expensive item for simply filling out a survey on whether you prefer Papa John's pizza or Pizza Hut's; Burger King over McDonald's orCoke over Pepsi.... you get the idea.
Are these paid online survey scams? You bet they are, don't fall for them! Once you sign up to fill out their surveys, you will get a lifetime of spam in your e-mail inbox and that's not even the worst of it.
You'll get offers to join practically every membership available on the internet, you'll be asked to subscribe to tons of magazine subscriptions and you'll probably get junk mail in your residential mailbox as well.
Trust me, avoid the headache, avoid these survey sites, they are a huge waste of your time at the very least.
Here's the biggie...
If there is only one thing you take away from any of this that I have written so far, please let it be this...
Never enter your bank or credit card information onto any of these sites, legitimate or not, and please avoid giving out your social security number!
Paid survey sites should pay you not the other way around. And when they do pay you, they should pay you via check (sent by regular mail) or paypal.
In both cases, they will not need your bank or credit card information and they certainly won't need your social security number for this.
Other helpful hints...
So now that we know how to avoid paid survey scams, let's be proactive!
Here are a list of things you can do to assure yourself that you are dealing with a legitimate survey site:
Research
This is so important and really, so easy to do. You can do a couple of things to verify the legitimacy of a company or website:
One more thing, legitimate website or not, I suggest giving a separate e-mail address when you sign up with the legitimate survey sites. That way, you can be sure to avoid infesting your main e-mail inbox with spam mail should your e-mail address be compromised.
It is very easy to do, simply go to yahoo, hotmail or google and sign up to create a new e-mail address, they are free and easy to set up!
Don't forget to check out my page on Free Online Surveys for more information on what to expect when you sign up as a member on these legit survey sites, as well, I offer a free list of legitimate survey sites to save you time!
Good luck!
Return from Paid Survey scams to Free online Surveys
Click here for a free list of legitimate paid survey sites
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