How to Spot Survey Scams & Fake Surveys

By WFHR Editor

Surveys are a legitimate way to make money online, but there are so many survey scams out there.

It’s hard to tell legitimate survey sites from scam sites. There are many legitimate survey sites out there, and it can be not easy to know which ones you should trust.

We’ve compiled the top legitimate survey companies you can sign up with today!

These reputable companies will never ask for your credit card information or bank account number, and they’ll pay you in cash by check or PayPal within 24 hours of completing your first survey.

You’ll also want to ensure that the company has a good reputation before signing up with them!

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Working from home doesn’t have to be a fantasy. It’s possible, and I will show you how it works! If you’ve ever wanted to make thousands of dollars while working very little, this program is for you.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work that way- meaning there is no such thing as getting rich quickly. Fortunately, there are many legitimate ways to earn a living online, although it does require work and effort on your part.

Taking surveys online is just one of several ways to make a living doing online work, but as with any online employment “opportunities,” you have to learn to weed out scam sites from legitimate sites.

So how do you figure out if a survey site is legitimate or not? There are certain signs to look out for.

First, let’s look at indications that a survey site is NOT legitimate.

How do survey scams work?

A legitimate research survey will never ask you to provide your personal or account information without your consent. Both online survey companies and phone surveys will state which company they represent, how they will use your information, and even offer their official website for you to visit.

A survey scam site will ask you to provide your full name, mailing address, phone number, email address, and even your mother’s maiden name. They may also ask for your credit card information or bank account number.

You should be able to verify the legitimate status of a survey site by looking at its ratings online or whether it is listed with the BBB (Better Business Bureau). They will also have a legitimate phone number to call.

Be especially cautious if a survey site promises you can make thousands of dollars by taking surveys or offers to enroll you into an online program that only requires small monthly payments.

This is probably a scam!

Legitimate companies offering legitimate work-from-home jobs will require you to pay an upfront fee.

If a survey site requests that you wire money or bank account information, note that legitimate companies will NEVER ask for this information!

You should also be suspicious of work-from-home job offers that offer large windfalls and little human interaction.

How do you know if a survey is legit?

Email the company with questions about your potential responsibilities and ask for a phone number to call. When talking on the phone with legitimate survey companies, you should feel comfortable and not be rushed off the phone.

If there is any indication that the survey site may be a scam, it is best to avoid them altogether.

The best way to earn money online is through legitimate survey sites that pay via PayPal! Make sure they don’t need a deposit; genuine businesses should compensate you for each poll!

You should also be paid via PayPal or check within 24 hours of finishing your first questionnaire.

What are survey scams?

A survey scam is an opportunity to work from home, which does not exist.

If you do not want to fall victim to a scam and want legitimate and legitimate sites and legitimate and legitimate opportunities for work-from-home jobs, read on:

A survey scam will ask you to provide all of your personal information, including your full name, mailing address, phone number, or email address, without your consent. They may also ask that you give them some credit card information or bank account number (If they’re asking this as soon as you enter their site – it’s more than likely a scam).

They obtain your personal information in the hopes of stealing your credit card or bank data. Certain research collectives provide housing incentives in exchange for taking surveys; sadly, they are not either. They are also not genuine since they do not compensate you for your opinions!

If you’re looking for legitimate ways to complete online surveys, contact the Better Business Bureau first to see which companies have a good rating and should be trusted. After that, you can visit reputable websites such as Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, and Survey Club.

If you’re seeking real work from genuine survey sites, those above legitimate and authentic online employment opportunities, such as those available with reputable corporations like Vindale Research and Toluna, are excellent choices.

Here is how to figure out if a survey site is legitimate.

How To Spot Survey Scams and Fake Surveys

There are specific things to look out for when trying to spot a scam site:

Online survey scams will want you to pay THEM money upfront to use their services.

Under no circumstances should you ever have to put out any of your hard-earned money to make money by taking surveys.

Legitimate surveys do not require you to invest anything but your time and opinion.

You see, the way legitimate survey sites work is fairly simple. Big-name corporations need to garner customer feedback to improve their products or services.

So, they pay online survey businesses to gather customer feedback for them.

We’re talking about companies such as Hershey’s, Nike, Sony, Dr. Pepper, and Coca-Cola. Remember, these companies value you as a customer and your opinion.

Survey scams will promise to make you rich overnight.

While it is possible to earn a comfortable living by taking online surveys, there is no “get rich quick” scheme that works.

Trust us; if there were, the rest of the world would have discovered it already.

Survey scams boast that you’ll have to do little to no work.

There is no free lunch in life, as the saying goes.

Be prepared to work for your money. Taking online surveys for a living is not that much different than any regular, 9-5 job; you’ll need to keep up at it regularly, and the more hours you put in, the more money you will earn.

Expect to set aside a specific time each day (or night) for work.

One of the bonuses about doing this kind of work from home is you can choose your hours and set your own schedule. If you work better at night, block out a few to several hours each night to focus on your work.

If your mind is sharp in the morning, schedule yourself to work. Taking online surveys from home is a flexible profession, but like any job, you will need to remain consistent.

Survey scams will promise to claim you won’t need to bother with any other survey sites to make money.

This is a bald-faced lie. The truth of the matter is you will need to join other survey websites. The more, the better.

Why is this? You ask. Well, I will tell you: most survey sites won’t provide you with too many survey opportunities. You’ll be lucky if you are given 2 or 3 a week. This doesn’t mean you can’t make a decent amount of money from taking surveys, however.

You’ll need to sign up for multiple sites to increase your survey quota.

Tips for Identifying Survey Scams and Fake Surveys

The survey sites you want to avoid come from questionable free email services, especially Yahoo! and Outlook.

There is a scam called the legitimate survey scam. It might sound good, but it is not. Many companies offer deals that are too good to be true. They want you to sign up for their product so they can charge you $250 just for opening an account!

Programs that are trying to sell you something might not have information about the actual product near the beginning of their website. Instead, they have articles that are about them but are talking about how great they are. It is important to think about all your choices before making this decision, so you can choose wisely.

Other survey scams will contact you for a phone survey and immediately ask you for your personal or financial information. These scammers pretend that they are legitimate companies, but in fact, they are far from it.

Most of these phone survey scammers will commit identity theft or sell your contact information and personal data without your consent.

Never join a phony survey for market research, especially if they have no official website.

Does the company have a legitimate address?

You can look for an address on the survey firm’s website to see if it is real. Most reputable businesses will have a genuine US address to provide to you. They should also include additional contact information, such as phone numbers and email addresses.

Don’t be scared to conduct some research on the internet! There are real survey businesses that pay you for your time; make sure you’re not being taken advantage of.

Keep in mind that reputable survey companies are well-known, established firms. There are several excellent survey websites to choose from; why risk it if there’s no need? You’ll want to make sure you’re not just picking a reputable firm but one with a stellar reputation!

Types of Survey Scams

There are many different types of scams. Some will promise they are the best, and you don’t need to worry. The truth is, though, that if a survey website is legitimate, it will want to show its work by having many other websites.

If someone asks you for money before they do research, that is not a good company. You should not give them any personal information or bank account number. They might steal your money.

Gift Card Scams

The scammers ask for your password or other personal things. They pretend to be someone you know, like a family member or Microsoft. They can say they are from Norton Security, McAfee Security, or Microsoft’s Tech Support.

This scam will show messages on your screen that say you have a virus. It might also say that your computer will be destroyed soon. These are fake messages. The person who does this is trying to steal money from you by asking for money on gift cards, or he might want to get onto your computer to take more information off of it.

Email Scams

When you click on something, it can cause your computer or phone to be infected with malware. If someone steals your ID, they might use this method to try to stop you from being able to identify yourself. And if a company sells data on hacking sites, they are at risk of being caught by the data protection law.

If your email is listed in a survey and your interests match, you might want to click. But don’t! If you haven’t confirmed that they have a list of people with interests like yours, then they could be trying to hack into your account.

Phishing

A scam is when someone sends out an email that looks like a real Walmart one. The person sends it to people they don’t know and asks them for personal information.

If someone falls for the bait, thieves can steal personal information. If somebody has a credit card or bank account, they could be taken. Thieves might ask for your Social Security number, too, if they don’t have it yet.

Smishing

Smishing is a type of scam. It is when someone sends you an SMS about winning something, but you did not enter the contest.

What Are Legitimate Survey Sites?

Legitimate survey sites are established companies that have already earned a good reputation in the market.

The thing is, you should be compensated by these marketing companies if you answer their questions… You are providing your time and personal opinion to them. You shouldn’t just do it for free!

You don’t have to invest anything but your time and input if you go with a reputable survey site. Keep in mind that genuine surveys still need effort on your part.

Here are some legitimate companies and an online survey that we highly recommend to get you started:

Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is a legitimate survey website that has been around since 2008, and they’ve accumulated quite a loyal following of survey takers.

The biggest appeal of this particular legitimate survey site is the fact that the surveys are more focused on giving feedback rather than asking for your opinion.

This legitimate survey site is great for those who don’t want to complete questionnaires and surveys all day long – you only need to do them when you’re up for it!

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It’s also perfect if you don’t like answering lengthy questionnaires, as most surveys here only take 10 minutes or less.

Join Survey Junkie now!

LifePoints Panel

LifePoints Panel is a legitimate survey site that has been around since 2009 after merging with two of the most reliable online survey panels, MySurvey and Global Test Market. This legitimate survey site provides an excellent compensation system for those looking to make money by taking surveys. The best part? LifePoints pays you real, actual cash.

Yes, this legitimate survey site is one of the few that doesn’t pay you with points or redeemable rewards. You can deposit your earnings onto your credit card whenever you want to do so and use them to purchase anything!

The only downside is that this legitimate survey site does not offer surveys as often as other legitimate survey sites out there–you’ll need to be proactive to maximize the number of surveys you take each day.

But hey, it’s worth it.

Pinecone Research

Pinecone Research is a legitimate survey site that has been around since 2008. Like Survey Junkie, Pinecone Research offers a more specialized survey focusing on feedback.

This legitimate survey site is perfect for those looking to give out their opinions and not be asked the same questions over and over again.

The downside?

You’ll have to wait a while before you get accepted into this legitimate survey site. The waiting period can go from anywhere from one month up to six months, but it all depends on when you apply for this legitimate survey site.

These sites are all free for you to try, with great results.

Final Thoughts: Legitimate Survey Sites & Spotting Survey Scams

If you’re starting to dip your toe into the waters of online survey taking, these sites are an excellent way to get a feel for what it’s like.

To make it easier on yourself, we suggest creating a new email account designated for taking surveys.

That way, all your information will be kept in one place- and you won’t have to worry about receiving spam or having any survey opportunities filtered into your email spam folder.

You can add the survey site’s email address to your contacts list to guarantee you won’t miss any survey opportunities.

We’re not going to lie- taking online surveys can be hard work, but once you start to develop a routine and get in the swing of it, it can be a lot of fun.

Always be wary of scam sites- remember, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

So, what do you have to lose? So, what are you waiting for?

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You may also like our YouTube channel and learn how taking surveys online has altered my life forever!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can you trust survey sites?

Yes, legitimate surveys exist if the survey company is genuine. There are many survey sites that you can trust. There are many places to choose from, so why take a risk when you don’t need to? You should ensure that the company is legitimate and has a good reputation too!

Is it safe to do paid surveys online?

You can do surveys online, and it is safe. It would be best if you were careful of con artists and scams, though. A legitimate site will be a big company that has been around for a while, and people trust them. Plus, they have been in business long enough that few people have had problems with them.

Are online surveys fake?

There are a lot of websites that offer surveys to do. Many of them are scams because they ask for personal information.

Avoid scams by checking the site against a few factors: Is this a legitimate company? Do they have a good reputation? What is an incentive for me to take the survey? Any legitimate business will reward you with cash or prizes to get your opinions!

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