What About Scam Survey Companies?
For every good and honest online survey company, there are bound to be less scrupulous and even downright scam companies on the other side of the fence.
Some bad apples are known to get people to do the work for them but then find ways of wriggling out of paying them for their work. Others harvest sensitive personal details or financial information that they either use themselves for nefarious purposes or sell on to other shady third party outfits.
So how can you spot scam online survey companies? Here are some tell-tale signs to look out for when choosing which company to work for.
These scam companies try to impersonate legit companies to make it look like you're taking a legit, honest survey. But these fraudsters are really not what they appear to be.
Watch out for surveys that ask for sensitive personal information, such as usernames, your credit card details, social security number and even passwords. These should signal alarm bells to stay clear!
From time to time you may get an email appear that looks like it's from a legit company. But be very wary of these unsolicited tricks. Unless you are absolutely certain that you have opted into a certain company to take their surveys on receipt of an email from them, do not click any links in the email.
Also, when you receive an email from a survey company, before clicking the link they want you to click, hover your mouse over the link and see what URL your browser displays in the bottom. If the link is to a page on the company website, it's probably OK. But if the URL looks wrong, don't click it!
Some companies expect you to pay up front to receive surveys from them. Then they keep you waiting after receiving your details to "pre-qualify" you, after which they send you a message to say they're sorry, but you don't qualify. Don't join any survey company that wants you to pay for the privilege.
Also, be careful of any company website that does not display a privacy policy page clearly in it's navigation area either along the top or in the footer of the home page. If there is one, always read it as well as their terms and conditions to make sure it sounds legit.
If there is no privacy policy page, don't take the survey!
Lastly, keep on your guard when checking out online survey companies. Check out third part reviews of the company to see if people are using it or to see if they're being called out as a scam.
Stay aware, stay awake and stay safe!