The incidence of online survey scams seems to be on the increase despite the publicity they receive. Why do people continually fall for these scams?

The lure of easy money is the main reason people will fall victim to paid survey scams. Getting something for very little work appeals to most but be realistic, if it was so easy then wouldn’t every one jump on board and retire from their jobs.

Isolating the bad from the good takes a little skill. More and more people are going online everyday and it’s these who are most vulnerable to scams. Many of these newcomers comprise the elderly who seem easy targets for online paid surveys scams.

Just like in the offline world, the elderly are targets for those looking to make a quick buck. That in itself is true irony. The very people who get ripped off are the ones attracted to making easy money. Yet, it’s the scam artists offering these incentives who in actual fact, score big.

How To Spot Scams

There are several dead giveaways that all is not right. - Outrageous claims. If it’s too good to be true run a mile.

- Outrageous testimonials. Testimonials are easy to fabricate. People look for a reason to take part in something.

- Guarantees and documented evidence. Guarantees in most cases are not worth the paper they’re written on. If you see a guarantee such as “make this in 60 days or we’ll give you your money back” simply scroll down to the disclaimer section and read the fine print. Quite often, what’s being promised is often contradicted.

- Being asked to part with money to take surveys is a complete no-no. Ask yourself this…do you pay your employer for the privilege of working for them. A legitimate paid survey company makes their money from the companies they are representing. Don’t fall for this scam.

- If you cannot find any contact details on the site then give it a wide berth. One rule to live by when doing surveys is if you cannot contact the people you’re working for then it’s more than likely in the category of online survey scams. You could even go as far as simply ignoring an email contact and demand that there be a phone number you can call.