Paid Survey Scams
Paid surveys are not new, despite all the hoopla. Marketing research firms have been
paying consumers to participate in surveys, focus groups and such for some
time. But the Web has granted them a more-efficient way to collect data. So, many
now conduct legit, online paid surveys and other types of paid, online marketing
research.
But many questionable, "middleman" paid survey sites
are poisoning the well, by hyping easy money for participating in online marketing
research from home. When there's competition for selling an easy-money scheme
working from home, you can bet that there's also exaggeration, if not outright
scams.
Many questionable middleman sites charge "membership" fees
for access to lists of marketing research firms that conduct online paid surveys.
But you can find many for free, by searching the Web. Regardless, some
try to dupe you into believing their lists are special. But, according to messages
on scam forums, their lists are essentially the same as others. Worse, some
also list other membership sites, trying to dupe you into buying essentially
the same list over and over again. They include sites that seem to be their competitors,
because they earn referral fees or commissions when you click the links
or buy memberships. A couple mentioned in scam forums even try to dupe you
into buying the same list at other membership sites they own under different domain
names. So, natch, these sites have incentive to exaggerate how much you'll
earn from online paid surveys.
Other middleman paid survey sites provide free lists. But, many are effectively in
cahoots with the questionable membership sites, because they too earn referral
fees and commissions by hosting links and ads for membership sites. So, they
too have incentive to exaggerate. |
