How to Avoid Getting Scammed by Paid Internet Surveys

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By Kane Kleinschmidt
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Avoid Getting Scammed by Paid Internet Surveys

With the economy at the lowest point in decades, many people are turning to paid internet surveys to supplement and boost their income. However, for every one legitimate survey company out there, hundreds more abound with interests of only scamming honest people out of their money. This article was written to give those interested in taking paid surveys a light to guide them on their path.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Never, EVER pay to be a member of a survey site. Think of it this way: you are an employee and the site is your employer. Would you ever pay someone to go work for them? No, they should be paying you! If a site costs money to join, right away you should recognize it as a scam. Legitimate sites make just as much money as you do if you are taking their surveys, so a real site has no reason to charge you any initial fees.
Step 2

Any site advertising that you'll make $100s or $1000s in a day should instantly be seen as a scam. The truth is that if you could make money that easily, then everyone would be doing it, and a company just can't afford to be paying out that much money. However, if you work often in your spare time, you can very reasonably expect to make several hundred dollars of extra income every month. Realistically, you should expect to make a couple of dollars for 15 minutes of work.
Step 3

Finally, look at the layout of the site. Does it look professional? Would it be a company that you would join? Now, you shouldn't by any means base the looks upon whether you will join the site or not. If the site if free to join, does not advertise outrageous earnings, and looks professional, it's probably a safe bet to join. Look around on the site and see if they promise to keep your personal information confidential, you don't want spam flooding your email account instead of survey opportunities. If the site is approved by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or is certified by another legitimate company, then you should consider joining. The last step you should take is to do about 10 minutes of research on the site before you join just to see what the buzz is about it.

Comments

excellence12 said

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on 8/23/2009 Actually, I must admit that I have tried these illegitimate sites and been taken a few times until I gave up. Your points are well made and well written. It's a *5*, a Rec., and an invitation to be a reciprocal 'Friend." I look forward to getting to know you through your articles. Well done!

scarletdreamer said

on 8/23/2009 Great article! Many people are lured by the promise of money and end up worse off than before, thanks for helping raise awareness of internet scams