Are paid online surveys a scam? This question has two parts. The first part is market research companies that have been in business since the 1920s. When the Internet came along in the 1990s, it transformed the industry into a more online presence.
Before the Internet, companies used market research companies to conduct surveys by going door-to-door, sending them by mail, using the phone to conduct them, and in-person groups.
Once the Internet appeared, it totally renewed the industry. Businesses can now send paid surveys directly to an email inbox. This invention created even more companies that operate primarily online and added another element and workforce to the existing market research companies.
The online businesses that were created are not scams. Existing businesses that existed before the internet came along are also not scams. Market research companies are very generous and go beyond the scope of what exists on the internet today when it comes to making money online. Most companies want to extract some form of payment from people. The opposite is the case with paid market research companies. They pay you to sign up and may even offer a login bonus just for joining. What appears to be a scam is actually a legitimate way of doing business.
The second part of the question is paid online survey scams, they are the actual websites that are scams and use the nature of free paid online surveys as a way to lure people into the scam.
People looking for survey websites to join or trying to earn some money online may come across a website that appears to be a real survey that promises them some reward like gadgets or cash at the end.
The scam is that people end up paying some kind of price for a product or service. The unsuspecting party may also find themselves faced with an endless loop of websites with advertisements on them. Another scam may try to get you to enter an email so they can spam your email with ads and offers. At worst, they steal your credit information, ruin your credit, and steal money from you.
These are just some of the real scams out there. Scammers use a paid survey front because they are free to join. Any time a program is free to join to earn money, it will attract visitors. Unfortunately, scammers will take this great way to make money and turn it into a way to commit fraud on unsuspecting parties.
The best way to avoid scams is to check the about us pages. They may have a phone number and/or email on the contact page so you can ask questions before you join. Also check with the Better Business Bureau to find out if they are registered and qualified. Another great way to find legitimacy is to check if they have accreditations on the site. They will usually display a certified label at the bottom of the website such as the TRUSTe Certified label.
For the most part, paid online surveys are real and legitimate. Market research companies have been in business for over 60 years and are now using the Internet as a way to help people make money online for free. Companies spend billions on market research each year and you will find that many companies pay their members millions as a reward for completing paid surveys with them. Unfortunately, scams are really out there to harm you or your computer.
