How to Avoid Online Survey and Mystery Shopper Scams

Many of these paid survey scams sound like great deals, so it is important for people to be careful and exercise common sense before giving their time or money to any paid survey opportunities.

One of the major ways that paid survey scams make money is by selling the participants' contact information to marketing firms.

The marketing firms use that data to send unsolicited mail, emails, and phone calls to the survey participants. These unwanted advertisements can be a nuisance.

Survey databases can cost participants money. Many databases let people have access to lists of paid survey opportunities for a subscription fee.

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Once people have paid the fee, they discover that many of the surveys listed do not pay, and that nearly all of the listings are available elsewhere for free. Many of these offers seem legitimate because they feature phony testimonials from satisfied users. It is important to read the fine print of these types of offers to see if there are any inconsistencies or contradictions.

Not all paid surveys are scams. Careful participants can find rewarding paid surveys that do give the rewards they promise.