Learn 9 red flags that help you identify scammy surveys and stay safe online.
# How to Spot Fake Survey Websites
Article Content
Scammers use phony surveys to phish for personal information or promote spammy products. Here's how to stay safe when you see survey offers online.
Why Scammers Love Surveys
Most people like to give their opinions – especially if there's a discount or other reward on offer. While someone might put up their guard during a sales pitch, surveys seem harmless, meaning it's easy to accidentally share information that a scammer can use.
Red Flag #1: Rewards That Sound Too Good to Be True
If a survey offers you a $100 gift card or a 90% discount for answering three quick questions, it's probably a scam. Typically, all survey sites offer a small amount of cash for completing surveys. But any online paid surveys promising a large amount of cash are likely not legitimate.
Real surveys pay small amounts—usually just a few dollars, not huge prizes.
Red Flag #2: Bad Spelling and Grammar
Scammers can easily copy a brand's name, but awkward wording and poor grammar are typically a giveaway that the message is a scam. Read carefully! If you see lots of typos or weird sentences, that's a warning sign.
Red Flag #3: No Clear Information About Who's Running It
Real surveys will be very direct about the brand involved, the type of information requested, and what it's being used for. Legitimate surveys always tell you:
A reputable survey will never ask for your Social Security number, money, password, or bank account information. Never share:
Your Social Security number
Your bank account number
Your credit card number
Your passwords
Red Flag #5: Asking You to Pay Money
There's absolutely no reason to pay to take a survey of any kind. If you're targeted by an ad asking you to take a survey and to pay for the privilege of doing so, don't respond.
Real surveys are always FREE to take.
Red Flag #6: Suspicious Website Links
Hover over URLs to reveal their true destination. Typically, the hyperlinked text will say one thing, but the link will point somewhere else. Make sure the links actually lead to the business's official website, not a variation of the domain name.
Red Flag #7: Endless Pre-Screening Questions
Scammers exploit the prequalification by having the target answer dozens of questions and then informing them they've run out of time and cannot participate in the actual survey. This is false, of course, and the questions the scammer just answered actually were the survey questions, only now they won't be getting paid for it.
Red Flag #8: Suspicious Sender Email Addresses
Look at the sender email address domain—if it's from a generic email account, like @gmail.com or @yahoo.com, it's a scam. Real companies use their own email addresses.
Red Flag #9: Downloads or Attachments
Any time an unknown contact asks you to download attachments to your device, be super-suspicious. More often than not, these are scams and the attachments are loaded with malware.
What to Do If You Find a Scam Survey
If you suspect a survey is fraudulent, do not provide any personal information and exit the survey immediately.
Then:
You can report the scam to relevant authorities such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the U.S., or similar regulatory bodies in other countries.
Tell a parent or trusted adult right away
Don't click any links in the email or message again
How to Find Real Surveys
Check legitimate review sites such as Google or Trustpilot for reviews of the online paid surveys website. You can also check the ratings of the site on the Better Business Bureau.
Find the website's privacy policy and read it carefully. The privacy policy should tell you whether your information is going to be sold to spammers or if it's going to be kept confidential.
Remember: Trust Your Gut!
Trust your instincts. If any of the information requirements seem strange, avoid completing the rest of the form and simply leave the site.
When in doubt, ask a parent or trusted adult before filling out ANY online survey.
Sources
[Better Business Bureau: Learn the Signs of a Fake Survey](https://www.bbb.org/all/spot-a-scam/signs-of-a-fake-survey)
