Paid Online Surveys – Legitimate or Scam?

How to Tell if Survey Offers are Valid WAHM Business Opportunities

Oct 14, 2009

Is it possible to work from home taking online surveys and make quick money? Are these legitimate business opportunities or online scams? Know how to tell the difference.

Work-at-home moms (WAHMs) looking for ways to make money online are often presented with opportunities to take online surveys for cash. Unfortunately, not all online survey companies offer legitimate money-making opportunities, so it's important for the prospective partner to do the research before proceeding with any offers.

How to Research Paid Survey Opportunities to Determine Legitimacy

A WAHM may see opportunities for taking online surveys through online advertising, local bulletin board systems such as Craigslist, or in member signature files on work-at-home forums. Regardless of the source of the information, it is important to research all opportunities before entering into business with any online survey company.

Following are some resources that can be used to conduct research on survey companies.

There are many work-at-home forums on the Internet with thousands of active participants sharing information about valid online business opportunities and warning about scams. WAHM.com and MommyResources.com both have forums with helpful members that can answer questions and point toward further research opportunities.

A quick search on Google for the company name should provide a wealth of feedback from people who have done business with the organization. Check the results for legitimate web sites and resources and read what others are saying about the survey opportunity.

Check with the BBB to find out if there are any complaints lodged against the company in question. While not all companies will be listed with the BBB, those that are well known for fraudulent dealings may very well be on their radar. Of course, just because a company is not listed does not automatically make it a legitimate opportunity.

Key Elements that Might Suggest an Online Survey Opportunity is a Scam

Even diligent research efforts may fail to turn up information about an online survey information. This is especially true if the offer is fairly recent, meaning not many people have had a chance to participate and provide feedback. And while it is always important to watch for red flags when dealing with a company, it is even more relevant in the case of a new or relatively unknown offer.

Following are some conditions that warrant a "proceed with caution" approach to a company presenting paid online survey offers, regardless of what the research says about an opportunity.

Remember the old adage: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If an online business opportunity promises huge monetary rewards for little to no time investment, it might be a safer bet to step away from the keyboard.

While some legitimate business opportunities may require an upfront investment, most won't. If a company is asking for money to get started, or to get information on how to get started, proceed with caution.

It is important to use caution when giving out personal information online. This is especially true regarding requests for bank account information, personal login details for any web site, and social security or social insurance numbers. There is rarely a time when any of this information should be required by a business partner, so any requests should be researched thoroughly before proceeding.

If a company is requesting any information or action that seems unreasonable, unjustified, or is simply not well explained, consider backing off of the opportunity unless and until common sense indicates otherwise.

A WAHM should use caution when entering into any online business opportunity. An approach that includes detailed research, asking trusted contacts for feedback, and a healthy dose of common sense should help protect a WAHM from potential scams with paid survey companies, and any other potential business partner.

The copyright of the article Paid Online Surveys – Legitimate or Scam? in Working Mothers is owned by Melanie Mulrooney. Permission to republish Paid Online Surveys – Legitimate or Scam? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.