“Make $10,000 a Month Taking FREE Surveys”, “$50 Cash For Each Free Survey You Complete”, “Survey Companies Pay $125 per Hour”… etc. etc. etc.

Anyone who’s spent more than 5 minutes online looking for ways to earn extra income will certainly recognize these types of absurd claims. They’re everywhere! However, it’s more than a little far fetched to believe that you can become a millionaire simply by telling some marketing company if you prefer root beer or cola or whether you would rather vacation at the beach or in the mountains.

Yes, as you probably guessed, the vast majority of these so-called “Free” survey offers are nothing but scams. Avoid them – or at least use extreme caution when responding to the ads.

Before discussing these scams I need to point out that there truly are legitimate opportunities out there that do pay consumers to give their opinions about soft drinks or vacation destinations. It’s pretty cool to get paid to test a new product, express your thoughts after eating for free at a restaurant, or having a chance to influence product decisions before they are released to the public.

Unfortunately, finding these legitimate opportunities can be quite difficult and very time consuming.

Naturally, the scam sites are very easy to find. They are all over the internet making astounding promises of instant wealth, screaming “FREE” in their ads, and spending outrageous sums of money making sure that their ads are viewed as often as possible on the internet.

Why would these so-called free programs spend so much on advertising if there’s nothing in it for them? Are they really just being philanthropic, giving away their “secrets” to getting rich quick for free? I really don’t think so.

Be careful when responding to “Free” Paid Survey offers. There are at least three high risk dangers you’ll be facing:

1. SPAM: Some scam survey sites are set up for the sole purpose of harvesting names, addresses and email addresses that they then sell to spammers and off line “junk” mailers. Since legitimate survey outfits do need your personal information in order to collect demographic information, contact you and pay you, the scam artists know that they can ask for the same information without raising suspicion.

2. CREDIT CARD FRAUD: If the free survey site requires you to enroll in “introductory offers” in order to participate in their paid surveys, you are probably looking at a scam. Unsuspecting people have been known to enroll in dozens – even hundreds – of these offers without ever earning a penny from a single survey. You may be told, or even encouraged, to then “cancel” your order within a certain period of time so that your credit card will not be charged. However, it is common for your cancellation request to be delayed or not processed at all, resulting in unwanted charges on your card.

3. IDENTITY THEFT: Legitimate survey companies do need certain information, including your social security number, in order to pay you for the surveys you complete. The Internal Revenue Service requires that they send you a 1099 tax form if you earn more than $600.00 in any given year. Therefore, it is critical that you deal only with legitimate sites. Once they have your personal information, scammers may try to steal your identity.

So, the question is, “How can I determine if a survey site is legitimate or not?”

– You will NEVER be asked to provide credit card information as a prerequisite for enrolling in legitimate paid survey programs.

– Be cautious when responding to ads that promise free access to paid surveys, especially if the offer sounds too good to be true. Most legitimate survey companies do not advertise heavily, if they advertise at all.

– There are a number of web sites that pre-screen paid survey offers and publish reviews of those that they have found to be legitimate. Make use of them. It may cost a few dollars up front to register but you will undoubtedly find it to be money well spent if it helps you to avoid being scammed.

You won’t become an instant millionaire by participating in paid surveys. However, it can be an excellent way to make extra income from the comfort of your home so that you can enjoy those little “extras” that you may not have been able to afford.