What Are Online Survey Scams and How Can You Avoid Them?

You've probably filled out an online survey at some point. And if you've completed more than a few, you know they can vary in both length and content. Some are even fun, and potentially a good way to learn something new about yourself.

These questionnaires are first and foremost data collection tools, so they're used by countless companies around the world. There is nothing inherently sinister about this kind of market research, but some online surveys are nothing but scams.

4 Common Types of Online Survey Scams

Like most cybercrime, online survey scams revolve around conning as many targets as possible, with the goal of stealing money from them. There are roughly four different types of these scams, and you need to know how they work in order to protect yourself.

1. Spam Scams

Graphic illustration of spam mail on black background

Online spam has taken on many forms over the years, and there probably isn't a person that hasn't received a spam text message, phone call, or email. And one way advertisers and companies gather contacts is through online surveys.

But how does this survey scam work exactly? First, a third party asks you to fill out a survey. Perhaps you're offered a discount, a chance to participate in a giveaway, or some kind of freebie. In any case, you're incentivized to surrender information about yourself such as your name, address, and phone number.

As you can imagine, you next begin receiving unsolicited emails, phone calls, and SMS from advertisers. This may not fit the strictest definitions of cybercrime, but it's at the very least a deceptive and unethical marketing practice that you should watch out for.

So, what can you do to protect yourself from this scam? Whenever you receive an offer to fill out a survey, make sure you read the fine print carefully. If at the end you need to tick a box that says something like "I agree to receive special offers," you're better off not submitting the survey. If you make the mistake of doing so, make sure you block spam calls and strengthen your email's spam filters.

2. Phishing Surveys

Phishing symbol illustration on green background

All phishing attacks are centered around the perpetrator tricking the target into revealing sensitive information. They are carried out in many different ways, but primarily through email. Sometimes, this involves surveys.

In this type of survey scam, the attacker typically impersonates a legitimate company. More often than not, they pretend to be companies that actually ask their customers to fill out surveys about their shopping experience for a reward, such as Amazon and Walmart. Except in this case, when the victim fills out the fake survey, their personal information is stolen. Scammers can then do whatever they please with this data, and by the time the victim realizes they've been tricked (if they ever do), it's already too late.

But there are steps you can take to avoid falling for a phishing survey scam. You should always double-check the email address the message came from, and make sure it actually is from a reputable entity. Retailers and similar companies will never ask you for your credit card or social security numbers, but a phishing survey might, so keep that in mind.

Also, remember to always check if a link is safe before clicking it.

3. Content Lockers

As the term suggests, content lockers are tools that limit access to certain content. You've most likely come across one in the past, without knowing what it actually was. Bloggers use them a lot, for example—some blogs let you access "premium" posts if you subscribe to their mailing list.

But scammers, and black- and gray-hat marketers use content lockers as well. If you've ever tried to find a video game cheat code or similar, you've probably stumbled upon a page telling you to fill out a quick survey in order to access the code. Obviously, most of the time there is no code, and you're just making money for somebody else. But it can get a lot more dangerous than that when scammers obtain your personal information, such as email or phone number.

As a general rule of thumb, you should not fill out surveys to gain access to content. In the majority of cases, this is some kind of scam. If you can't find the information you need without filling out a survey, it's probably not out there anyway, or you have to actually pay for it.

4. Paid Survey Scams

There are plenty of ways to make money online, and filling out surveys is one of them. Granted, nobody has ever got rich by completing online surveys, but you can make a bit of pocket money doing that on the side. The idea behind this is simple: companies need to research a market, so they have people who fit their target demographic fill out surveys and compensate them for it.

Sadly, not all companies in this space are legitimate. If a platform's promises appear too good to be true, they probably are. So, if a paid survey site is offering unusually large sums, it's probably a scam. Similarly, if it's asking for a lot of personal information that it couldn't possibly need or if you have to pay fees in advance of receiving a payment, you're probably dealing with a shady operation.

If you can't immediately see any red flags but still aren't sure a paid survey site is legitimate, you should research the company behind it, check the privacy policy and terms of service, and look for reviews online. With that said, Swagbucks, LifePoints, and Survey Junkie have been around for a long time, and are probably the best paid survey sites out there.