Paid Surveys - Are Paid Online Surveys Safe?

Paid surveys online are no different than other money making ventures online when it comes to the safety of the sites you come across. While there are some scam paid survey sites out there the vast majority are legit and safe. Of course some scam sites do exist, but this has been vastly blown out of proportion.

What about making a living by taking paid surveys online? While some people are making a good amount of money taking paid surveys online it isn't likely you'll be able to quit your day job. If you are looking to make an extra income, similar to a part time job then this can certainly be done. Several hundred to a thousand dollars a month can be made through taking paid surveys online. And, it's easy to do even for those who are brand new to making money online.

Based on my own experiences you will make the majority of your money from a dozen or so companies, but by signing up for as many as possible you can maximize your paid survey earnings. I have registered with literally hundreds of paid survey sites and the worst that happens is you get some spam (which pretty much gets sent to my BULK folder anyway) or they cancel your account before you can get paid (that is MUCH MORE frustrating).

If you want to try to make some extra money with paid surveys here are some tips:

1. Don't use your personal email address. Get a new free email address specifically for paid surveys.

2. Never register with a site that makes you pay a fee to join. No legit paid survey site will ask you to pay for access.

3. Steer clear of sites that promise you the moon and stars. You won't make thousands a week taking paid surveys. And surveys that pay $75 and up are available occasionally, but they are NOT the norm.

4. Avoid sites that do a lot of advertising. Legit paid survey companies don't need to advertise. The sites that do advertise are usually paying others to get them referrals. So, your membership fee is mostly a commission to the person that referred you to the site.

5. If in doubt about a site do some homework about it first. Use Google to find out what others are saying. Try searches like this 'sitename'+scam.

6. Never give out your SSN during registration. The site may claim that they need it in order to pay you, but this simply isn't true. They shouldn't need it for tax purposes unless you earn $600 or more in a calendar year. So, you will need to get paid from them quite frequently before they need your SSN.

Many of the paid survey sites won't even pay you in cash directly. Some will pay with gift certificates or they will pay in points that can later be redeemed for prizes or cash. They will also often have monthly contests, but with the large market research companies your chances of winning are very slim.

As with anything else online, if the paid surveys sound too good to be true, take a pass!