‘Take our 2-minute survey and claim your $100 gift card.’ Real research doesn’t sound like that. Here’s how to tell the difference, and what to do if you’ve already clicked.
What matters most
- The FTC has warned about texts that use well-known brand names to offer a reward for a quick survey. The goal is your card number or personal details.
- Legitimate surveys don’t charge you to join, don’t need your card to pay ‘shipping’ on a reward and never need your bank login.
- Any offer that sends you a check and asks you to send part of it back is a fake check scam.
- Report scam texts to 7726, phishing emails to reportphishing@apwg.org and scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Scammers like surveys for the same reason panels do: people are used to answering a few harmless questions for a small reward. The difference is what comes after the questions.
The usual versions
The brand-name reward text. A message says a big retailer or the post office wants your opinion and offers a free gift. The FTC has warned about exactly these texts, using names like USPS, Costco and Home Depot. After a few questions, you’re asked for a card number to cover a small “shipping fee.” That opens the door to unauthorized charges, and the gift never arrives.
The prize email. You’ve supposedly won something for completing a survey, and you only need to pay taxes or fees up front to claim it. The FTC is blunt about this: you never have to pay to get a real prize.
The pay-to-join site. It sells “exclusive lists of high-paying surveys” for a fee. Legitimate panels are free, and nobody needs to sell you a list of them.
The fake check. A “survey company” or “mystery shopping” job mails you a check, asks you to deposit it and send part of the money back by wire, gift card or payment app. The check is fake, and you owe the bank when it bounces.
The data harvest. Endless questionnaires that ask for your phone number, income and health conditions to “match you with offers.” Some sites like this exist mainly to collect and pass along contact details, which is how a single form turns into weeks of robocalls.
Warning signs
- A reward that’s far too large for the effort, from a company you didn’t sign up with
- Pressure to act fast before the offer “expires”
- A request for card details, bank login, Social Security number or a fee
- Links that go to web addresses that don’t match the brand
- Payment demands by gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency
Watch out
Only scammers demand payment by gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency to release a prize or reward. A real company never needs it.
If you’ve already clicked
- Stop and don’t enter anything else.
- If you gave a card number, call your card issuer and dispute the charge.
- If you gave a password, change it, and change it anywhere else you use it.
- If you gave your Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
- Report it: forward scam texts to 7726, forward phishing emails to reportphishing@apwg.org, and report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Real panels have recognizable habits, which we describe in how paid surveys work. For keeping your details out of the wrong hands in the first place, see what survey sites do with your data.
Survey takers ask
I entered my card number for a ‘free’ reward. What now?
Call your card issuer right away to dispute the charge and ask for a new card. Then watch your statements for small recurring charges, which often follow these offers.
Is the survey link on my store receipt real?
Many retailers do run feedback surveys printed on receipts. Type the address from the receipt yourself rather than tapping a link in an unexpected text, and be wary if it asks for payment details.
How did scammers get my number?
Often from data breaches, data brokers or simply dialing numbers in sequence. Getting a text doesn’t mean you signed up for anything.
Panel rules, rewards and tax thresholds change. Check the current terms of any program before you join, and see IRS guidance or a tax professional about your own situation. This guide is general information, not financial or tax advice.
