Technology has made it possible for people to work and earn online. For instance, it’s now possible to earn more than $200 a month at home through online paid surveys, provided that you have a stable internet connection and a teched-up device.
4 Bulletproof Tips on How to Know Spot Fake Online Survey Sites
The issue is that there are thousands of scam survey websites run by unscrupulous people. At the very least, you’ll be wasting your precious time on them. The worst thing that can happen is a lengthy scam that leaves you in debt. So how do you know which online survey website is legit and which is a scam? Please read this article to the end to avoid being a victim of fraud. Below are some practical tips for novice and veteran netizens on how to determine the legitimacy of an online survey site.
Use a Website Checker to Verify Its Legitimacy
A website checker is a tool or an app that you can add to your browser to help you check the legitimacy of a URL. The data collected by this online tool is used to diagnose and identify whether a site is fake, legit, or safe to use. It is important to note that there are many different website checkers; some you must pay for, and others are free.
The safest and most common website checker is a Google feature. To use it, navigate to Google Safe Browsing, enter the URL in the “Check site status” search bar, and click on the magnifying glass icon.
When you run a legit site through a website checker, it should provide you with the following details about the URL:
- Domain name registrant and registrar
- Domain age
- Secure sockets layers (SSL) certificate authority
- Social media verifications
- Analytics
Ensure That the Website Has a Lock on It
You must ensure that the survey website you are about to click on has a lock on it. A padlock icon will symbolize that a URL is secure. You will find it in the top corner of your screen, specifically at the address bar.
Clicking on the padlock when you’re on a legitimate website will show you if your connection with the site’s server is secure. You will also see a list of permissions related to popups and redirects. Additionally, you’ll also be able to view the cookies and trackers used on the site.
Confirm the Website’s Connection Type
The connection type of a website defines how it communicates with other computers. The two major classifications are HTTP and HTTPS. The difference between HTTP and HTTPS is the “S” here — S stands for secure.
A website with an HTTP connection transmits its data in plaintext, meaning that any computer on the same network can read it. A website with HTTPS encrypts the transferred information, making it more secure. Thus, to be safe, you should choose an online survey site with an HTTPS connection type.
Check the Site’s Contact Page and Confirm Whether It’s Working
Another sure way of verifying a website’s legitimacy is by checking its contact page. Legit online survey sites will always provide you with fully functional contact avenues such as working emails and phone numbers for contact. Below are a number of things you are likely to find on a fake online survey site’s contact page:
- A phony-looking email or a website that lacks an email address
- A phone number that doesn’t connect
- An email address that doesn’t work
Be Smart! Make Money Online By Participating In Legit Paid Surveys
Money has always been precious, and today, with inflation and job cuts, people increasingly need a second source of income. Thankfully, there are numerous legit panel sites with pawns.app paid surveys leading the pack. Before participating in an online paid survey, you must first determine whether the panel website is legit or fake.
You can do this by using a website checker and ensuring the existence of a padlock in the address bar. Verifying the website’s contact details and confirming a secure connection type (HTTPS) is also a good way of ensuring that you are about to take part in a legitimate online survey. With so many malicious parties out there, it always pays to be alert.
