Paid study opportunities do exist and can be legitimate ways to earn money on the side. When considering participating in a paid study it’s important that you carefully vet each study listing before offering up personal information.
The internet has an abundance of scams– especially when it comes to people looking to steal sensitive information and your identity.
For this reason we’ve compiled a list of things to avoid to ensure that you are applying to legitimate, active study opportunities-- if you see one or more of these red flags, there is a good chance you are looking at a fake study.
Here are 7 Red Flags a Paid Study might be a Scam:
- The study advertises “A chance” to win money or some sort of sweepstakes.
- The study does not have an official sponsor.
- The study does not disclose the purpose or objective of the study.
- The study asks you to pay a fee up-front
- The Website has no privacy policy.
- You are asked for confidential information.
- Lastly- it looks too good to be true.
🚩 The study advertises “a chance” to win money or some kind of sweepstakes.
This is a dead-give-away that the study is bogus. If you come across websites offering some sort of drawing or sweepstakes in exchange for your information – run the other way. Every paid study should have a clear compensation plan drawn out and guaranteed upon completion.
🚩 The study does not have an official sponsor.
Every study will have an official sponsor. The sponsor will typically be an institution such as a hospital, healthcare provider, research university, or known biomedical company. Avoid any sites offering studies without an official sponsor listed, these are typically not legitimate opportunities.
🚩 The study does not disclose the purpose or objective of the study.
Every legitimate paid study will provide the general goal and purpose of the study during the recruitment process– this is part of collecting the informed consent that is required of all participants. If the paid study is not honest and forthcoming about the motivation for the study, there is a good chance the study is a scam.
🚩 The study asks you to pay a fee up-front
If the study asks you to pay any amount of money up front– no matter how small– this is a sure tell that the study is a scam. You should not have to pay a fee to sign up for a study. You should be the only one receiving payment for your participation.
If a website or institution requires an application fee, you should verify with your healthcare provider the legitimacy of that opportunity before applying. Sometimes, scammers online will impersonate doctors in efforts to collect payments and/or confidential information from unsuspecting users.
🚩 The Website has no privacy policy.
Every legitimate platform, or study provider should have a viewable privacy policy detailing what they will do with your data. Within that privacy policy there should be clear rules about how the company will process use your data. For example, view our privacy policy here.
🚩 You are asked for confidential information.
If you have to ask why a piece of personal information is required, there is a good chance the study is a scam. While some paid studies have extensive screening processes, generally speaking, paid studies shouldn’t require information such as social security numbers or bank account details.
🚩Lastly- it looks too good to be true.
As a general rule on the internet, websites promising large payouts with minimal effort and commitment required are typically too good to be true. Examples of this are those ads offering $100 for answering just 3 questions or a $500 gift card by taking a 10 minute survey.
These are prime examples of tactics employed by scammers. Studies compensating more than $50 will require careful vetting and screening of participants and will require, at minimum, 2 Hours of your time.
Things we will never ask for:
Our mission is to increase community access to paid research studies by decoding the complicated medical jargon and application processes around paid-studies.
We are keenly aware that the idea of earning money in return for participating in a study is very appealing– thus we always carefully vet each study listed on our site.
As it relates to our site– there are several things we will never request from you:
❗ Social Security Number
❗ Bank Account Information
❗ Credit Card Information
When applying to a study, always look for online reviews and be weary of scams online. Use a verified platform sponsored by reputable health institutions. If there are any doubts or suspicions a study may be a scam consult your healthcare provider first, before providing any personal information.
What can you expect when signing up for a paid study?
Can you expect to get rich from participating in a paid-study? No. Volunteering in paid studies is not some get rich scheme– at a minimum any study promising more than about $30 will require a serious time commitment on your part.
While short questionnaires can be short and slightly easier to complete– usually a paid study worth your time will at least require a minimum time commitment of 1-3 Hours. Researchers are in the business of making discoveries on often tight, limited budgets– not handing out money.
There are typically four steps in studies have four main parts before getting paid:
- Application & Screening
- Collecting Informed consent
- Testing Period
- Conclusion, Follow-Ups, and Payout
If at any time you have questions about participating in a paid study– send our team an email and we will do our best to answer your question. Or check out our Frequently asked Questions Page.