Consumer Traps & Tips: A weekly service of the Palm Beach County Consumer Affairs Division

Topic: Complete this Survey and get Paid!

Trap: Maria in Delray Beach received an unsolicited e-mail from a fast food restaurant chain. It offered her an opportunity to participate in their customer satisfaction survey. All she had to do was complete the online survey, provide her bank account number, hit the send button, and $80 would be transferred to her account! Six weeks later, Maria had received no payment and also noticed unauthorized charges on her bank statement. Alarmed that she might have been a victim of identity theft, she wondered what to do next.

Tips: Here are some warning signs to consider before completing an online survey:
• Beware of promises to pay large amounts of money for little effort. Most online surveys don’t pay you $250 to answer a few simple questions. If they pay you at all, it will probably be $5 - $20.
• Bogus survey sites use well-known companies or sound-a-like names to get your personal information. Never provide your bank account, credit card, or social security number in response to e-mail surveys or solicitations.
• Reputable companies don’t ask for your personal information over the Internet. If you receive suspicious e-mails, alert your e-mail provider’s “Spam” department.
• Contact your bank immediately if you notice unauthorized access to your accounts. If you are a victim of identity theft, contact your local law enforcement agency to file a report and to ask for an ID theft kit.

For more information, contact the Palm Beach County Consumer Affairs Division at 561-712-6600 (Boca/Delray 1-888-852-7362) or check out company consumer complaints at: http://www.pbcgov.com/consumer.

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