If you have been using the Internet long enough to set up some kind of email address, you will probably have been invited to earn some extra cash by filling in on line surveys.. These so-called paid on line surveys are targeted at the increasing number of people who find themselves at home all day with a computer, little capital and no work. They are particularly targeted at stay at home mums and the jobless.

It is possible to earn a few dollars a month from some of these on line survey companies, but many of them are cons. They may make their money in a diversity of ways, but usually the cash out figure for the person surveyed is pretty high, often $50 or $100. It is hard to reach that figure at the rate of one $1 survey per week. However, they have you running back and forth to their site in the hope that you will click on one of their advertisements and they will get paid.

The first sign of a scam survey company is the up front registration fee. This is normally less than $50 and seems a good deal if you are going to be earning the thousands of dollars that they ‘promise’. Well, not actually promise, because the disclaimer always states that you may not make as much as the ‘people’ who have sent in the testimonials that you read plastered all over their web sites.

Testimonials from people like ‘Mary T., New York’, completely undetectable, unverifiable, probably fabricated ‘people’, who declare to be earning enough money doing on line surveys to pay off the mortgage, purchase a big car and vacation in the Seychelles every year. Rule number one for avoiding on line scams: never pay a fee on the assurance of probably earning money.

The mobile phone scam is always very popular amongst con men and women. In this swindle, you will be asked to authenticate that you are a real person by replying to a straightforward text message. What you are not told though is that you are texting a premium number which will probably cost you up to $5. The firm is sure that you will not notice this charge, especially if you are pay-as-you-go and do not receive monthly bills.

Another popular scam is where you are promised special offers or even cash for clicking on the adverts of the site’s ‘partners’. You will be asked to ask for more details by clicking on a banner. You may be promised 30% off or five cents for clicking. What you are not told is that you will be pestered from now to kingdom come by telesales marketers. Health insurance, pet insurance, free holidays, you name it. The only thing that you can be sure of is that you will end up paying more.

Then there is the free magazine scam. You are offered a free magazine on an exciting topic of your selection. Again they ask for your telephone number. What they do not say is that your free magazine comes with a subscription to their magazine which costs $19.95. The charge will be made to your phone bill and you will most likely never even notice it, which is what they are hoping for.

Never give out sensitive information over the Internet if you do not know who is receiving it. Phishing is also a profitable swindle, where an email purports to come from a bank or even Google or Yahoo. You are told that your account has been hacked and that you should confirm your details. As soon as you do, your account will be hacked sure enough.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on many subjects, but is currently concerned with Web Based Marketing. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at The Best Sales And Marketing Strategy.