For several months I have searched online for legitimate ways to earn a living on-line. Of the various methods I have tried, paid surveys seem to be one of the most popular ways most people try. However, this has lead to many scam sites appearing, usually asking for a fee for a list of sites. In this article we will review some warning signs, as well as show a few legitimate companies that you yourself can participate with.

The idea behind on-line surveys is a simple one: get thousands of people from various demographics to take different surveys from home at the fraction of the cost of a focus group. Using the Internet allows companies to get a wide range of ideas and opinions from consumers that normally would not participate. For the survey taker, using the Internet allows him or her to take surveys when they have some free time while being able to keep an eye on their home or children. While this is a win-win scenario for the companies and consumers, scam artists have come in to prey on those looking to earn money on-line.

The first warning sign is any site that offers the ability to make thousands or even tens of thousands per week. Most surveys range from $1 to $5, with $15 to $30 rarely appearing on some sites in trade for surveys that require large amounts of writing and take an hour or more. With most sites sending out only two surveys per week, even if a panalist qualified for every survey it would take one hundred survey companies sending out two $5 surveys every week, or one company sending out two hundred $5 surveys to be able to begin to add up to these claims. Needless to say neither scenario is very likely.

The second warning sign is when a site is a massive directory for various websites. There are some legitimate directory sites, but most are merely referral farms. Sites with a large commission for the referrer generally are placed higher without regard to their legitimacy on this sort of directory site. What makes this worse is some will require you to register first, and will sell your e-mail address to spammers. Now in addition to wading through empty promises you are wading through e-mail messages you don't want to receive.

The third and most important warning sign should wave as a red flag in the digital air to all that see it. If any site charges a fee to gain access to their site or to their list, run. Experience has proven that the lists are just what you can find on google or on free directory sites and that

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