The hype surrounding earnings from the paid survey business isn't fraud. It is misleading, though. Danny's-scam-review.com quotes the average earnings per week as $142.

To find out about the real deal, go to Paid Survey Review | Survey Scams Revealed. "Are Paid Surveys for Real?" by Joel Thomas explains in detail how this online business works. Thomas reports he made $300 a month, part-time.

Basically, it's about demographic data and market research. "When the MRC [Market Research Company] has a survey ready to go, they check your demographic data to see if you match the profile of the target market," Joel writes. So, if your profile is a match, you receive a survey invitation. If you accept the invitation, you will get paid for your input.

It sounds easy, but there are pitfalls. First, you may not be good demographic material. Your age, sex (women get more invitations than men), buying patterns and/or interests might not match MRC profiles - ever. You could contact a hundred companies through a Survey Database Site, yet receive not one paid survey invitation. The same goes for focus groups.

Secondly, you could sign on with a bum Survey Database Site. This means there are inactive links and outdated information on their site. They probably don't offer a help tab or customer support either. Ripoff Report: By Consumers, For Consumers can help weed out the worst offenders.

Thirdly, your email inbox will be flooded with spam, such as advertising promotions (Read Top 10 Anti-Spam Measures and Free Email Directory in Email Spam Blocker and Software link). This is why a separate email account is recommended. Junk mail is a problem, too. Be sure your phone number is listed on the US National Do Not Call Registry at www.donotcall.gov/.

Fourth, you are sending personal information into cyberspace when you fill out a MRC profile form. Joel Thomas says legitimate MRC sites are secure internet connections. Is anything really [i]secure[/I these days?