LASD advice in how to avoid falling victim to survey scams.

We are currently living in a technology era where communication is mostly conducted via the internet. 

At some point, you may have received an email or a text message that appears to come from online retailers and looks official. In the email, you are offered a $50 gift card when you complete a survey or receive a text message advising you would receive a $100.00 rewards card just for clicking on the link provided to complete a survey. Unfortunately, these surveys may not just be asking for your opinion or your likes and dislikes. Some of these surveys may request for your Social Security number, passwords, bank account information, credit card numbers, and other personal information. If you provide or have provided this type of information, you may potentially be a victim of identity theft. This type of scam has dubiously replicated several well-known big box companies. 

The email or text message may look convincing enough that consumers/victims fall prey to these criminals. Tips to look for that may indicate the survey may be a scam:

Courtesy of : LASD • No legitimate survey will ever ask for banking information, passwords, Social Security numbers, or credit card information. • No company is going to be in a position to give everyone who completes a customer satisfaction survey a gift card. • A legitimate company may enter you into a drawing to win such a card by completing a survey, but no company is giving away gift cards to everyone. When in doubt, always contact the company directly to verify the authenticity of the survey. #LASD