scams

Survey Scam Warnings And Tips
The most common survey site scam is to promise to send you surveys and instead, you get bombarded with special offers and ads.
It's an easy way for unscrupulous people to generate a large mailing list. They may even sell your email address to others. Because of this, it's a good idea to use a free email service, such as Yahoo or Gmail (Google) for your email account for survey sites. They have excellent junk filters, plus can handle a lot of mail.
Even legitimate survey directory sites that list survey sites, sometimes list some scammers. That's one good reason to pick a survey site directory that has a good customer service . If enough users give feedback, the bad guys will be removed from the list.
I have signed up with at least one of these scams. I have never received a survey from them: Only lots of what I consider to be junk mail, because even though I signed up at the site, I didn't expect to be receiving "special offers" in my inbox every day. I was just expecting to receive surveys.
If a survey site is legitimate, you will not be required to purchase anything or give credit card information (Unless you sign up for one of the large survey directories that charge for membership).
Survey directories maintain a large database of hundreds of sites that pay for surveys. If you join one of these directories, do not sign up for individual sites that ask for credit card information or require you to apply for credit cards, etc. While the offers may be legitimate, it's best to be safe.
Most of the information listed in these paid directories is available for free on the net. It just saves you some searching time (plus trial and error) to sign up with one of these sites. Obviously, since they are getting paid to furnish information to you, (if they're smart) the information will be of high quality or you will just get a refund.

Why Some People Think A Survey Site Is A Scam, When It Isn't
Companies that take surveys use profiles to decide who to invite to take a survey. Sometimes you are invited to take a screening survey to qualify for a real survey. Generally the screening survey does not pay anything, but may enter you in a drawing.
No one (except the companies themselves) know how many active surveys the sites are taking. They do not send all the surveys to every member. They base it on what their customer, (usually a big corporation), wants to survey . For example, they may only want women, men, teenagers, people in certain professions, etc.
They may only want people in a certain income bracket, or ethnicity. Also, the survey could be focused on a particular company. The other day, I was rejected for a survey. I believe this was because the survey was about a particular company that does not do business in my area.
It's not unusual to wait days, or weeks for the first survey to arrive from a particular site. That's a good reason to sign up with many sites. It increases you odds of receiving surveys.
Sites I Don't Like.:
1. Producttestpanel.com : After signing up for this, I have received nothing but "free" offers. The latest one is for an $1100 digital camera. They state that they are not associated with the manufacturer. It makes you wonder what they're testing. Looking closer into the offer, it turns out that you have to sign up for 6 different offers, getting accepted for credit cards and buying other products. This isn't free.
2. Surveyclub.com : They promise to send surveys. I never saw one - Only encouragement to sign up for paid survey directories. This makes me doubt that they even are a professional survey analysis company.
3. Memolink.com: The site requires you to sign up for either things you have to pay for or apply for and get approved for credit cards, etc. - just to become a member.
4. Alwaysavings.com
Another site that pelts you with "special offers". I have absolutely no recollection of signing up with them. I am trying to "unsubscribe". If it works, I'll be quite happy.
5. Franklin Surveys
Today, I received an offer to join an online dating service from them. What does this have to do with surveys? I do not recall ever receiving a survey. Just legalized spam.

I will add more as information becomes available.
One Other Thing: Mystery Shopping
A guy I knew did this many years ago - before the Internet existed. He would report back to companies what kind of service there stores were giving, plus even was paid to shoplift! Of course, he didn't get to keep the products he "stole". The purpose was to test how good a store's security measures were working.
Now, there are sites promoting doing this for a living on the Internet. The disturbing thing about some of these sites is that they tell you of a job opening in your area, then want to charge you for the details. This at least smells like a scam.