MetaChat - Is this a scam?

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26 February 2006

Is this a scam? I get this e-mail all the time:→[More:]

Dear Student,

I would like to offer you a challenging and well-paid employment opportunity. An International Marketing Research Organization recruits self-motivated and reliable individuals, willing to take part in well-paying research studies conducted for leading US and international businesses. Your opinion as a consumer is important for the success and profitability of many business ventures. That is why they are ready to pay generously for what you think.

You can earn from $300 to $550 a week for participating in online surveys, focus group discussions, and product/service evaluations. Become part of our Marketing Research Organization and earn:

from $5 to $100 for participating in on-line surveys
from $30 to $150 for participating in product/service evaluations
from $50 to $250 for participating in virtual focus group discussions

For your work, you will need just a computer with Internet connection and a valid e-mail address. You will decide when to work and which surveys to take while enjoying the comfort of your room. If you like the job, you can keep it as long as you want!

If you want to become one of our survey takers, please write back and I will send you more information.

I've been getting these for the past couple of months since I started my grad school degree, and its coming from my school e-mail account. Anyone ever gotten this/participated?

post by: tetsuo at: 01:53 | 12 comments

Jeez, I figured that would all go inside the post..a little help here moderators?

posted by tetsuo 26 February | 01:54

fixed!

posted by taz 26 February | 02:08

I don't know if you actually think this is real or not but, yes it's a scam. Random email sent over and over again = spam scam. Send it to bluefrog.

posted by puke & cry 26 February | 02:12

Thanks Taz!

Well, I posted it because like I said it came from my school account and its addressed "Dear Student". Sure they could just be spamming .edu domains, but hell, you never know, and if anyone here had actually made some money "taking surveys", I could definitely use some quick cash for little effort.

posted by tetsuo 26 February | 09:11

Here is a simple flow chart you can use for situations like this:

Did it come via email? --> It is a scam.

posted by Capn 26 February | 11:22

I'm venturing a guess that they'll "electronically deposit" the funds to an account. Under this pretext they'll ask for personal financial information.

posted by Feisty 26 February | 11:27

Either Feisty's situation or when they send you more information, they want some money from you upfront to cover "administrative" costs or whatever.

Kind of like, "secret shopper" (where you're paid to shop at various places and get reimbursed if you give a review ) scams.

posted by porpoise 26 February | 13:09

Ok, I'm going to ask for more info and see which it is..SS#, Routing/Account number, or up front costs.

posted by tetsuo 26 February | 13:30

Lay your bets..bonus points if any Nigerians come into play.

posted by tetsuo 26 February | 13:33

Ok, I'm going to ask for more info and see which it is..SS#, Routing/Account number, or up front costs.

!!!
Or could just be to see which emails are valid for more spamming fun. Responding will tell them for sure : (

posted by Feisty 26 February | 13:56

Think a university's IT shop can handle it?

posted by tetsuo 26 February | 18:00

Although the on-line surveys etc actually exist and you can spend as much free time as you can handle filling them in, it is still a scam. The actual product is YOU. To be more specific, they use the data they gather from you filling out surveys etc to develope demographic data to attach to your e-mail address, then they sell lists of e-mail addresses to advertisers for lots of money because they are lists that they can filter to meet specific markets.

In any case, to get enough money to buy more than a packet of peanuts, you will have to fill out a LOT of surveys.

posted by dg 26 February | 23:01

← gneborg || Damn. First Barney Fife and now Ralphie's dad. RIP. →

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