Abstract:
Social engineering scams trading on the good names of reputable research organizations threaten to undermine the public's participation in legitimate surveys. Major scams in several countries are duping consumers in the name of research. Online panels that use social networking features need to address potential risks head on lest they or their panellists become victims of fraudsters' schemes. In addition, Web 2.0 poses other challenges. Blogs, RSS news feeds, and the tell-all mentality of social networks make it increasingly difficult to protect sensitive concepts displayed in online surveys and keep client information confidential. This presentation reveals steps that researchers can take to mitigate all these risks.