While everyone else is worried about ghosts and goblins, we thought we’d shine a light on something actually terrifying: the 5 types of “survey monsters” that are haunting research data right now.

These aren’t just minor nuisances. They’re costing organizations money in wasted sample, forcing teams to spend hours cleaning data, and worst of all, sneaking past traditional quality checks and wreaking havoc on data sets.

Let’s meet these monsters:

Ghoul #1: Bot Zombies

The mindless horde

What they do: Automated scripts that blast through surveys. No pausing, no thinking, just relentless robotic completion.

Why they’re scary:

• Appear human if you aren’t looking behind the curtain
• Answer robotically, but often in indiscernible patterns
• Hit surveys at scale, fast, causing quotas to fill with fake completes
• Getting smarter as automation technology improves

How dtect stops them: Our Automation Detection spots bot behavior before they reach your survey. It analyzes behavioral patterns, typing cadence, and browser signals in real-time.

Ghoul #2: AI Shapeshifters

When fraudsters pretend to be anyone

What they do: Fraudsters use AI tools like ChatGPT to efficiently create fake personas and respond to open-ended questions instantly transforming into whatever your screener requires.

Why they’re scary:

• Pass simple contextual OE checks with flying colors
• Write relevant, coherent, thoughtful answers
• Add “human touches” like casual phrasing
• Pass traditional quality checks unnoticed

How dtect stops them: Our AI Detection analyzes behavior indicative of AI-assisted tools to flag responses that did not come from human brains.

Ghoul #3: Survey Farm Vampires

The budget drains

What they do: Organized fraud rings running dozens (or hundreds) of fake identities across multiple panels, sucking up incentives, and contaminating your data.

Why they’re scary:

• Efficiently generate 50+ “unique” completes in almost no time
• Use specialized browsers to fake device fingerprints
• Rotate through residential proxies for “clean” IPs
• Become experts in passing traditional checks through trial and error

How dtect stops them: Device, IP, and ID deduplication catches the same fraudsters no matter how they disguise themselves.

Ghoul #4: Ghost Completes

The phantom participants

What they do: Survey jumpers skip straight to end links, appearing on the surface as participants who “complete” without actually engaging with your questions.

Why they’re scary:

• Inflate your complete count with empty data
• Burn through quotas giving the illusion of completion
• Are often not spotted until you’ve explored the data

How dtect stops them: Using a unique project identifier (UPI), dtect validates that participants and prevents participants from simply hitting insecure complete URLs.

Ghoul #5: VPN Werewolves

The location maskers

What they do: Bad actors use VPNs and proxy services to fake their location and qualify for geo-specific studies by appearing to be where they are not.

Why they’re scary:

• Fill a “US-only” with international fraudsters
• Easily Pass simple location-based checks
• Access VPNs for a few dollars a month – an easy barrier to entry.

How dtect stops them: Location Validation & Lock verifies actual physical location and detects VPN/proxy usage before they enter your survey.

Here’s the Really Scary Part…

These ghouls don’t work alone. They layer their tactics.

A sophisticated fraudster might:

• Use a VPN to fake location
• Run a specialized browser to spoof their device
• Feed your questions into ChatGPT to qualify for high-incentive B2B studies
• Automate the whole process with scripts

That’s why single-point solutions don’t work. That’s why you need layered, prevention-first protection.

Don’t Let Survey Monsters Devour Your Data

The monsters may be different – bots, AI impersonators, survey farm vampires – but the outcome is always the same: wasted spend, lost time, and misleading insights. These threats aren’t just spooky; they’re strategic. And they’re always evolving. dtect helps you stay ahead with layered, prevention-first protection that allows you to identify these threats before they ever reach your survey. Don’t wait until your client questions your data. Get proactive and give your team (and your stakeholders) confidence in every dataset.

Request a demo to see how dtect helps you stop survey fraud before it starts…and send these monsters packing.