Staying Safe: Spotting Fraud and Scams

Terac is a safe place to do research work, and keeping it that way is a shared effort. This page helps you recognize scams, protect your account, and report anything that looks wrong.

Terac Will Never Ask You For

• A password. You sign in through LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, or GitHub, so there is no Terac password for anyone to ask for.
• A code, by email, chat, or phone. You only ever enter a code on terac.com, or send the pre-filled text that terac.com opens for you when you verify your phone. Nobody from Terac will ask you to read out or forward a code.
• A payment to participate. Taking studies is always free. You never pay to apply, to unlock studies, or to receive your earnings.
• Your bank details anywhere outside the payout flow. Terac itself never collects them. Our payout partner Whop does ask for a government ID and a payout method, but only inside flows you start yourself on Terac: identity verification from your Earnings page or Profile → Identity & Security, and adding a payout method in the Payout balance panel when you withdraw. Anyone asking for that by email, chat, text, or phone is not us.
• Identity documents in a message. Identity verification happens only inside a flow you opened yourself on Terac, from Profile → Identity & Security or your Earnings page, never by email request.

Red Flags in a Study or Message

Be cautious if you are ever asked to:

• Pay money, send a deposit, or buy gift cards as part of a study
• Share sensitive details that were not disclosed upfront, such as your full bank details, government document numbers, passwords, or login codes
• Download an unexpected file or visit an unfamiliar website that feels off
• Move to a channel or payment method that Terac didn't give you, such as a personal email address, a messaging app, or an outside payment service
• Accept an offer that seems too good to be true

Legitimate studies only use the channels Terac sets up for them: the opportunity's own page, texts or chats from Sophia, a project Slack or other link shown on your opportunity's page, Insightful for time tracking, and our payout partner. Legitimate payouts never require a fee.

Protecting Your Account

• Secure your sign-in provider. Because you sign in through LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, or GitHub, turning on two-factor authentication with that provider also protects your Terac account.
• Turn on Terac two-factor authentication under Profile → Identity & Security.
• Never share access to your account. Account sharing violates our Terms of Service.
• Watch for phishing. Scammers may send emails that imitate Terac. Genuine Terac email comes from terac.com or one of its subdomains, such as notifications.terac.com, and our support address is support@terac.com. Partners such as Whop and Insightful email from their own domains. We will never ask for your credentials by email.

How to Report Something Suspicious

• If a study or message looks like a scam, tell Sophia with details and screenshots.
• If you think your account has been compromised, tell Sophia straight away, or email support@terac.com if you can't sign in, so we can help secure it.

What's Next?

• Review Account Standing, Holds, and Appeals
• See how we protect your information in How Terac Uses Your Data
• Browse the full FAQ