While we do everything we can at Prolific to protect our users and their data, you're also responsible for keeping your account safe. Good account hygiene, and never letting anyone else access your account, is essential for protecting yourself from scams, breaches, and identity theft.
Use a unique password
Reusing passwords is like using the same key for your house, car, and office—if someone gets that key, they have access to everything.
Use a strong, unique password for Prolific, don't reuse one from another site
Avoid common passwords, like Prolific123! or 12345
Never use personal information or easily guessable words
Consider a passphrase, like BlueCarrot!DrivesFast22, for something stronger and easier to remember
Tip: Use a password manager to generate, store and autofill complex passwords securely.
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Even if someone steals your password, MFA can stop them getting into your account. Accounts without MFA are more likely to be compromised, so protecting your balance and your information with this extra layer matters.
MFA works by requiring two or more verification factors to sign in, blocking unauthorized access even if one factor, like your password, is compromised. It only takes a few minutes to set up, see Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for how.
Best practice: enable MFA on your email account too, and make sure your recovery methods, like your phone number or backup email, are up to date.
Look out for suspicious activity
Cybercriminals often use leaked or stolen credentials in credential stuffing attacks, automated login attempts across websites using previously exposed passwords.
Use a service like Have I Been Pwned to check if your email's been exposed in a data breach
If you think your login details have been stolen, change your password
Regularly review your account activity
Let us know if you think your account's been compromised
Signs your account could be compromised:
Your account details, like email, country, or demographic info, have changed without your knowledge
You receive approval or rejection emails for studies you didn't complete
Your submissions or earnings history show inconsistencies
You've been locked out due to login attempts from unusual IP addresses or devices
If you think your account's been compromised, contact us using the chatbot icon in the bottom right of your screen right away.
Your account is yours, and yours alone
Your account is personal to you and must never be shared with others. The following is a serious breach of our Participant Terms and could even be a criminal offense, including fraud:
Selling, sharing, renting, or lending your account, or letting someone else access it in any way
Buying, renting, or borrowing someone else's account, or using an account that isn't yours, even for a "quick study" or "extra cash"
This kind of behavior can also expose you to real risks, including loss of funds, unauthorized access to your personal data, and misuse of that data, for example identity fraud or tax fraud.
We actively monitor for this and take it seriously. We'll immediately and permanently terminate any account involved in this kind of activity. Only you are permitted to access and use your account, and you must never share your login details or take studies on someone else's behalf.
Be wary of impersonators and scams
Scammers exist across the web and social media, and may try to steal personal data or trick you into handing over account access.
Prolific impersonators may:
Offer "exclusive study access" in exchange for your login details
Offer tools or browser extensions to reserve study spots or alert you to new studies
Pose as Prolific employees on Twitter, Telegram, WhatsApp, or unofficial Facebook groups
Claim to boost your earnings faster or "guarantee" approvals
Claim to specialize in Prolific account recovery
Stay safe:
Be cautious of anyone claiming to represent Prolific outside our official channels
We will never ask for your password, or ask you to share personal details via social media or unofficial channels
We will never ask for verification within a study, this includes requests for passports, ID cards, phone numbers, or personal email addresses. Verification only happens through your Prolific account and Onfido (an Entrust company)
Note: if you get a notification through your Prolific account asking you to recheck your identity, that's a legitimate security check, known as a pulse check, not a scam. See Why have I been asked to recheck my identity? for details.