Episode 10

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Published on:

19th Jun 2024

10: Convenience Leads to Fraud, with Rich Ratcliff of OpinionRoute

The multi-billion dollar online survey industry is rife with fraud, from individual survey hackers to sophisticated crime rings, exploiting the system for profit. Uncover the hidden world of survey fraud and learn how misaligned incentives, fragmented processes, and technological innovations meant to improve feasibility have led to an present threat of bogus respondents and invalid data.


In this riveting episode of Cross Tabs, guest Rich Ratcliff, Chief Trust Officer at OpinionRoute, joins host Farrah Bostic to expose the seedy underbelly of the market research industry. Rich shares his extensive knowledge gleaned from 30 years in the business, including firsthand experience interviewing survey fraudsters. Together, they explore the evolution of sampling methods, the unintended consequences of programmatic sampling, and the critical importance of data quality in an era of widespread survey fraud.


Resources


Our Guest

Rich Ratcliff is the Chief Trust Officer at OpinionRoute, a company that delivers accurate data by utilizing expertise in online survey sampling and proprietary technology solutions to simplify research processes. This enables clients to scale and researchers to stay ahead in a dynamic and competitive market.


Your Host

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at https://www.thedifferenceengine.co/ , a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.


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About the Podcast

Cross Tabs
People • Data • Power
Our world is governed by numbers — surveys, polling, algorithms, and data.

On Cross Tabs, we bring you the stories behind these numbers. This podcast is your introduction to the people, perspectives, and agendas that shape our reality, and call it “public opinion”.

We invite experts to discuss pressing issues and walk us through their methods. You’ll hear about the issues that matter from some of the brightest thinkers in policy and politics, tech and business.

Join us and you’ll learn about how polling works — or doesn’t work — and how research can be manipulated to advance a political agenda. Discover the history of topics in the news and hear insights on culture and society.

And learn what’s really at risk in the race to influence and optimize, well, everything.

The show is hosted by Farrah Bostic, founder of The Difference Engine, where she works as a qualitative researcher and strategist working outside The Beltway to understand what drives business leaders, experts, and people like you so we can all make better decisions.