"Is This a Scam?"- Honest Answers to the Skeptical Questions We Hear Most

The skepticism people bring to clinical trial recruitment is healthy and warranted. Legitimate clinical trial recruitment is a real, important part of how medical research happens. Researchers need participants. Participants need to be found. The regulations around how that information is handled are specific, enforceable, and designed to protect you.

Trial Partners operates within those regulations. The privacy policy is public, specific, and written to actually explain your rights. You can read it in full at trialpartners.co/privacy-policy.

If you have questions that this post didn't answer, ask us directly before filling out anything.

"This looks like a data harvesting scam."

This is the most common concern, and it makes sense given how many sketchy online forms exist.

When you answer questions about your age, your health condition, or your location, that information is used for one specific purpose: to see if you might qualify for a clinical trial that's looking for people like you. That's it.

Trial Partners is a Delaware-registered company that works with legitimate research organizations and study sponsors. The information you provide goes to those research partners to determine whether you might be a match for a study.

It is not sold to advertisers. It is not used to send you unrelated marketing. It is not shared with data brokers. The Trial Partners Privacy Policy states this clearly: your information is shared only with research organizations conducting trials, third-party affiliates who support the platform (like text messaging or data services), and trusted partners helping with research operations, not with outside companies for unrelated purposes.

"Why do they need my phone number and email? That's how scams work."

Clinical trial recruitment requires actual human contact. Once the research team determines you might be eligible based on your initial answers, someone needs to reach out to explain the study, answer your questions, walk you through next steps, and schedule any follow-up appointments.

That requires a way to contact you. Phone and email are the most reliable ways to do that.

Submitting your information allows Trial Partners and its research partners to contact you via text, phone call, email, or other available methods. You are always told this upfront. If at any point you want to stop hearing from them, you can opt out simply by emailing info@trialpartners.co with your name and contact information.

You're in control of that relationship at every step.

"How long do they keep my information?"

Information is kept until you ask for it to be removed. There's no automatic expiration because researchers sometimes follow up about new studies that match your profile. But your right to have it deleted is real and straightforward to exercise.

If you want your information removed, email info@trialpartners.co, and it gets done within 30 business days.

"The ad I saw was on Facebook. Facebook is sketchy with data."

This is a common and understandable concern. Trial Partners, like most organizations that do digital outreach, uses platforms like Facebook to reach people who might be eligible for studies, specifically because that's where a lot of people are. However, once you click an ad and land on a Trial Partners page, Facebook's data practices no longer govern what happens to your information. Trial Partners' own privacy policy applies from that point forward. The two are separate.The Trial Partners Privacy Policy covers what happens within Trial Partners' own systems.

"What's actually in it for them? Why would a company do this for free?"

Great question. Trial Partners is a business. The company is paid by research organizations and study sponsors (pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, universities, and contract research organizations) to help them find eligible participants for their trials. That's the business model.

You don't pay anything. Participating in a clinical trial doesn't cost you money. In most cases, you may actually receive compensation for your time.

The research organizations need participants to run their studies. Trial Partners helps connect them with people who might qualify. Everybody has a clear reason to be at the table.