There may come a time when you find yourself so strapped for cash that you decide to apply for a payday advance loan. The quickest way to do this is usually online. You can simply fill out a form (that shouldn't take you any more than five minutes), submit it, and, if approved, the money will be in your account as early as the next day. If you do apply online, you need to be careful of a few things.

For identification purposes, you will be asked to give your social security number. For money transfer purposes, you will be asked to give your checking account number. Being that the Internet is such a massive and often unpoliced medium, there are companies out there with no intention of ever giving you a loan. They simply want your social security number and your checking number.

Avoiding Fraud

There are a few things you can do to avoid fraud. First, ask around to see if anyone you know has used any online payday advance companies. See if they can give you some suggestions. If no one can help, you'll have to do some quick comparison-shopping. You can always check any of the companies with the Better Business Bureau. It's a good sign if the company has a customer service phone number as well as an email address.

No matter what, you should not have to pay any upfront fees. Any fees should be applied when you pay the loan back. Avoid anything that seems too good to be true (it probably is). Before you agree to anything, make sure you understand all the terms and conditions.