Today’s movie title is Scam Signology.How can you identify a scam artist online?…Some practices are common , others have been used more but one thing is for sure.They always find new ways to surprise us.As long as there is “good” there is “evil”.Especially when it comes to money.And I will be discussing about the most common types that I meet when I am researching for online opportunities.But before we get into that we might want to answer a question first
Why Make Money Online Scams Exist?…
If I could answer with an additional question I would ask “Why Offline Scams Exist?”…From those that do not pay their employees , the ones that do not pay or delay their suppliers , those that accept an order and they deliver other or faulty products , those that are not fulfilling their promises , those that owe money they have borrowed in order to start a business … they start one but in the meantime they do not pay their debts and suddenly one night they disappear abroad and on and on and on.
The simple answer to all is Money.That printed paper that rules the world.But not only…..They have it in their blood.They need to fool you in order to feel good.They need to see you destroyed , cut , disappointed.That is how they are happy.That is how they do business , this is how they treat humans.In a few occasions they got tricked by others and want a “Revanche”
So…What Are The Most Common Types Of Online Scams I Meet?
♦ Very thin content on their website – only a few pages or just 1.Sometimes there is just a video , some screenshots and the extra pages of disclaimer , policy and contact that are not enough.If there is no other content , tutorials , information and advices then probably is a poor product.
♦ Pretensions of earnings and success – “I am getting $2000 on autopilot every day” , “This is how I make $90000 per month , in one week you will be earning more than $1500” are usual tactics that belong to frauds.Overnight success does not exist in NO business (online or offline) and this is one of the biggest red flags.
♦ Video only – If you are bombarded with a video full of claims , sales targeted , stories followed by “proofs” and especially if that media can not be paused or stopped then it is probably a scam.If there is nothing on their website but only one video or 2 then I can tell that is a scam and you should avoid it at all costs.
♦ Screenshots of accounts – Fancy bank accounts or accounts within affiliate networks are not serious methods of marketing.Even if the screenshots are original , (mostly are fake) that does not mean you can earn the same money nor that shows the time that someone needed to reach that level.
♦ No contact on the website – You must be able to contact the owner of a site , via a contact form , live chat or email.Make this test in order to check the legitimacy.If they respond quickly they probably care about their customers.If none of these options exist on their website just click the exit button.
♦ No Support – If there is no one to guide you , how can you proceed in case of problems?…Every serious businessman care about his customers.They must be there to support you and solve any questions that you might have
♦ a 60 or (30) day guarantee – check very carefully the full terms of that guarantee.If it is a product that will be delivered to your house (like dvd , book…) and the guarantee says you must return it to the original address in order to get refund , watch out.Usually you won’t have time to evaluate its potential and return it in that time.If the guarantee is less than 60 days , let’s say 30 again you must be very careful even if it is an information product.
♦ Continuous UpSells – In case you proceed with a purchase and they continue trying to sell you more than one product instantly or in the coming days through your email account do not buy anything more.Seek advice and reviews online.What they do is put a low price front-end product to sell you a much more expensive on the back-end.
♦ Promotion with someone well known in the industry “GURU” – The product that has as a showcase someone famous who does not own it that does not mean that he is using the product.They probably co-operate in order to advertise one another.Some believe that even a negative advertising is prosperous or probably they want to get out of that industry and they do not care anymore , so they hunt for any victims left in their timetable.
♦ No actual test – If you can not test the product even for some features then the owner is not so proud of it and wants to trick you
♦ Payments accepted only with credit cards – no paypal – Why should you give your personal data?.If it is a legitimate company they should have a paypal option.Beware because you might end up calling lawyers and banks in cases they overcharge you without prior notice and without your knowledge.
♦ Stories of “being in your place” , “how I became a millionaire” – Classic faire tales like – “I begun poor” , “I had no money but suddenly I had this idea” , “I was blessed that Mr X helped me to discover that product that changed my life”.
♦ Early promise that the product is free , then (after 1 hour bombarding) they say it cost only $40 or $50…If you can easily afford paying for $50 tops and you want to proceed (although I do not suggest it) , pay and test , but in NO case pay any more if they don’t give you what they promised.
♦ Properties – photos of cars , land properties and proofs of luxury living are almost always fake.Beautiful women laying on the bed with a laptop and a cup of coffee , businessmen in crucial appointments outside of 5 star hotels.
♦ A lot of testimonials – video or image testimonials does not prove anything.They are probably co-operating or the photos are stolen or belong to random people that do not know that these photos being used.Anyone can photo someone secretly.
If a website meets one or more of the above criteria , it does not mean necessarily that is a scam.It is the overall conclusion that will point to that.But also means that you must be aware and proceed with extreme caution.In cases that a website meets the majority of those criteria just ignore it and move to the next one.
I hope you enjoyed another article , you can refer to that as a guide in difficult times.Do not rush to buy anything , seek assistance if you are not sure.What would you add to this list?..Have you ever been a victim?…Want to share your experience with me?…You can leave a comment below
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So sad but true in this world that we live in today.
It is sad that we can’t just trust anyone or anything that we see anymore, and we have to be extra vigilant to hold onto our hard earned cash these days.
I think that the Spam websites and scams far outnumber the good stuff nowadays, or so it seems.
Love the info graphic by the way, very descriptive.
Welcome back Michel , indeed , it is a sad situation.When I started my online journey few years earlier in a search for opportunities I was shocked to find out how many scams are out there.We live in this modern era where technology and science make miracles and still there are people that are trying to deceive other people.It is sadly amazing.
And of course the legitimate websites have a hard time in getting recognised and approved by the community.
Thank you so much for this visit and for your kind words.I am so glad you liked the graphic.All my best.
Hey Tasos,
I totally get the fake storytelling part. After being scammed multiple times, I can see the pattern that almost all scam gurus share in common – They promise to help you out but charge you like a criminal, they start to persuade you through story of how they were poor and become rich, and they they use very low pricing to hook you to buy and then they surprise you with expensive upsells BAM thrice the initial price, can you believe that?
It’s disheartening to know how mean people can be just for the sake of money, I hope your article can help steer away many innocent people from falling to more scams in the future.
Great supporting words Riaz , you are very kind.You have a first hand experience on how persuasive these bad entrepreneurs can be.They attract you with a low cost front end offer and then they start to dig your financial grave.Dishonesty come and go.
I believe it is time to witness some changes.People are getting informed using the internet as a resource for reviews so I predict a brighter future.Who knows.?
Thank you once again for these awesome visits and your comments.Cheers
Sick infographic!
You should be promoting that! Get it out there!
Hey Julian , nice to see you back … yes , this is in my plans but I am preparing a small portfolio of at least 10 graphics to present a short of collection.It’s gonna be something like a modern e-book.Like a music album , from prelude till the final scene.
Thank you for your interest and for your support , it means a lot more than you think for me.
Hi Tasos!
Great post about scams online. Posts like this should be spread to those who need to learn information about scams. There are plenty fraud sites out there and the information that you presented really helps.
I like the part when you enumerated the things that make a site scam like if the site don’t have money back guarantees or the content is too thin. Thanks for the amazing post! I’m looking forward for most posts like this. More Power!
Hello there John , I really Do like your enthusiasm.You seem like one that has a lot of experience with these kind of entrepreneurs.There are thousands of them , and every day they invent new techniques , new mystic channels.
Thank you for visiting my blog and for leaving such a “Live” comment.
Hi there,
Scams are and always will be part of human society. Like you stated, there’s no good without evil!
You have a good list here of what scam artist use to trick you.. Unfortunately, some of these are also very legit ways of doing marketing.. That’s why it is so difficult to spot a scam..
A 30 day money back guarantee for example is a great way of doing business, sadly enough scam artists take the opportunity to turn this in to something negative.. Which makes it oh so much harder for legit companies to get something done.
I’ve been scammed myself with this money guarantee unfortunately.
Good list here! Great you’re making people aware of what to be careful with.
Cheers,
Maarten
Hello Maarten , as you so clearly mentioned , it is sad.It is a very awful situation we deal everyday online.Old and used methods of the market that were working just fine have become signs to be alerted and suspicious.No one is trusting easily , no one is touching the “wallet” like in the past.This is how these “artists” transformed the online market arena but we fight an endless war to let people know which companies to trust and which to avoid.
I wanna thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and for your beautiful comments.
Hey,
I have to agree with pretty much everything you said in this post.
The scammers are like rats in the sewers. They are there, there are lots of them and there always will be.
We will never be able to get rid of them and we just have to accept it and try to avoid them.
The problem is that they are ruining things for the honest people and companies. So many honest companies have to work really hard to prove that they aren’t scams because the world has turned into an un-trustworthy place.
Robert
You’ve touched a very critical subject Robert here with your message.Honest companies and organisations struggle to face online visitors and readers.Everyone is suspicious , no one is paying easily but that all thanks to the “Guru” masters.Internet got a bad reputation , we all deal with it every day.At least we try to show people which companies are doing well their jobs and which are looking to trick them.
We can not avoid the situation as long as there is money involved , but we are gonna fight till the end.I promised myself not to get trapped anymore.
Thank you for visiting my blog for one more time and for your excellent comments.