You should already be aware that scams exist in the world. In fact, work-from-home scams were already there even before the Internet was born. People claimed you could get a really good pay “stuffing envelopes” or doing other mediocre tasks like that.
But now with technology at our fingertips, it has become easier for swindlers to scam people like you and easier for us to fall for scams online. Here are five good examples of some well-known online scams. So, in this article, I want to warn you about online scams and give you three tips on how you can recognize them before you get caught in one.
Before I begin, though, let me remind you that making money online is NOT a scam. Many people try to make money online, only to find nothing happens and they give it up, considering it a scam.
In a previous article, I have explained why most people fail to make money online. But the truth is: Making money online is real and several people can testify to that. You can find them as bloggers or YouTubers. I have taken online surveys and have been able to earn real money just by doing that. So if I can do it, there’s no reason why you can’t.
So with that out of the way, let’s go over these three tips that you can follow to figure out if some online moneymaking opportunity you find is legitimate or just a scam.
1. Learn what these products are.
Probably the best way to determine if an online opportunity is real is to simply do research on it. By researching, you will see if other people are aware of the opportunity and have anything good to say about it. That way, you can feel encouraged by their positive feedback or discouraged if you realize that nobody is really talking about it or, if they do, by their negative feedback.
Google it up and see if there are bloggers mentioning the opportunity or not. Or better yet, find video reviews of it on YouTube where you can actually see someone talking about the opportunity and perhaps showing it to you hands-on. If people are indeed talking about the opportunity, learn from them how it works and get an idea of what to expect before you purchase it.
In addition, figure out what type of opportunity you are seeing and make sure it is helpful to you. In many cases, digital products that are being sold are either training courses to help you start an online business or technical stuff that you will need for an online business, like email lists, sales funnels, etc.
By learning more about the opportunity you’re seeing, you will become less skeptical about it being a scam and more confident that it can benefit you in some way.
2. See if it’s worth the money.
Money truly is a commodity that should be spent wisely. That’s why, if you see an online moneymaking opportunity and how expensive it is, make sure the seller gives you a lot of value in return for the money you would pay. If there seems to be not enough value in the product you’re looking at, stay clear, because the seller practically wants to steal your money.
But how can you check if the product is worth the money? Simple! Read the sales page or watch the sales video and find out how many awesome features it boasts. If there’s only a few, you should back off, but if it’s like a toolkit that contains everything you need to learn how to make money online right, it could very well be legit. Just keep in mind that you determine the value of something for yourself. It’s only worth the money if the product proves to be really tempting, but if it’s simply wishy-washy, there’s no reason for you to buy it.
In fact, the seller is really legit for their product if they price their product lower than its actual value. Fortunately, I’ve seen many sellers do that with their products, so that’s another sign that they’re legit. I’d be more suspicious with a person who keeps their high price tag on the product than with someone who lowers the price just for the benefit of the customer. So keep that in mind as you find products online that are fairly expensive.
3. Check how well it’s presented.
Not only is the opportunity itself important, but the way it is presented also makes a huge difference. After all, you should “never judge a book by its cover.” So when you’re watching the sales video or reading the sales letter on the product’s website, make sure that everything you’re looking at seems realistic and not exaggerated.
A perfect example is a product called “Take Surveys for Cash” (which actually exists; look it up!) If you were to go to its sales letter, you will see that it will claim that you can make hundreds of dollars for taking surveys. This is absolutely false. I’ve mentioned in previous articles that taking surveys are always going to be side hustles. They can NEVER be profitable sources of income. Just observe the whole sales letter and notice how everything looks staged. In the video, the envelope was already torn before he showed the “check” inside. The screenshots on the site look a little fishy and most likely came out of Adobe Photoshop.
So as you can see, it is important that you read between the lines if you find a product that looks very strange from most others. Here are some tips to help you.
- Check the grammar and punctuation of the sales letter or the product’s website.
- In every part of the site, make sure there is a green padlock beside the URL on your browser’s address bar, to ensure that payments will be secure.
- Take a closer look at the screenshots and videos in the sales letter. If something seems strangely presented, it’s likely a scam. For example: robotic voices, staged recordings, edited photos, exaggeration, etc.
Conclusion
Finding legit ways to make money online and work from home can be a little tricky. There may have been websites you’ve seen in the past that you probably never knew were scams, such as these five well-known online scams.
I also provide free information on how you can earn money online through these articles. Whether you’re looking for a good-paying work-from-home job or wanting to start an online business, you’ll find what you need here on the WebCents Blog. Why spend money on products that may not work when you can read everything you need to know right here for free?
And in case you’re curious, my number-one way to make money online is through passive income, and I’ve mentioned five ways you can earn income passively. I especially like making money through blogging and affiliate marketing, and I’ve made articles on these two topics: how you can start a blog and affiliate marketing as explained for beginners. You can even earn passive income by creating YouTube videos. The best part about all of these articles is that you’re going to get legit information. No scams — I promise!
But I hope this article helped you in any way on how you can watch out for these online scams. There’s one quote that best summarizes the point of this article, and that is: “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is!”