4 Rules to avoid being scammed online
August 7, 2007 | Author: Eve Lester | Filed under: Working at Home
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Internet scams are everywhere. When shopping for online work at home, which home based businesses are real? It sounds like a straightforward question with a straightforward answer: just use common sense. But hold on a second. Not so fast. Do you think you can separate the scams from the legitimates? Have you seen all the various home based business offerings on the web?
O.K. Sure. If someone is offering you the Brooklyn Bridge for $1.99–It’s a scam. But beyond that, how can you tell? These job opportunities are often counter-intuitive. What seems “too good to be true” is often real, and the legitimate-seeming businesses are a scam. But most people don’t have the time or money to check them out.
I’ve spent the past five or so years researching and actually implementing many of these money making schemes on the internet, the ones most people tend to dismiss out-of-hand. And that’s the problem. Most people dismiss them first, without giving a serious second thought to them. I have done many that I consider a scam just to try, to assure myself it is a scam (not the costly ones) How else can I even begin to be credible if I have not personally tried the things I am talking about?
Here I’ve compiled four rules to keep in mind when shopping for a home based business opportunity. This list is by no means comprehensive, but is a good thumbnail starter for those interested in home based businesses.
1. Look For Money-Back Guarantees.
Reputable companies will always offer money-back guarantees–most within 60 days–some with no time limits at all. Some companies (I’m thinking PaidSurveysOnline and Survey Scout) offer money-back guarantees, but must be contacted.
2. Avoid Excessive “Sign-Up” Fees.
It’s O.K. to pay for the initial program fee, but avoid companies that continue to ask for “dues” “bonuses,” or “club memberships” after you’ve purchased their program.
3. Do Your Homework.
Find out how well the product is selling and what percentage of people ask for their money back. Go to Clickbank.com for the stats on thousands of products online. Check in Message boards and Google.
4. Expect Some Extravagance and Exaggeration in the Ad Copy.
People aren’t stupid. Ad copy writers know this. They know most intelligent adults can make adjustments for hyperbole in an ad.
Keep these four rules in mind and use common sense. If you keep an open mind, approach these offers seriously, and implement their strategies, many of them can make money for you.
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6 people have left comments
Money back guarantees are one of the things I look out for but you can never be certain somebody is going to stick to it
Very true, thats why I try not to invest more than I can loose- kinda like loaning money to a friend- if you cant afford to loose it, don’t loan it. :-)
When in doubt about an email, always check Snopes.com.
Thanks Sam! I had forgotten all about them!!
[…] Pharming , Fake Online Degrees, 4 Rules to Avoid Being Scammed […]
Recently I’ve been looking online for a new car and have found a handful of deals that seem “too good to be true”. And well, they were. What I found was with 4 different vehicles, I would get a response email saying that this is Sergeant so-and-so whose over in Iraq and needs to get rid of his vehicle. The different vehicles all had different names but the format of their email was very similar. I’m bringing this up because I feel that even though there are a lot of great deals to be found online, be careful because many of them really are “too good to be true”.