We can all agree that the internet is a wonderful place. It has enabled us to find information and entertainment as long as we have an internet connection. However, there’s also a dark side to the internet and that’s why I want to show you how to spot an online scam.
This is especially important if you want to learn how to make money online. Personally, I’ve been scammed half a dozen times.
My mom always told me, “If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.”
It’s sad that these scammers target those who are in dire need of money. Now I’m going to share my knowledge to hopefully save you some money. Without further ado, let’s get started!
Fake Testimonials And False Information
Let’s take a look at the following picture! I want you to ask yourself this question. Would you actually buy it?
If your answer is, Yes! I would give it a try. Then you would’ve been scammed.
Usually, websites who offers something like this picture will include videos or testimonies of other people who have tried the product and made lots of money.
These are people that you can’t actually verify if it’s real or not. These can be faked very easily!
I must admit though, these websites can sound very convincing, so don’t be surprised if many people have fallen victim to these scams every single day.
Overkilling On Guarantees
Beware if you are promised a product that makes you money online fast and easy. Most will give you a time frame of how long it would take to succeed. The most common is within 30 days!
The truth is, nothing in life is easy and you will have to work for it if you want to make real money.
These websites will usually include pictures or videos of their success but have nothing to do with how they did it.
What they do is give you a little taste of the bait (pictures or videos of their success), to tempt you to make a purchase.
Once you take the first bait, you will start receiving emails for more products to buy! Similar to what you saw before with heavy discounts for a limited time to give you a sense of urgency!
Stay away if you see these keywords: Automated System, Simple Click System, Guaranteed To Work, Back-link packages, limited time offer, urgent, etc.
Most of those websites can be found on YouTube via comments.
Social Media Automation (Bots)
Social Media is a very powerful source of traffic and Instagram is one of those that I promote heavily on. However, I noticed something quite unpleasant when trying to promote my content. — Bots that are designed to follow, like, comment, and direct message.
I don’t care too much about bots following or liking my posts, but I have a huge problem with the direct messages as well as comments.
I’m an internet marketer that teaches people like yourself how to make money online and expose products that I deem as a scam. The truth is, most bots on Instagram are promoting an illegitimate product.
I remember posting an image with the description of a product that I reviewed (a product that I deemed as a scam).
The bots were probably triggered by the #hashtags that I used. And minutes later, I not only received likes and comments, but I also received a very intriguing direct message.
The bot who liked the image tried to promote the exact same product to me via direct messages.
I literally sent the bot a message back (telling them that their product is a scam) not knowing if the actual person will read it.. then again he or she probably doesn’t care anyway.
Not everyone is aware of scammers and if you’re not actively engaged in the make money online industry, you can easily fall victim to those Instagram bot scams.
What You Can Do To Protect Yourself
I always search for a review or an article when I’m trying to find out if the service or product I’m thinking about buying is legitimate.
For Example, I would Google Search (Is “Name of The Product” A Scam?)
This will give you review articles on the service or product you’re looking for. The scammers can control the testimonies on their website, but they can’t control the testimonies outside of their website.
I recommend reading a few review articles as well because some can be biased.
What Happens If You A Make A Purchase
Prepare to be asked to spend more money afterward! Most of these websites are designed to be extremely captivating, so you wouldn’t leave.
They will promise guaranteed success with minimal effort.
However, as soon as you sign up for their offer, you will be given a guide to get started but will require you to spend more money to get additional tools to proceed.
I’ve actually done this once and I was fortunate enough to figure out it was a get rich quick scheme, so I contacted my bank for a full refund.
Why would someone sell you their money making method if it can generate the money that they claimed?
My #1 Recommendation To Learn How To Start An Online Business With No Money
There are far too many scammers and very few legitimate businesses. If you are new to making money online and is searching for a real solution to earning an income online. I recommend checking out: Wealthy Affiliate.
Wealthy Affiliate offers a free membership that provides you with access to a very detailed Certification Course (Beginner Friendly with NO experience), 2 Free Websites with Hosting, and Tools to help you succeed.
The main reason why I recommend Wealthy Affiliate is the fact that they don’t promise you anything. They offer you the knowledge and the resources for free to get you started on your online business.
Like any other business out there, it requires time and dedication!
Thank You Again For Reading
Hopefully, this blog has informed you of potential scams available online and how to protect yourself and your wallet. Unfortunately, these scammers will always exist!
The most vulnerable people are the ones who are new and are searching for ways to make money online.
You can do your part by spreading this message to your friends! You don’t have to share this article if you don’t want to. I would really appreciate it even if you verbally mention the steps on how to spot a scammer listed above.
The scammers have become very creative with their methods for scamming you out of your money. They take advantage of you by leveraging your desire to make money fast!
Earlier, I was researching to make sure the information I’m providing here is up-to-date. I must admit, they are very convincing even though I’m aware of it being a scam!
I can’t imagine how tempting it is for someone who is completely new and has no idea that it is a scam. The least we can do is educate and inform, so do your part today and let your friends know before they fall victim as well!
If you come across a product and would like to know if it’s a scam. Please feel free to leave a comment down below with the name of the product and I will do a review on it as soon as I can.
Kind Regards,