Scams vs Legitimate Opportunities

Are you worried that the earning opportunities you see online are really “make money scams” in disguise?

Some of them are, but most of what you’ll find online is on the up and up. The real challenge is weeding through it all to find something that works for you.

Here are some common money making scams that many online marketing newcomers can fall into.

Get Rich Quick:

A lot of experts in internet marketing use their stories as proof of what you can do too if you buy their products or services. And while it is probably true that these marketers did make an enormous amount of money, and sometimes very quickly, there are 3 things you should understand about that;

1) They probably were not completely new to the industry when they started making the money. ..

2) They may have used some other methods or programs to earn them this amount of money (in other words, they may not be revealing everything in what they sell to you…

3) They may have also spent a huge amount of money to be able to earn this enormous amount of money.  It may be that their actual net profit is much less than the total sales volume they are claiming.

So, while the products and/or services are most likely valuable and legitimate, you should not expect them to make you rich quickly.

Easy Money Making:

There are quite a few automated systems out there. And yes, many of them are real and yes, they may be easy. But they can also be expensive and sometimes they are not incredibly effective since they appeal to so many people that are trying to go the easy route. The truth is that making money online doesn’t have to be complicated – it can be quite simple – but getting results does require effort.

Many people start out on the wrong foot, trying to use systems that claim to to be both easy and profitable. When they find that making a lot of money is not going to be easy, many people will give up and complain that these systems are just “make money scams”.

Pyramid Schemes:

There are many types of legitimate programs (like network marketing or MLM businesses) that offer you commissions if you recruit others into the business. However, if you come across a program that only offers you money if you recruit other members but offers no real product or service, this is a clear-cut pyramid scheme and scam. Luckily, the FTC is quick to crack down on these types of activities so you shouldn’t run across them too often.  You definitely want to stay away from this type of get rick quick scheme, but, again, don’t be misled that all programs that offer opportunities to profit by enrolling others to sell product are crooked.

Pay Affiliate Programs:

Some affiliate program claim that they can make you lots of money, but require you to purchase their product or charge a sign up fee before you can start promoting what they offer. Keep in mind that you do not have to pay for an affiliate product to promote it (although there are reasons you might want to do that). Most affiliate product and service owners will NEVER ask their affiliate to pay money before they earn.

The Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission offer more information about avoiding rip-offs, plus ways to verify offers and file complaints. Your state attorney general’s office might also have specific or general information about make money scams.

If you are interested in learning more about online businesses that truly are legitimate, I suggest you download my free report, How to Find the Hotspots In Internet Marketing.  As I mentioned, it is free.  Click here if you would like to download it.