How to Avoid Online Opportunity Scams?
9 out of 10 people who’ve ever tried a “Make Money Online Opportunity” will never earn a dime.
They paid hundreds or thousands of dollars and didn’t get anything in return.
The internet is a breeding ground for ruthless online marketers who use deceitful methods to squeeze every penny out of you.
So, you have to be careful when trusting anyone online, especially when someone guarantees you that you can earn a lot of money.
Do not let greed cloud your judgment.
So to help you sniff out the scams, I’ve prepared a list of telltale signs…
#1 A “Holy Grail” system – Little to no effort, but High-Profit Potential
Whenever you hear someone screaming these phrases “Easy Money”, “Done-For-You”, “Earn X Amount of Money in X Amount of Time” or the likes…
Be very cautious!
The fact is, the “Holy Grail” does not exist! There is no easy way to earn money online, and no “automated systems” can help you print money like an ATM.
Success derives from your hard work, dedication, determination, and perseverance.
#2 Keeping You In The Dark
If you ever see a presentation where they go round and round telling you how quickly and how much you can earn if you trust their “done-for-you system”…
And, they don’t provide you with any information unless you pay them some money.
Then, you have to be on high alert!
Most of these opportunity scams are known for their slick marketing tactics to get your credit card information.
And, once the money touches their pocket, you’ll realize that you are in for a ride.
Be very careful of these rosy claims, and when in doubt always do your due diligence by checking with good old Google.
And, if you can’t find anything, best to avoid, or if you wish that I test it out first, feel free to leave your request in the comment section below.
#3 Constant Upsells and Downsells
In simple words, after you have purchased a product from a vendor, and you thought that you’d have bought the full solution…
The vendor comes with another offer, and then another offer, and then another offer…
I mean this is not a bad thing, considering many brick and mortar businesses, like the dental clinic, uses this marketing technique as well.
For example, when you visit a “free dental checkup,” the dentist will identify all the problems with your teeth and your gum, and he will suggest teeth whitening, dentures, and so on… Or, the chiropractor who does a “free spinal scan”… You get what I mean, right?
It’s the same thing with online opportunities, but it is slightly irritating to get these offers because sometimes you don’t get any value out of these offers.
And, you won’t know it until you’ve bought it.
So, my suggestion, if you’ve decided to join an opportunity…
Try the front end product before deciding on the upsells. If you can’t get anything out of the front end products (be it knowledge or monetary value), there is no point in buying any upsells. Make sense?
#4 Fake Testimonials
Nowadays, credibility can be bought! Just do a search on Fiverr.com with the keyword “Video Testimonial,” and you will understand.
Often, I see familiar faces on product sales video, and I’ll immediately do a quick check on Fiverr.com. I am not saying that you should do the same thing…
But, you should be wary of claims made in any sales videos. The general guide is, whenever you want to join any opportunities, do more than just trusting the sales videos.
A telltale sign for opportunities that use fake testimonials can usually be found in the fine print of the disclaimer page. Hint, search for keywords such as “actors” or “testimonials”.
#5 High-Pressure Sales Tactics
Scarcity creates urgency, and urgency influences an action. It is marketing 101, but it is a common tactic used by scammers.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that all opportunities that use this tactic are scams.
I am saying that you should run an opportunity through this very list to see if everything checks out.
This telltale sign alone is not a good enough indicator.
#6 Poor Customer Support
This is probably one of the best telltale sign, and I will tell you why.
Scammers are generally lazy!
Think about it, any legitimate businesses in the world will care about its longevity and reputation.
The opposite is true with scammers. Make sense?
So, if you want an inside scoop of an opportunity, try shooting an email to the support team. You can usually find the email at the bottom of the product page.
See how long does it take for them to respond, and if they do, follow up with more questions. A legitimate business opportunity will reply you with a satisfactory answer, while a scam will either badger you with product offers or they just don’t respond.
#7 No Refund Policy
I’ll be straight forward with this…
Any online opportunities that do not provide refunds are simply scams. I haven’t seen one legitimate business opportunity that does not have a refund policy.
Now here’s the thing, some scammers are really clever…
They will provide you with a refund, but there are conditions… A good example below:
See how clever these scammers are? These conditions are almost impossible to be met. So, before you join any opportunities, read their refund policy carefully.
If you want to be sure that you can receive your refund, make sure that it is a no condition refund policy, and I would also test their support team.
There is no point in getting a refund when you can’t even get a response from the support team.
#8 Hiding Behind a Fake Persona
This is very common in the Bitcoin trading scams.
The worst thing that could happen is when you lose all of your capital, and you don’t know who is responsible for it.
If you can’t identify any key individuals for an online opportunity, my advise is to stay away from it.
Individuals can hide behind a company name or a brand, and when things go south, they will close the company, and be gone with the wind.
By the time you take action to sue the company or report to the police, it will be too late.
#9 Flaunt Shiny Objects
Posh cars, mansions, beach houses, Rolex…
I can’t find one person who doesn’t like these things.
And scammers, they know what exactly to do with them.
“Hey, I’ve earned $30,000 in 30 days with this easy done-for-you system! Here’s my proof…”
Sound familiar?
I am not saying that all online opportunities that flaunt shiny objects are scams. Like #5, it is not a good telltale sign by itself.
Conclusion
Whenever you encounter any online opportunities, the key is to be skeptical and trust the facts. Do not be swayed by slick marketing tactics or be clouded by greed.
When in doubt, do your due diligence, and when things do not check out, or you feel uneasy about the opportunity, stay away!
It will do you no harm if you walk away.
If you want to cut short your search for a legitimate business opportunity, you can visit this page. I have already done the hard work for you, and have verified that these are legitimate.
Also, if you can’t find any information about an online opportunity, and you’d like me to investigate…
Feel free to leave a request in the comment section below, or you can chat with me on Facebook Messenger.