How To Avoid Online Marketing Scams – Top 10 Tips

Many people have been ripped off on the internet. Don’t let this happen to you!  GET YOUR 10 TIPS AND LEARN HOW TO AVOID ONLINE MARKETING SCAMS.

Today millions of people want to learn how to make money online because they want a freer lifestyle. 

NO ONE WANTS TO GET SCAMMED!

Nowadays, you can take online training in pretty much anything you want to learn about. The thing is, it’s too overwhelming because there are so many training facilities online.

Some of your friends or family members will say internet and affiliate marketing is nothing but a scam.

I can assure you, both are a legitimate business model.

Having said this, there are inexperienced people who fall prey to online marketing scams and leaves them with a bad taste in their mouths.

I don’t want you to hold yourself back from doing online marketing because it can be a very ludicrous long-term passive income when done properly. 

Before we get started, I have a video for you.

Watch this video and learn how to make a million dollars in a week! The program is about the 10K Ninja…

10 Ways to Avoid Being Scammed Online

1. Too Good To Be True. Stay Away!

Have you read these?

• “We do everything for you”.
• “You don’t have to do any work”.

Have you read about offers that are so huge you think about it 24/7?

Sounds too good to be true right? The truth is there is no make money site in the internet world that has this without you doing work.  You must work hard to make money online.

There is no shortcut! If it was that easy, literally, “everyone” would have quit their 9-5 job a long time ago.

The unfortunate part is there are LOTS of websites that say they have a ready-made done for you system that’s going to make money for you and you don’t have to do any work.

If you’re an experienced internet marketer, you’re already familiar with these promises but for beginners who want to make money online, BEWARE!

The owners of these websites prey on people who are new to internet marketing and those in dire need of making money instantly.

The owners talk about how they changed peoples lives changed just by them pushing this “magic red button” that does everything for them.

These scammers just copy-write their techniques or hire professional hardcore salespeople to do their effective sales pitch and lure people into their phoney system.

Ask any successful entrepreneur and they will say they worked hard and made lots of sacrifices but in the end, they reap their rewards and live their dream lifestyle.

If the promises are too good to be true, then they’re probably not true!

Stay away.

Making HONEST money online requires HARD WORK and it’s worth the blood, sweat, and tears!

2. There is No Product/Service To Sell

This is a Pyramid Scheme and nowadays it’s like a voodoo word. AND so it should be!

According to Wikipedia, a pyramid scheme is a business model where members recruit people into the system by promising them payments or some type of service. The members don’t receive products and as the referrals bring in other referrals, most of the members are not able to produce any real profit.

There is no product to buy and therefore, no product marketing.

The only people who win are the people at the very top of the pyramid. This is why pyramid schemes are illegal in many countries. 

In the case of Affiliate Marketing, affiliate marketers make money by promoting other people’s products/services and so the industry is considered very legal.

Having said that, there are some suspicious affiliate marketing programs that are 2-tiered and seem very close to being a pyramid scheme and even some MLMs (Multi-Level Marketing) businesses are also close to being considered a pyramid scheme.

An example, let’s say you get into a site that claims you can make big $$$$ but the only way to get inside is to make a payment to join.

Before you take your wallet out, consider the question:

• What is the product/service you’re going to promote?

If the site can’t reveal their product before you pay, chances are there is no product,

Sites like these are pyramid schemes and they’re only meant to be “opportunities” for scammers.

What happens is, after you pay to join, the money gets distributed from one member to the next member.

You’re only taught to recruit people into the scammer’s program and you still won’t learn anything about the product because there is no product to sell.

You only make money by recruiting people to join this scheme.

This is illegal and companies and individuals have been charged.

Beware because these sites can also be in disguise.

3. Lots Of Upsells

Have you been to a site where all they offer is upsell after upsell?

Just when you think you found the right online marketing platform, you hit a brick wall and now the owner of the site wants more money before they let you into their next program.

This upsell is how the owners of the site make money. Quite frankly, they don’t care how much of your hard earned money you spend.

In my opinion, they should create 1 quality product/service with everything instead of paying for each of their low-quality stuff. I just think it’s wrong these owners do such a thing like upsells.

The scary part is you could be investing as much as $30,000 and STILL not make much money online.

If you don’t believe me, read my review of Legendary Marketer. 

Back away from sites that offer upsells after upsells.

3. Pay To Join Affiliate Programs

I want to be clear on this. Legitimate affiliate program sites will not ask you to pay.

You should not have to pay any “set up” fees. The only way affiliate marketers make money is when they sell their merchant’s product/service.

Walk away when a site is asking you to pay for a website they want to give you in order to market their products/service.

Stay clear of these affiliate program sites.

4. The Shiny Objects

You’ve probably been on sites that show images of luxurious cars like Lamborghinis, expensive boats or houses. It’s easy to want that.

I’ve been on different sites that actually show the same house. The same entrance, and the same swimming pool and even the person in the image is the same.

The owners of sites like these only display a lifestyle they know that is going to get you to push their shiny button. That’s their bait. Once they have you on the line they’ll convince you to pay $$$.

We all have the dream of being able to live our desired lifestyle and that’s why these sharks prey on your precious dreams.

They’ll already have tools and resources ready for you which you have to purchase. This is where they’ll also say you don’t have to work hard at all because they’ve done it all for you.

If the site talks about their products/services features and is able to reveal how it’s going to help you then see if they have a FREE trial. This will give you a real glimpse of what they’re about.

5. Time Limit On Offers

How do you feel when you see some kind of time limit on a product/service you might be interested in?

There’s this sense of urgency to purchase because if you don’t buy now or join now, that’s it and you lost your “golden” opportunity on a site that’s going to make you tons of money.

This is exactly how the owners of these sites want you to feel. They want you to feel that timing is of the essence when in fact it really isn’t.

I don’t know if you noticed but if you go back to that site after the offer has expired, chances are that timer has started from the beginning.

Just be aware when you see that.

There are legitimate sites that have offers available for a limited number of days such as Black Friday specials like Amazon and eCommerce stores.

There are legitimate sites that just want to get rid of inventory.

In fact, the online affiliate marketing training platform, Wealthy Affiliate, will offer their Black Friday discount on their Premium Yearly Membership. (I’m a member).

Just use your due diligence when encountered with time limit techniques.

6. Be Wary of Success Stories And Results

First, let me just clarify this. I have seen success stories and results that are definitely legitimate and there’s nothing wrong with people revealing their successes.

They only want to share with others as the encouragement they can do what they did.

However, exercise CAUTION because there are MANY FAKE TESTIMONIALS!

What I’m talking about are websites who have “members” who only talk about all the things they can now do because their lifestyle changed as a result of the products/service they use.

The problem? It’s their success and it doesn’t help you get that success.

These scam sites are too busy talking about themselves and don’t tell you the benefits of the product and how it’s going to help you.

The owners of these sites already know they have low-quality product/service and so they use made up success stories and results to lure you in.

These FAKE TESTIMONIALS are often seen in videos shown put on by infomercial actors hired from Fiverr and all they do is read from a site’s script.

Online scammers will also use fake screenshot images taken from online stock photos with made up phony text content wrapped around them.

I like using “images.google.com” to test out the legitimacy of testimonials.  Just click the camera icon and select the “Upload an image” and it will tell you if the image is online photo stock.

Another example is the showing of images of not just 1 paycheque but several paycheques.

Look around in their site and see if they have information on their product/service.

Legitimate sites are going to talk about the benefits of their product/service.  It’s all about helping you and they should be offering solutions for your needs or issues.

The bottom line, you just want to know how to get results like them.

7. The High-Ticket Programs

People seem to think that because a product is high-priced it must be high-quality and worth the price.

Did you know there are lots of places on the internet you can go to and get FREE high-quality information?

In my opinion, it’s wrong for sites to charge ridiculous high-prices on their products/services.

Who are these high-ticket programs best for? It’s only BEST for the owners because they’re the ones who are raking in the money. Not you.

The people who fall into these traps are the inexperienced beginners in the internet world or people who actually have some money to invest.

Many of these high-priced programs will say the site has done everything for you and you don’t even have to work hard. Sound familiar?

Some of them will say they even look after all your email contacts for you so you don’t even have to respond to them. Apparently, it’s to give you more time to look after more important things in your business.

The service to do this is included in your high-ticket program.

Really? Customers and visitors are the most important people in any business. Who’s in control here? The answer, the scammers.

If you’re being charged an arm and a leg for something that’s offered for free, chances are you’re being scammed. 

You don’t need to spend crazy amounts of money to make money online.

I can show you an online affiliate marketing training platform called Wealthy Affiliate and it’s FREE to join as a Starter Member and I promise you’ll get loads of quality and valuable training. There are no upsells.

8. Be Wary of Your Assigned Coach/Mentor

There are websites like Legendary Marketer who assign you with your own personal coach and mentor.

Having your own coach is a positive resource to have. Their role is to mentor you, be supportive, and guide you on your journey to making money online.

In fact, I also provide coaching and mentoring to my referrals in addition to other members in the community I’m a member of which is Wealthy Affiliate.

However, there are many assigned coaches that have the primary goal of getting you to pay for their high-ticket upsells in order to get to the next training level.

These coaches are usually hired professionally trained salespeople and they get paid by the number of sales they generate.

Don’t let anyone push you into buying.

It’s FREE to Join and no Credit Card Information is requested.

9. Refunds May Not Be Easy

A website may show their 100% Money Back Guarantee “Certificate” and that’s what you want to see.

Sometimes the Refund Policy can be complicated and have time-consuming steps in order to get your refund. Scam sites will do everything they can to not give your money back.

Before you decide to purchase a product, make sure to read the Refund Policy.

4 Valuable Tips To Avoid Being Scammed On The Internet

I spend a lot of time researching and writing honest reviews on products/services on the hope of helping people make the right decisions.

I hope you find these tips helpful.

The BEST way to avoid being scammed online is to do lots of researching BEFORE you purchase any product/service.

Tip #1: Use The Google Search Engine

This is the first place I like to go to because I can get loads of free information.

For example, say I want to know how to make money using YouTube.

Enter your keyword with the product name on Google’s search engine and it will come up with a short list of the popular keywords (search terms) that people key in. You can also do your search using the alphabet.

Use search engines to get your free information to start researching.

Tip #2: Dig Around In the Product/Service Site’s Home Page

Click into the product site’s main navigation and look for relevant information on:

• What is the site about?
• Who’s the owner?
• How long the site has been around?
• What are the products/services features and benefits?
• What are the costs?
• What type of training do they have?
• What is the support like? Live 24/7 live chat?
• How is the training done?
• Is there a FREE trial?
• Is the product/service going to help you?
• What is the affiliate commission?
• Are there any upsells?
• What do I like and dislike?
• Does the site have a money-back guarantee?
• What’s in their Income Disclosure?

Tip #3: Read Product Reviews

After I’ve read the product owner’s site, I then proceed to read product reviews.

Of course, authors have their own viewpoint but if you read enough, you can find common viewpoints or opinions that can validate features or the non-existence of them.

Look for the information I listed above. Getting the author’s perception of his/her review is an excellent way to ensure you’re not getting scammed.

The rating, recommendation, who the program is best for, and user experiences are important factors which will help you determine if the program is right for you.

Keep in mind though, some of the reviews are written by members of the program which may be somewhat biased.

PS: I have a review on Wealthy Affiliate of which I’m a proud member of. They are my #1 Recommended online affiliate marketing training platform. Yes, I am biased because I know their system works.

The next best thing to do is go on Google and check the program on BBB and get the rating. You can also go to Scam.com, and Ripoff.

Tip #4: Don’t Be Rushed and Use Your Intuition

Remember it’s your money! Don’t let anyone control you.

Your intuition is a gift from God, so use it!

Do You Have A Product You Would Like Me To Review?

I hope by now, you trust me. If you do, please read my review of Wealthy Affiliate. I will always recommend them as being “#1”.

I give their training platform credit to everything I have learned about how to make money successfully and honestly online as a newbie and now as an experienced internet and affiliate marketer.

Do you have any products you would like me to review? Do you have any questions or comments? It would be AWESOME to hear from you. Just put them in the Comment Box below and I Promise I’ll get back to you.

Thanks for reading,

Monica