I have been asked recently about programs on the internet that promise riches, and how to go about weeding out the scams, knowing what is legitimate, and as my website suggests, who to trust. HonestMoneyMaking.com is all about building trust, as I believe it is the foundation of any solid business and building relationships with your customer base. I found this article on scams that I think should help! I hope you find it useful!
Copyright © Stephanie Foster
It's not always easy to spot a scam. Many times, checking with
the BBB and other resources simply is not sufficient because
the scam is too new. But when you are looking for a work at
home opportunity of any kind, it helps to know what red flags
to be aware of, whether in a job or business opportunity.
The first rule of thumb is can you follow the money? That is,
can you figure out how the company will be earning money from
your efforts? If you're offering lifetime free services to
someone and earning a large commission every time someone signs
up, where does the money come from? It's easy to tell yourself
it can't be a scam because no money is being spent, but you
need to consider more possibilities. What information are you
giving them? What about your customers? Can that be used
against you? Do you have to download anything at any point?
Spyware and/or affiliate commission theft could be the goal.
Second, is the pay commensurate with the effort you are putting
forth? If they are offering 2-3 times the going rate for a job,
but you have to pay for training, it's probably a scam. They're
relying on your need to earn money and desire to earn lots of it
with little effort to cloud your judgement. Similarly, if you
are earning commissions for your efforts, does it look like the
company you will be representing can possibly be making a
profit? This is very similar to point #1 above, but worth
considering on its own.
Next, what kinds of promises are being made to you and to the
customer? Are they even remotely possible? This can be either a
bad case of exaggeration, which may concern the FTC, or a sign
of a scam. In either case you do not want to be involved.
In the case of home business, I am always wary of pre-launch
hype from marketers I have never heard of. If they don't have a
name in the business, how do I know their product will be any
good? It could just be a way to get information, get you to
download something, etc., rather than the introduction of a
real, quality product. Pre-launch marketing does get used by
reputable marketers too, but not very often. After all, if
you're offering a quality product do you really need to get
people excited about it before they can see it. It might be
fun, but not all that necessary. Pre-launch hype also has a way
of annoying potential customers, as they wade through months of
excessive advertising and spam about the product. It generally
makes much more sense for a company to launch a product when
ready, rather than give a buyer time to change his or her mind
because they're tired of the hype.
There is no guarantee, however, that a given opportunity is a
scam just because it looks like one. It is possible to
misjudge, but you have to decide if you would rather miss an
opportunity that could hurt you financially or destroy your
reputation if it is a scam than take a chance on it. If too
many warning flags go up, it is probably not worth it in my
opinion, but you have to decide for yourself.
About The Author:
Stephanie Foster is the owner of Home with
the Kids, a resource for stay at home and work at home parents.
For more advice on work at home scams, visit
http://www.homewiththekids.com/scams/
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