When it comes to home based work, the phrase “make money online scams” might ring across the minds of many people who have heard about them, or have been personally burnt by them. Is it possible to spot a scam online and therefore avoid them? There are some tell tale signs, so I am going to share a few pointers to help you avoid those pesky scammers.
There is nothing funny about getting scammed, it leaves you angry, upset and ashamed, and obviously it can leave broke too if you have paid out a lot of money. You may also have to explain to a loved one how you got duped and that can be the hardest part, no one wants to admit they have been taken for a ride.
A Costly Mistake
Not all scams are created equal, you may only lose a few bucks, but if you are unfortunate enough, then you may lose a lot more money, in fact it can run into thousands of dollars. How do I know? Because I have been scammed online and it was to the tune of $3000.00, not my finest hour, but hey, I got over it and moved on.
It is not easy to admit that you have been the victim of a scam, but I thought it only right to reveal my own experience here, so let me tell you a little about it.
It was quite a well known company and had been online for around four to five years, I was in touch with one of its member over a period of several weeks. I thought I had done a lot of research and I did not just jump in straight away, it took me a couple of months before I took the plunge and parted with my money. The member I was in touch with was very helpful and talked me through the signing up process and the parting with my money part.
Once I was in, all looked okay, I started the process of building my business and was very enthusiastic as well as optimistic. I gave it my complete attention, but did not make a penny. The member that introduced me was getting increasingly more difficult to get hold of, until eventually he seemed to drop off the face of the earth.
The bottom line is that I came to realize that I had been scammed, I lost my money and had nothing to show for it. I will not name the company or the member as I do not like to seem to be putting anyone down, but I would if they still existed, which they do not. The member does not show up on any online searches and the company have long since folded, so there is no chance of you getting scammed.
One thing I did realize is that I seemed to find out a lot more about the company and the people involved after I had lost my money and moved on, there seemed to be more people coming out of the woodwork voicing their own negative experiences, but that did nothing for my pride and finances.
Anyway that is enough about my scam experience, lets move on and point out a few things to look out for when you are thinking about work at home opportunities and jobs.
A Few Pointers
Here are a few things that you may want to consider when looking at any opportunity online, I hope they help and keep you safe from those dispicable individuals that think it is okay to take other peoples hard earned cash by tricking them and then disappearing.
High Wire: If you are asked to wire someone money, forget it. Although wiring money is a perfectly legitimate service, scam artists are renowned for obtaining money this way because they know that you will not get your money back, so be very careful when wiring money, be sure that you know where it is going and who it is going to.
Easy Cash: If you are offered big money for doing very little, then chances are it is a scam, so run a mile. There is no free lunch as they say, and no one is going to give you large amounts of money for doing next to nothing.
Out of The Blue: These people are always on the hunt, so if you get an email or are contacted in another way with a job offer that sounds great but does not require you to have an interview, meeting or any form filling, then it is probably dodgy. How would anyone know that you were suitable without finding out more about you and your skills.
High Pressure Tactics: If you are being pressured into getting into an opportunity or to part with your cash, shut it down straight away. The only reason to use high pressure tactics is to hide the truth. If something is real and a good opportunity then there is no need to pressure anyone.
Pay For It: If you come across an opportunity that sounds great but requires you to pay for the information to get started, then “red alert” get out of there quick. These are pretty common and they are nothing more than a way to suck cash out of you, the information is probably worthless.
Get In Quick: Another favorite tactic is the get in before it is too late tactic. If you don’t get in now then you are going to miss out, this is a sign that not all is what it seems to be. Take your time, there is no opportunity that will not wait for you, and if it will not wait for you, then forget it because it is probably not a real opportunity.
These are just a few things to keep an eye out for, if they present themselves to you, then think before you get sucked in, these people can be very persuasive and the opportunities can be made to sound very appealing. Do not give any of your personal details or payment information without first doing plenty of research.
Too Good To Be True
This is an old one, but stands true today as much as it has done in the past, “If it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is” and seriously it probably is, so keep well away. Anything that is going to make you money is going to take some work, and that is both online and off line, so do not get sucked in by easy money because that normally means that someone gets money off of you easily and you get nothing in return.
Be careful and be aware of those that try to part you from your money, there are plenty of legitimate opportunities online as well as off line, but there are also many scams and they are getting more and more sophisticated. You can never do to much research, so always look into something in detail before you commit.