How to Detect an Online Business Scam

How to Detect an Online Business Scam
By Jim Janowiak

It is sad this article needs to be written. Unfortunately there’s lots of worthless information in this market niche. The “Black Hats” are out in every marketing niche but it seems they like the online business or work from home markets the best.

The problem is that if you get burned a few times you may think everyone is trying to scam you. This is not the case. Thousands of people are building solid profitable businesses from their home and enjoying financial freedom, not to mention freedom of time.

There are some sure fired tips you can use to spot the scam offers right up front. If you are new to the online business internet marketing niche, here is what you should be on the look out for.

The first red flag is the promise. Does it sound too good to be true? We have all seen the marketing copy that states fast money. It goes something like “You will be earning $10,000 a month in 30 days”. We all wish that were true, but it’s not. Every legitimate online marketer has spent a year or more to get to that level. Watch out for the promise. If it promises fast money and little or no work or “we do all the work for you”, forget about it. Great copywriters make it tempting, but it’s just not true.

The next telltale sign is the offer. Beware if it goes something like this, “This offer will be gone in 24 hours”. If it is a legitimate product or service, then the seller wants to sell as many as possible and certainly would allow you to take your time to evaluate the offer. Now, there can be a cut off for services but not for digital and non-digital products. At least this is another red flag.

I’m sure you have seem these offers that tell you the offer will be gone in the next five minutes. Then there is a clock counting down next to the buy/submit button. Go back to that offer tomorrow and the clock is still ticking. Red Flag.

So let’s say you are deciding whether to purchase an offer and you’re just not sure if it is a legitimate offer by a legitimate company. Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers known as ICANN is in charge of administering upper level domain names. They in turn, assign regional companies to register names.

Here is what you do. Go to the whois lookup. You can just Google it. Every website has to be registered. There you will find the information on the company or individual. If the name, address and contact information is not there, you have another red flag. If you can’t find the contact information on the website or it doesn’t match the registration, you have yet another red flag.

There is no need to purchase any product or service online with a scam company. Today, there are many great online marketers that are legitimate. They will give you their full contact information.These are the ones that deliver good products and services because they want your business over the long run. They want word of mouth. The only way to build a solid online business that performs, makes money, and lasts, is to do it the correct non-scamming way. You are now armed to detect and avoid the scammers.

Article Source: http://www.affsphere.com/Business/Network-Marketing/How-to-Detect-an-Online-Business-Scam.html


Jim Janowiak is an internet business coach working with Best Internet Business Builder group. For no BS straight to the point info visit;

Best Internet Business Builder

questions@bestinternetbusinessbuilder.com

The Best Affiliate Marketing Training I’ve Found Yet!! Finally

I’ve only been involved in affiliate marketing for several months now. However, it has been long enough that I should have started to see some significant profits, at least I believe I should have anyway.

I have make a little money, as I’ve posted here, but nothing close to where I would have hoped to have been by now. My technical skills suck, that’s a given, but what really bothers me is that I’ve yet to really find the basic, necessary training information that I was looking for. Don’t get me wrong, there’s many, many great forums, blogs and other sites aroung the Internet, but I was wanting one site that would take me, a beginner, step-by-step through the process.

Click Here to Learn From Power Affiliates


Finally, today, thanks to an email from Pepperjam Network, I found out about AffiliateClassroom.com. It’s creator, Anik Singal is a very successful affiliate marketer, and has set up this great site for those of us like me, in need of HELP. Read his story in Businessweek here, he’s a finalist in the ’2008 America’s Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year’. Sir Richard Branson is also involved, and he’s a name that people stand up and take notice of.

I won’t drag this out, just read about Anik, in case you don’t know who he is, then check out the AffilateClassroom here. There’s a $1 (14)-day trial offer, so I don’t see how you can go wrong. Also, if after the trial period you decide you don’t like it for some reason, they will give you a full refund (within 30 days). You can also cancel at anytime…no questions asked. I’ve just signed up and it looks to be GREAT.

Be Careful Whom You Trust

I just finished reading some posts over at NickyCakes.com. That guy is funny, not to mention he tells it like it is…no BS. I won’t go into details about whom he was talking, but I just read a post that really opened my eyes. A guy/blog that I really thought ‘had the goods’, is nothing more than a little fish in a huge pond. Not to mention, according to what I read, a little less than honest.

I’ve mentioned here in the past that, as of this post anyway, I’m still new in the affilate marketing industry. I don’t claim to be some super affiliate or an expert in any field. If I mention a compamy, product, ebook or anything else, it’s because I’ve either bought and/or used it, or I know for a fact that it’s not a scam.

If you look on the home page of my site, presently I have neverblueAds and PepperJam NETWORK affiliate network banners. I’ve been signed up with both for a while, and although you probably don’t need me to tell you, they’re both top-notch companies in the business. I know I can put those banners there and there’s no chance of someone emailing me one day saying ‘those jerks ripped me off.’

I also have a TigerDirect banner there. Last year I probably spent around $2,500 (at least) at TigerDirect, mostly in parts building (2) new PCs, (2) LCH displays, (2) MP3 players, software…man, that might even be higher. :D I know, for a fact that their prices, service and everything else is the best. Believe me, I wouldn’t part with that much money without doing my homework.

I mention Blue Host and HostGator in my blogroll, but you what ? I’ve got accounts with both of them. I

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