Avoid the Scams: Stay Educated
The following was guest blogged by Steve from I’ve Tried That.
This is the third and final part in a three part series about making money online and avoiding the scams that are out there. Read part one here Read part two here.
The more educated you are when it comes to making money online, the less likely you are to get scammed. Research is an integral part of not wasting money. Make sure you conduct it.
First and Foremost: Google
A quick Google search can yield more valuable information on a program than 10 pages of presell text ever could. Google the program, product, or company name in quotes with either the word scam or review attached. (Quick example: “make billions while on the can” + scam) The list of results should be more than helpful. You’ll want to stick with sites that contain reader-generated content like Yahoo! Answers or any number of blogs and message boards. Because you’ll want to..
Beware the Affiliates
A number have people have realized that people are going to search for reviews of a certain program and that these victims would be easy targets for high commissions. In your search, you’ll undoubtedly come across a website that looks like they are giving a proper review, but are only looking to convince you that what you’re researching isn’t so bad after all, even if it is a dirty scam. Why would they do this? Simple, they’ll make a commission for sending people to the site. Essentially, it is affiliate marketing, but when you’re marketing a scam, you’re just as bad as the scammers themselves.
Forums and Blogs
There’s a reason why you should stick to blogs and forums in your research and try to avoid static webpages. Blogs and forums allow for anyone to chime in with their comments. People like you are commenting wit their own personal experiences. If the original poster on a blog or in a forum is advocating a scam, the community will definitely have their voices heard. They aren’t getting paid to post, so what they say is going to be from the heart. I recommend staying up to date by reading our blog at I’ve Tried That or the biggest and most appropriately named forum Scam.com.
Contact Information
At the very least, there should be some sort of contact information available for you to get in contact with whoever is running the website. If you can’t find so much as an email address, there’s a reason for that. They’re hiding from you so you can’t get in contact with them later. As in, to get your money back.
Refund. Refund. Refund.
A lot of people chalk up money lost to scammers as money that can never be recovered. This is not the case! Fight to get your money back. If you can’t get in contact with anyone at the business who scammed you, talk to whoever does the payment processing. If they refuse to help you, turn to your bank or Credit Card and have them reverse the charges. There are always options and you should explore them and fight for your money. If you dropped a $20 bill on the ground, you’d go back and pick it up wouldn’t you? Of course you would! Money lost online is no different. Take back what is rightfully yours.
- Posted in The Net
- 40 comments what's your take?
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Yeah Googling the name is a great idea, I also recommend Googling a person’s name before you do business with them (such as a potential web designer for your site, etc).
Reply to this commentyeah i do that even usually it would bring me to some forums too
Reply to this commentI always check google before joining any website, I have also written an article for those who use paid to click websites:
Reply to this commenthttp://3arn.net/2008/06/can-you-detect-useless-paid-to-click.html
If they’re on the BBB, that helps, too.
Reply to this commentI hope its not too easy to earn money from blog.Its need cross several stage and need hard work.Thanks for your tips.It will help many people.
Reply to this commentgoogle is awesome. there are so many google tricks to really narrow down your searches too.
Reply to this commentthere is no such thing as easy money. it all comes with it’s share of work and dedication.
Blog and forums is quite reliable way to figure out, I guess.
Reply to this commentAnother useful idea is to tack on the keywords
spyware
malware
adware
whenever researching any website/service online. You’d be surprised what is returned…..
Barbara
Reply to this commentGood point Barbara. I hadn’t thought of that but, I am sure many of these scams are automated.
Reply to this commentyou know Mr. Chow. with your new alexa rating how are you racking in more profits than ever. i’m trying to believe you, don’t you need more people?
Reply to this commentWhy don’t you have Shoemoney. His Alexa is worst than mine and he racked in $40K last month.
Oh wait! Alexa knows how much we make at about the same level as they know our traffic.
Reply to this commentJohn, You are absolutely correct about Alexa. Their data is not accurate at all. They don’t have a clue about actual traffic levels. Their data is still flawed even after their so called improvements to their system that were implemented.
Reply to this commentI’d love to see a post explaining how Alexa’s ranking system is flawed. It would be very informative.
Reply to this commentI agree. I always find it funny how some people swear by Alexa as if its statitistics are 100% right.
Reply to this commentAlexa algorithm was overrating sites before they changed it. Now lots of sites rank lower but it doesn’t mean they have less traffic but there are more facts taken in count to generate alexa ranking.
Reply to this commentReally true. I have found that there are some affiliate offers in some important affiliate networks that are a total scam. I don’t know why this affiliate networks accept to promote this scam offers…
Reply to this commentI’ve read all three and they were very interesting… I think I was more alerted now
Reply to this commentThanks, Am I now qualified to make money online ?
Reply to this commentNo, you still need to read Johnchow.Com for your life to get qualified!
Reply to this commentStart with the e-book.
Reply to this commentHow do you guest Blog a Post at JohnChow.com?
Reply to this commentYou just send them to him & he decides if its worthy of being posted or not.
Reply to this commentThanks for reinforcing those ideas about how we can avoid getting scammed. I usually try to look into the a company itself, but I have never thought about actually trying to google the person behind the company. This is helpful for online and offline business.
Reply to this commentThanx for your review and talking about the problem.
Reply to this commentTalking about me, I always use google/yandex first of all and then I use forums and blogs..as it was written before in the review.
This sentence explain everything. Sometimes the company who made the payment don’t want to help you, but the Credit Card company always help the customer when they know it was a scam.
Reply to this commentI always go back for my money! I think paypal are getting annoyed with the amount of disputes my account has had
Reply to this commentI always stick the the top affiliate programs such as CJ and clickbank.
Reply to this commentSteve,
I agree with you, especially on Google. Google is, by far, the best investigation tool to see the potential scam about a product.
I’ve used Google a lot to see whether an affiliate program well worth it or not.
Cheers!
Reply to this commentI would love to guest blog a post on johnchow.com!
Reply to this commentI have never joined any Rich making programs, i am sticked to BLogging & with my power of will & determination, i know someday i will succeed in it….
Reply to this commentI agree, I always check Google before doing business with anyone. You can often find reviews about products and programs before you buy or join. If people have been scammed they will write about it and you will find it when doing a search on Google.
Reply to this commentMost of the new rich people out there make money by selling crappy stuff on how to make money online and not by using their own advice.
Reply to this commentThe market will eventually drive them out.
Reply to this commentHai.johncow. Nedyasafira its the newcomer in blogging area , Ihave abetter blog at http://nedyasafira.blogspot.com. i love so much like you but in my town i dont have good internet connection, i ussually rent acomputer,because i dont have it. nedyasafira now very-very difficult. thanks johnchow, i love like you
Reply to this commentI really like you, thanks so much. some day in my mind how to build great site like yours. very nice,Nedyasafira
Reply to this commentYa , you are right. A proper way is hard in beginning , but the maintenance is easier.
Reply to this commentExcellent post. I like this one better than the other parts.
Reply to this commentI completely agree about your suggestions on sticking to blogs and forums. Wisdom of crowds is the algorithm which helps.
Reply to this commentgoogle analytics is better than alexa analysis.
Reply to this commentI like the refund advice, excellent post.
Yea… I made plenty of foolish mistakes
… But you learn as you live… 
Just wish this was the 1st article i read when i started blogging… Where were you when I needed you Chow!?!?
Reply to this comment