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.