About Internet Scams


Are you tired of all those scams?

Are you tired of having your mail box filled every day with all those scams and pyramid schemes? I certainly am. Do you really believe that by signing up with any of those programs you will make $7,000 $10,000 or even a million dollars in the next two weeks as some of those programs claim? Come on! get real! The only people that make money with those pyramids are the ones that start them or the very few at the top. The rest all loose their hard earned money and waste their valuable time trying to promote those programs and they are indeed very lucky if they manage to break even. With the speed with which things move on the internet, if the program is more that a few days old you are out of luck. Some are called Downline clubs or some such name. In those you sign-up and at some later date you will be asked to join one or more of their affiliates. In order to qualify for commissions, you have to buy a certain quantity of products. In order to stay qualified, this will escalate, until you end up buying products that you dont need, or much more than you can possibly use.

Others are called gifting clubs or something like it. This is just another pyramid variation and just as illegal. Recently I was even offered unlimited loans that you never have to pay. Good grief! I stopped believing in Santa Claus a long time ago. How about you?

Those are outright pyramids and are probably illegal in most countries. (BEWARE!) There many variations on those two but it all comes out to the same thing in the end.

In order to make real money on the net you have to sell REAL products, WORK at it and stay away from all those scams.

I just picked up in my mail box something called: "The Quick Cash Secret Banking System" which promises that: “Using this powerful cash system to generate $1,500, $2,500 and even $3,000/week! We will show you how to build this $5000 into a cash flow of $50,000 within A few months. In addition, we reveal to you, a powerful, jealously-guarded, little known New York multi-millionaires' fast cash creation strategy that will enable you to raise "$100,000 in 24hrs", instantly, without any investment or hard work” (Oh really!)

For this he wants $100.00. You see, this is a Secret System so you can’t possibly know ahead of time what you will be getting for your $100.00. Also I have to ask myself. If this system is so profitable why does he need to sell it on the net at $100.00 a throw. In spite of all the protest to the contrary this is probably quite illegal. This is a variation of what is called a Ponzi Scheme, which is quite illegal.

Things to look for and avoid:

• What is the product? If there is not a product immediately visible: Click off

• If they aks you for money up front before they even tell you what the product is: Click Off.

• Even if it looks like there is some kind of usefull product but there is no way to get in contact with the promoter, such as E-mail, telephone or snail mail, I would be very suspicious.

Go to this URL and you will find out exactly and in more details than I could ever explain it in this short article, the fallacy of pyramid schemes. The numbers dont lie!

Some of the businesses that lend themselves quite well to promotion on the internet are:

• Those that sell information, like E-Books, E-Zines and newsletters and even there you have to be carefull. You still have to follow the above rules.

• Communication services, Like Website design, Web hosting, ISP’s etc... There again follow the rules. The interesting thing about these is that on top of the commission for the initial purchase, you usually get a residual income from your customers monthly fees.

• Software. It should be reasonably priced and you should have the possibility for the customer to download a demo to be certain that this is what they really want and need. It should also be guaranteed. Dont forget the rules!

Some of the things you should look for in the product that you are going to sell:

• Is it a usefull product and is there a need for it?

• Is it a consumable or will you get repeat business?

• Is there the possibility of residuals as there is in such things as communications services, Web hosting, autoresponders etc... where the customer has to pay a monthly fee and you get a monthly commission for each one of your clients?

• Is it a good reliable product? An inferior product can quickly ruin your credibility.

• Look at the competition. Is your product superior or different than everything else that is being offered everywhere else?
Preferably it should be unique or offer attractive features that are not available anywhere else.

• You should get a guarantee from the company, that once you have made a sale, that client remains your client as long as you remain affiliated with the company.

• And finally it should be a product that is personally attractive to you. This will make it much easier for you to maintain your enthusiasism for the product.

About the Author

Claude Violette
E-Mail: violette@citenet.net
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