Donnette

Having made my living virtually on the Internet since 2000 I have seen many scams. They used to be sent to you via the post or as newspaper advertisements. These days they are sent via e-mail.

We have probably all heard of the so-called 'Nigerian scam' and those of us who are PC savvy would not fall for one BUT many are not so wise and lose money as this is a clear con. The same when someone sends you a cheque for more than the value of the goods you are selling and asks you to send the goods and the difference as a cheque or cash their cheque bounces of course and you lose the goods and the refunded money.

There are many people who make a living on the web and know what to look for to avoid a scam. The warning signs are:

1NO money back guarantee
2Not sold via a reputable intermediary such as ClickBank etc who will protect you and get your money back in case of a scam
3Overstated claims of their product if it was so good, why would they have to sell the method to make money?
4Promise of huge earnings in the first week or month
5Lack of proper website, contact address and details of what you will be getting.

The most common scams are for self-assembly work at home along with envelope stuffing you should avoid these unless you personally know the company and are doing a normal job at home.

Assembly of toys or other goods that you are then expected to sell should also be avoided.

The advert that tells you how to make money is to "do what they have done" ie sent out chain letters or chain e-mails. You may even see this offered with websites, do a check on the web and see how many of these sites there are, more sites does not mean more money. Make sure you see proof of earnings or they offer you some guarantee.

Multilevel Marketing is another scheme that can be a scam. We would not call Amway, Avon or Tupperware scams but they are all reputable companies. The difference on the Internet is that you have to convince others to buy into the scheme. You might convince your friends and family but you cannot go knocking on doors on the net. Eventually the whole system can collapse leaving everyone at the bottom of the pyramid with nothing.

Directories of Internet Home Based Businesses are another system of parting people from their money. The Internet covers the whole world but many of these jobs will be those mentioned above or ones that require you to pay large sums up front before you can obtain any work at all.

There are ways of making money on the Internet. Virtual Assistants or Virtual Secretaries have been working this way for many years. They set up their own business and take the risk of success or failure. Find a site that promotes VA working and how to start your own business.

If VA work is not for you there are free reports that will guide you towards business opportunities that have been checked out and of course offer a money back guarantee.

Di Chapman is an IT specialist, having won 2 Awards for her work in the promotion of Virtual Working and the support and coaching of Virtual Assistants. She is proud to be the owner of "Become A Virtual Assistant" and VA-Marketing. Both Free web sites. For more information on the above article see Scam Free Zone