Four Tips To Avoid Getting Scammed

By: Anthony Pesce Click author's name for more of his/her articles

Hope and fear are the strongest emotions attached to decision making. If you're like me, you've probably let hope lead you into some pretty embarrassing and regretful decisions. I've been scammed on the internet dozens of times and have learned some pretty important lessons that have saved me from getting ripped off of my money and, most importantly, my time.
Here are four tips I've picked up along the way:

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

I know it's an old cliche; but with internet business opportunities the saying rings truer than ever. If it were really easy to make thousands of dollars in a few hours doing data entry or filling out surveys online do you really think people would still be cleaning toilets 40 hours a week for $8 dollars an hour? Is it possible to make thousands a day online, of course it is, but like everything it requires some work and new skills, especially in the beginning.

Make sure you understand where the money is made (Value Added)

There's really only ONE fundamental way to make money. You have to SELL something. Online you make money by selling products (either yours or other's) or by advertising (which is really just another form of selling). If it's difficult to figure out what you will be selling or there is no real value in what you are selling then it's most likely a scam.

Don't be lazy!

Store gift cards, mail-in rebates, and money back guarantees are all ways cooked up by corporations to profit from the laziness of customers. Most online information products come with at least a 30 day money back guarantee so WRITE DOWN the day you buy a product and test it out right away. You can usually tell within a few hours whether something will deliver on its promises. And if it doesn't GET YOUR REFUND! It's usually very easy to get your money back on Clickbank products and other merchants. All you do is send them an email with your order number so Oh Yeah, keep your confirmation emails saved in an archive folder also.

Don't get too attached to your mistakes

Most of us have been raised to finish our vegetables even if we don't like the taste, but one must not get too attached to scammy products. If the e-book you bought doesn't deliver on its promises then just STOP READING and GET YOUR MONEY BACK. Money comes and goes, but time wasted is lost forever. If you've been scammed you've been scammed and sticking with a failed plan isn't going to make it a success. There are thousands of opportunities online and there are techniques that are perfect for you. So get your money back and MOVE ON.

It's dangerous to let hope steer you astray, but it's far more perilous to let fear keep you paralyzed. When you pull the trigger and make decisions some of them aren't going to work as advertised. We have to allow ourselves the opportunity to as What If? in this life or we never get anywhere. If you buy 100 e-books, software packages, instructional DVD's, and personal coaching systems for $39 and none of them work then you're out $3,900 and a few hundred hours of your time. Now if just ONE of those products works and delivers on it's promises. If just ONE product allows you to live the life of your dreams and make $300K a year while you still have the time to spend with your family and go on the vacations you've been dreaming about, then isn't the money and a little embarrassment worth it? You Decide!