Everyday thousands of people type make money online into their search engines. There are variations on the term such as how to make money online, earn money on the internet, make money online for free, etc. After typing this into Google how many results pop up? Somewhere around 20 million. So if there are 20 million results for "make money online" why is it so difficult to actually make money online. After all, there are 20 million websites "telling" you how to earn cash using the internet right? Wrong. Dead wrong. It's frustrating to see so many people fail to view these websites through the designer's eyes. Do you truly and honestly believe that a website designer wants to show you all the "secrets to online success" that he/she knows? If they share their secrets, there will simply be more competition for them to deal with. So if there are a sea of fakes, how can you possibly know which one to click on without getting scammed? Here are a 10 rules of thumb I suggest you follow.
1. Be careful when navigating websites and blogs that offer "free" information on making money online. More often than not the purpose of the site is NOT to help you, but to help themselves. They offer useless information that does not work very well, while sprinkling hyperlinks and ads all over the place. They make their money not from the useless info they give you, but from you clicking on their links and ads that they get paid to put up. Clicking on some of those links can lead you to harmful websites designed to steal your money. The Scambusters website is a perfect example of this. I dare you to click on some of their links (but I don't advise it).
2. Avoid any scams that claim to require absolutely no work. The techniques for making money online in my book do require a little bit of effort. Always remember that nothing is for free. If there were a system where people just clicked a few buttons and made tons of money, don't you think everyone would have discovered it by now.
3. NEVER pay more than $15 dollars for ANYTHING claiming to help you make money online. My experiences have lead me to conclude that the more expensive "information" is the worst kind. Schemers are out to make big profits so they are going to charge high. I once paid $25 for a membership to a website claiming to give me legal access to unlimited music and movies. After making the purchase I simply received a Word document telling me how to use Limewire (which is an illegal peer to peer software service that most people know about anyway).
4. Always avoid clicking on links to webpages that have a long URL. For example www.blablablabla.com/102349804985. The numbers at the end are used to ensure that when you sign up for something, the member who has lead you there will be entitled to a portion of the profits you make.
5. Be wary of giving out your credit card. This one should be obvious, but let me go into further detail. If you are giving out your credit card through PayPal, that is fine. If you are giving it out to some random website, you are at a high risk of identity theft.
6. Avoid "flashy" websites with tons of animation. If a website's main goal is to draw you in with colors and animations, how much thought should you assume they have placed into the actual content? Not very much.
7. Avoid websites claiming to make you absurd amounts of money. Hundreds of thousands are just not possible unless you stumble upon dumb luck, or work very hard.
8. NEVER answer to an e-mail you have received that requires you to donate cash to get on a list of some sort. These are chain letters and pyramid schemes. They are highly illegal, and only work for those who start them. And those who start them end up in prison.
9. Be careful of websites that show up first when you search "make money online." These sites appear at the top of the search engines because they have learned how to manipulate them. If they can manipulate Google's search engine, what makes you think they do no plan to manipulate you?
10. Avoid the "Please Check out these Offers, they help keep our site free" scam. Schemers want to make their site appear as legit as possible. Therefore they sell a product and make it look as though it is an outside offer not associated with them.
I was able to compile this list because I have been schemed in every way listed above. The majority of us have to make several mistakes before learning how to make money online. However, by following the tips above, you will increase your chances of making money online without getting scammed. The links below provide further information and assistance on how to make money online.