One of the comments I got from my followers recently was “I have a challenge of identifying the scammers from genuine online businesses. Most online business platforms ended up taking my money.”
So I’ve put this article together to help anyone facing the same challenge understand how to spot a scam, so you can distinguish the opportunists from legitimate online business programs.
9 Signs To Spot A Scam
- Unsolicited Email Communication
- Pressure to act quickly
- Requests for money upfront
- Lack of transparency
- Promises of unrealistic results
- Lack of credentials or references
- Suspicious website or Social Media Presence
- Offers To Get Rich Quick or Make Easy Money
- Lack of a Physical Address or Contact Information
1. Unsolicited Email Communication
❌ Scammers often initiate contact through unsolicited phone calls, emails, or social media messages. Some scammers will purchase email lists and spam them with emails those people haven’t given their consent to receive, which is against GDPR regulations. Be wary of anyone who contacts you out of the blue, particularly with an offer that seems too good to be true.
✔A legitimate online business will request your permission to contact you by asking for your email address, follow GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations) or equivalent guidelines, have a clear Privacy Policy stating how they will handle your personal information and provide an Unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email they send you for so you can withdraw your consent at any time.
2. Pressure to act quickly
❌ Scammers will often try to create a sense of urgency to pressure you into making a quick decision.
✔ Legitimate businesses will give you time to consider your options, do your own due diligence and make an informed decision.
3. Requests for money upfront
❌ Scammers will often ask for money upfront before providing any products or services. Be cautious of anyone who demands payment before delivering on their promises.
✔ Legitimate businesses will share information, deliver value & demonstrate their products before asking for money. They know that transparency and demonstrating the value of what they offer upfront are important steps to building trust. Many will also offer free trials or money-back guarantees, so you can try the product out before you buy, or get your money back if you decide it’s not for you.
4. Lack of transparency
❌ Scammers will often be evasive or provide vague answers when you ask for details about their product or service.
✔ Legitimate businesses will be transparent, have a list of Frequently Asked Questions and be willing to answer your questions.
5. Promises of unrealistic results
❌ Scammers may make promises of overnight success or unrealistic results within a short period. Although it can be tempting to want to believe them, especially if you’re in a position where you’re under pressure to solve a money problem fast, be cautious of anyone who promises you something that seems too good to be true. If they can’t back up their claims with verifiable evidence, think twice before committing.
✔ Legitimate businesses will set realistic expectations based on what the majority of their customers achieve rather than the 1-2% who may have achieved exceptional results, can back up any claims they make and will have case studies demonstrating the kind of results real people have achieved.
6. Lack of credentials or references
❌ Scammers may lack credentials or references from previous customers or clients.
✔ Legitimate businesses will have a track record of satisfied customers and will be able to provide case studies & testimonials.
7. Suspicious website or Social Media Presence
❌ Scammers may have a low-quality website or social media presence that lacks credibility. Watch out for one-page websites with bad spelling or grammar, or Social Media profiles where the image is of a woman but the profile name is male for example, or the account is new and has little or no posts or followers and no comments.
✔ Legitimate businesses will have a professional-looking secure website -look for websites that use ‘https‘ instead of ‘http’ in their web address, as the ‘s’ stands for ‘secure’. Most will also have a strong social media presence and will interact with their followers by responding to comments and Direct Messages.
8. Offers To Get Rich Quick or Make Easy Money
❌ Scammers often offer opportunities to work from home or make easy money with little effort. Be wary of anyone who promises you a way to make money without putting in any work.
✔ Most of us know that if this stuff was easy, everyone would be doing it! Legitimate businesses will set realistic expectations about the work involved, and the time it may take to get results.
9. Lack of a Physical Address or Contact Information
❌ Scammers may not have a physical address or contact information that you can use to reach them. This makes it easy for them to disappear at a moment’s notice without a trace, taking your money with them, with no way of tracking them down.
✔ Legitimate businesses will have a physical address and contact information that you can use to get in touch with them. Often they will have a registered company that you can look up,
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Looking For A Legitimate Online Business Platform To Help You Launch A Long-term Sustainable Online Business?
The one program that I started with, and four years on am still a proud member & ambassador of, is called Launch You.
Launch You’s founder, Stuart Ross, has been helping passionate, driven individuals create more freedom & meaning in their life by teaching his own approach to online marketing (called “Authority Marketing”) for over 14 years now and has hundreds of thousands of students pass through his programs. His countless success stories and dedicated followers will attest to that.
I can personally vouch for it being a legitimate, world-class online business training platform, because it helped me get my start in online business and replace my income. Additionally, I’m a marketing coach for Launch You’s higher-level Accelerate and Accelerate With You programs, because I love teaching other people what I’ve learned about online marketing & starting out in entrepreneurship.
But don’t take my word for it! Just because it worked for me, doesn’t mean it will work for you.
Stuart’s approach and his style is not for everyone. Listen to him share his story and describe his approach in this free video series and draw your own conclusion. If it doesn’t feel right for you, carry on searching until you find the mentor & program that’s right for you.
Remember, it’s important to approach any online business opportunity with caution and scepticism. Take your time, get clear on what you want and don’t invest more money than you can afford to lose.
To your success in life & business,
Digital Entrepreneur, Wealth Builder & Launch You Ambassador
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About The Author
Leaving the corporate world and starting my own online business was the best decision I ever made.
It hasn’t been an easy journey – it has been very confronting at times, has challenged me in so many ways, and can be quite lonely – but every day I get to wake up when I choose, work with clients who value what I offer and bathe in the sunshine in the middle of the day, I thank my past self for having had the courage to choose this path.
It wasn’t always this way. Stepping back in time to 2015, I was a loyal, dedicated hard-working employee. Without a partner or a family to come home to, my life revolved around my work… until one day I got laid off.
Suddenly I discovered what it was like not to have to set an alarm to wake up, battle with the morning commute or stumble bleary-eyed into an office every day pumped full of caffeine.
Sitting in the garden in the sunshine, listening to the birds and enjoying the feeling of the warm sun on my skin, I knew this was my opportunity to choose a different path.
I started my online business training in 2019 and knew I’d never go back to working for someone else ever again. The freedom, the control, the creativity, the people I’ve met from all over the world… I’d found my tribe, and finally felt understood. These are people who share my values of living life to the full and doing work that’s meaningful.
Life is meant to be lived, not endured.
Having explored & experimented with various different business models (affiliate marketing, consulting, coaching, training), I’ve fallen into coaching as my primary business model of choice, but am also still dabbling with other business models on the side.
My work gets me out of bed in the morning, lights me up and puts a spring in my step. I find serving people and making new connections all over the world extremely fulfilling. And even better – it pays enough to cover my modest lifestyle, while only needing to work 2-3 days a week, so I can spend the rest of my time learning, studying, visiting friends & family and playing with my camera.
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