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Friday, May 2, 2008

Online Scams?


There are alot of online scams these days, and you better be prepared for another one. I know that, because I've fallen to dozens of them, and it really hurt my wallet. So, I'll try to prepare you for the next guy coming after your wallet. Here`s an effective guide to spot a scam:


1- If it seems to be "too good to be true"- it probably is. No one will offer you anything for free, and it took me a lot of years to realize that. The internet is full of "misters with candies", who just stalk to take your money. Avoid "too good to be true" offers.


2- If you really find what you were looking for, and you're not sure if it;s a scam, try to Google the keywords of a product to find out first. For example, if you've found a great Spyware removal tool called "ultra spyware remover" , but it just seems to be too good, Google "ultra spyware remover review", or even better "ultra spyware remover scam". Supprisingly, there is a whole bunch of honest people out there, who really review products, and don`t try to sell them.


3- Don`t pull your wallet the exact moment you've read a sales letter or a sales pitch. For years, I wanted to buy the product immediately after I read it. You have to realize that the guys who write sales letters are pros, trained to make you buy the product. Don`t fall for the stories of "how I made $323 000 just by pushing a button" or even better, a guy showing you his brand new car that he earned "just by pushing a button". Always find the info on the product from other people by a method of Google searching:

"PRODUCT review"
"is a PRODUCT scam"
"PRODUCT scam"

If the product gets positive reviews by a majority, it's ok, and you can buy it.


4- Many copywriters won't be pleased with the stuff that I'm going to reveal to you now, but hey, to me, a customer satisfactions goes first. Many sales pitches will try to hypnotize you by following rules:

-a great headline that will force you to read on. Yeah, many businesses crack only on headlines. If they are bad, a potential customer will just leave. If they are good, a potential customer will read on. Keep that in mind if you decide for a "too good to be true" offer.

- copywriters use powerful techniques like turning features into benefits, so you bite some more. Keep in mind that they will turn product features into a "hard to believe" benefits for you. When you buy the product, you will see that those features don't produce such huge benefits to you after all.

-marketers will always try to bribe you with free "over delivery". For example, if you buy the product, you will probably get dozens of free "quality" ebooks on "how to..". Don't fall for that one. The free material you get is probably crappy, and you can find it for free anyway. Consider that on your next shopping.

5- Finally subscribe to scambusters.org. It's really a legitimate website when it comes to spotting scams. I highly recommend it.


Don't pull your wallet the next moment. Search the internet for independant reviews of the product. Consider that the guys who write sales letters are pros, and they really manage to emotionally lite you up to buy with simple techniques like writing appealing headlines, turning features into benefits and overdelivering you crappy products. So, stay on your guard.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I really like your suggestion not to "pull your wallet" as soon as you read the sales page. Nicely phrased.

Rodger