The Internet marketing world is a treacherous one, and I am confident in saying that almost everyone has been ripped off at one point in their lives. For most people, it can be just a small thing like your item not arriving from an Ebay seller or something similar, but when it involves online marketing, it is a different story.

If you have been unlucky enough to be ripped off by an online service or product, then there is a sense of humiliation and bitterness that sets in. You feel duped and angry about losing your investment into a “Make $1,000 per day!” scheme. You thought you were buying your way into an easy road to fame and fortune but instead got left hanging like a fool!

I have been there too, don’t worry. I honestly can’t remember how many times I have been ripped off.

There is hope guys! Not all sites are trying to defraud you.

9 out of 10 Marketing Products Are Scams!

This is unfortunate but it is true. The horrible thing about these scammy product is that there is no “online police” so if, or when, you do get caught out then there really is nothing you can do! You may be able to claim money back on credit card insurance but that’s about it.

This means the criminals out there are free to sell anything they want and they are very, VERY good at it. If someone who lives in Hong Kong sells you a dodgy product – promising that you can make $500 per day with it – how can anyone find them and prosecute?

The Dangerous Scams

A small percentage of these scams are genuinely illegal and dangerous such as pyramid schemes, and they can cost you thousands of dollars, but luckily these are harder to come across, and most people simply do not have the capital to invest in the first place, which is lucky.

There are also some online stock trading scams floating around and life coaching seminars that try and charge you thousands of dollars and in exchange, you will make millions!

Never, ever, never give any money to anyone online who promises you a larger return within a short space of time – this simply is not possible.

The Seemingly Innocent Scams

However, 95% of all scam sites out there appear to be genuine, and they are INCREDIBLY cheap, and they all have a product which does seem to good to be true – and it is! But, because these products are so inexpensive – usually in the $25 – $300 range it means that many more people get caught out. Why?

Well, it’s a tease. These scam artists are incredibly good at making enticing sales videos that make you believe that “You are the next Richard Branson, you can make this product work and for only $50 you can start, TODAY!”

Most people, including myself, can’t help but think “Well, it’s only $50! I will try it and see how it goes”.

Here comes the humiliating part. Once you part with your money and you receive the product you can see quite quickly that it is incredibly low quality and serves little or no purpose. You waste hours trying to figure out how to work the service and quickly realise that you have been flogged a dead horse.

Here is the kicker, these low-quality services and products are LEGAL! They are sold in the millions every year, and there is nothing that anyone can do. Luckily a lot of them do offer a refund policy but they can take some time to process, and it will waste a lot of your time.

Imagine if someone went to the 99 Cents store and purchased and item, then sold it to your for $100. That is basically what is happening in the Internet Marketing world all the time.

Technically they are not stealing from you. They are just selling you an incredibly low-quality item and WE, this includes me, are greedy enough and stupid enough to buy it.

How To Avoid The Obvious Scams

Any questionable product or service online in the Internet Marketing niche have some tell-tale signs. If you see any of these then run a mile;

• any mention of “Guaranteed Profits”.
• the sales video showing flashy cars and private jets.
• any mention of “Just work 1 hour per day!”
• any promises of massive profits within days or weeks.
• if it seems to good to be true, it is! Everytime!

Think about it. If you discovered a way of making $1 million in a year – would you;

A – Sell the idea to 1 million strangers for $50 per person and;

• saturate your own market by flooding it will 1 million people selling the exact same product or service.
• get called a lier and a thief by thousands of people who failed to make the “easy money you promised”
• have your face branded a criminal on thousands of websites all over the Internet

OR…

B – Sell your idea for $50 million to another company or investor in one simple sale?

I know which one I would do so next time you are presented with a “This is too good to be true video”, think to yourself;

“Why is this person selling me this idea for only $50 when he says you can make a 7 figure monthly income?”

If you come across an IM product, and you need some reassurance, then search for the product on these sites;

• One More Cup Of Coffee
• I’ve Tried That

The chances are they have reviewed them at some point, and they are honest and straight talking.

Products To Avoid At All Costs

The following types of products should never be purchased. This is because none of these can ever produce positive results as Google wants fresh and original content and when it comes to any kind of stock trading, e-mail marketing, paid advertising, video marketing or product sales – nothing can be done automatically, other than automating menial tasks.

• Automatic back linking software.
• Article directory writer/submission software.
• Content spinning software.
• Binary/Forex trading software.
• Content scraper software.
• Any kind of MLM (multi-level-marketing) system where you need a “network of affiliates to join you”.
• Any service where the product itself is cheap and low quality but the real money can be earned by getting other people to join with your affiliate link.
• Automatic social bookmarking software.
• Social media automatic profit software.

Be wary of anything that offers an “automatic” or “hands off” approach because every successful blogger or affiliate marketer knows that there is no such thing as “automatic” and “money for nothing”.

There are tools out there which can make your workload easier, for sure, but everything requires and input and editing from a human hand.

Let’s look at some tools that can actually help you make money online.

And The Real Internet Marketing Products?

I have written a lot about a service which I use personally and has helped me make money online. Here are three articles which cover what you need to know;

• Is Wealthy Affiliate A Scam?
• How Long Does It Take To Me Money Online?
• Want To See How I Make Money Online?

The real, honest and bonafide services out there offer you a realistic view of what you are paying for. They do not try and deceive you at any point.

They will always point out that “Making money online takes time!” – Because it does. No honest merchant out there will ever say any different because they know for a fact that they will disappoint you.

The real Internet marketing services out there are simple but effective products, and you can check out 99 of them on this list.  However, the point to note about ALL these tools and services is that they make your life EASIER and they ASSIST you when you work online. They no NOT magically start making money for you on autopilot – you have to do the work yourself.

Why Internet Marketing Is A Scam

Internet marketing is just like used car salesmen – it has a VERY bad reputation, and for good reason. For every one quality and reliable service or product out there, there are 100 nonsense ripoffs that spread mistrust and fear amongst newbie affiliate marketers.

This results in the standard, and unfortunate, attitude towards any mention of “making money online” as; Affiliate marketing/Internet marketing is a scam!

This means you have to do your own due diligence and find the product or service which DOES WORK. Just like when you find a car dealership whom you can actually trust, there is no better feeling, knowing you are in good hands.

But we all know that there are good guys out there. People like myself and others at places like Wealthy Affiliate where you can find genuinely helpful and friendly individuals who want to succeed, just like you.

If you are unsure where to start then, this video may help you find your way.

Please do leave a comment below if you have anything on your mind. I would love to hear your side.