Scams Directed at People Most Needing Money

There are so many people running scams of all kinds. Last years alone (2007), according to the Federal Trade Commission, some 6,000 job related scam complaints were filed. If only 6,000 were files means that there are at least two to four times that many people who were scammed. These people were looking for honest work and instead they found themselves in the middle of a scam. Many were work-at-home related scams asking people to send in some money upfront before they were sent the information. Often people were mailed bogus jobs to do in order to earn an income they could have easily figured out for free on their own by doing some research. Other times they were told they needed to copy the information they were sent and sell it to other unsuspecting buyers. These were obviously not jobs.

The Internet is full of websites promising visitors they can make a lot of money. These programs range from buying and selling real estate, a multi-vitamin, how to get rich quick following their lead and more. Allow me to give some personal experiences and sites I have come across. Just because some people are able to make money at these does not make them legitimate, completely honest, or profitable for everyone.

SFI – I first came across this site some four years ago. You can sign up for free, you get your own website – actually the same website as everyone else who signs up, and you are encouraged to buy their products. To make money, you need to sign up other people, but there is a catch if you do not buy a certain volume each and every money, you do not get paid a commission. This is nothing more than a MLM program as so many others out there, you just aren't charged for signing up. Many college and university campuses are targeted enticing students with claims of profits.

Make a Gazillion dollars websites. A large number of websites try to sell you their program saying how they made $1,000 in minutes or a million in a month. These sites often charge a fee to buy their product or program. Then they send you to a link where you have to download the files or you are sent the information in the mail. These programs tell you to follow what they have done in order to make the kind of money they did.
What most people don't realize is that these programs often incorporate what is called 'black hat' marketing techniques (to learn more search Google). These techniques although not completely illegal will get you banned by Google and many other search engines from ever advertising with them again or having your website indexed so it shows up in a search.

Online Storefronts. Another big scam. Some may invite you to a free seminar or to send you a packet in the mail explaining everything. They will dangle carrots in front of you, people who have been extremely successful by making an unheard of sum of money. They will tell you how easy it is. They will tell you how helpful they will be in making sure you are successful. Then they hook you with a low sign up price. After all that who wouldn't sign up, right? Well don't! Here's why.
These companies do nothing but lure you into a huge money making scheme. After you signed up you are charged obscene amounts of money for hosting a website, support, selling their or someone else's product. It is not unheard of people paying thousands of dollars for things they could easily find for much less or even free elsewhere on the Internet. Also, the support they promised often vanishes the moment they have your money or you are charged for every phone call or contact.

SMC – not a company you want to get involved with. Like the online store scam, they get you signed up as a member. Then you buy their products at wholesale, turn around and sell at their suggested retail price. The problem is, there are so many people, thousands, doing it and you will have to compete with, online or as a storefront in a mall. This company also provides no support, as the people on the phone sound like all they are doing is reading a script, try to sell you even more products and they are always recruiting more people, rather than helping the people already signed up. The company competes directly with its own customers who are trying to make a living. Many people who signed up years ago are getting out because they no longer can make any money, or enough to make it worth their effort.

Then there is the obvious one, you send your money thinking you are signing up to legitimate program only to be sent nothing at all or cheap photo copies of someone else's work.

There are far too many to list them all here. The best thing you can do is do some research into the company before signing up or sending your money to them. Type into Google search the name of the company and the word ‘review’ to see what others have to say about it. In Google you can also type in a question like, “is (name of company) a scam?” and Google will return websites with the information. It is unbelievable how many companies make promises, hinting at how much money you can make by signing up with them, only to get your money and then claim they did nothing wrong.

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