List of 25 online scams – How to Detect Online Scams!
Why 99% people fail in the online scenario is because they get scammed and the worst thing is that 90% of those people don’t even realize that they have been scammed.
When i talk about scams, i don’t mean a literal scam which of course are also present, but i am talking about services, products, things that you pay for which are over-hyped, bs, crap, full of promises, free money, pyramid schemes, MLM, fast action scams, etc etc.
There are tonnes of schemes, offers, services, ideas and products these days, and none of those can guarantee you success that’s the first thing you should know!
But it comes to the same question every time, how do you know something your visiting is a scam ?
I am going to show you how to detect scams and how to avoid them, mostly i learned all of these because i have been a victim to almost all of them, so i will be showing you my methods along in detecting online scams, make money online scam, get rich quick scam, investment scams, phishing scams and almost all types. This is a comprehensive & updated list of various online scams going around on the internet up until 2011.
You know something is a scam when,
1. The Too good to be true scams!
If its too good to be true, lots of promises and if the site basically takes you to a fantasy world after reading it, more like a pyramid scheme.
2. The Credit card scams!
Sites that asks you to pay via a cc in a unsecured area, on the secure sites their is ‘https’ instead of ‘http’, they have certificates and their is a ‘lock’ icon on top of your browser bar where you enter the site address, sites that don’t have this means they are unprotected or not encrypted, i.e they don’t use an SSL encryption [which means the information you type will be visible to the owner as it is and is not encrypted]
3. The Safety illusion scam
Sites that shows you icons and logos of various organizations like e trust, geotrust etc, which are not verifiable upon clicking [i.e they are just image]- most of them show you a ‘paypal verified’ but its only a image and theirs no proof if its not click-able.
Avoid such sites which try to impress you with .jpg images as they are truly scammers!
4. The pay now and call later scam!
These sites are usually not scams, mostly shows that the owner is not professional and don’t maintain a automated system, but sometimes they can just scam you.
They ask you to pay upfront and then later contact them via email to receive your product or login IDs.
5. The boasting scams!
There are images of cars and houses saying “i bought this new House or car 2 days ago” [seriously who in the right sense will believe that?] i can put up white house and say i bought it a week ago using my program.
6. The fake trust scams!
There are lots of testimonials of other users, usually with not click-able links, or images of people who you can google up using google image, even a 10 year old kid can put up someone else’s photos and write something as if it was a real customer. Update: Due to a recent act by the US Government, all testimonials should be verifiable upon request or the site showing them can face legal actions. So know your rights, if a site is showing lots of testimonials then you can ask them to verify them!
7. The strings scam!
Some sites offers you something for free, then on next page asks you for a fee or donation and finally you end up signing up for a spam mailing list, they always have a string attached to each offer which directs you to other offers.
There are also some sites that offer you something for free, and on the next page tells you that its only free if you ‘buy’ some other products or if you provide your credit card information!
8. Phishing and privacy scams!
The site asks you to download and install various files or software that have the names of popular media, like suppose there is a site saying “amazing get rich in 1 month formula FREE! – WATCH VIDEO NOW!” and when you click on the video to play it they actually ask you to download and install a file which appears to be named something like ‘real player v11′ or ‘divx player v9′ etc etc, these sites are pure scams! DON’T EVER DOWNLOAD OR INSTALL ANYTHING that sounds fishy! they will hack into your computer using those programs [which cannot be deleted] and steal your private information, cookies, saved passwords and user ids. Be very careful and consider downloading those files from their original publishers like adobe or real, then go back to the site & verify. If it still asks you to download then take action & report the site to anywhere you can.
9. False Apps scams!
A site that proclaims itself to be a application to some top social media or social network site, their might be a site that says it can get you 1000 twitter users within next 24 hrs and asks you to use their twitter application, which usually requires you to enter your user id and passwords, thus hacking into your accounts without you even knowing.
10. Spam land & Social Media Spam Scams!
These are scamming methods of a online marketer to get your information and later resell them to others, this may be legal but very annoying on your part.
One another popular way of spamming that is going around on social media sites like facebook. These spams usually involve when a site promises you something special, a loophole or something really exciting or unknown, for example how to see your friends facebook messages, or see who is talking about you on chat, etc. Then the site asks you to copy paste a code on your browser in order to see this. But in reality, this will never work! The code is a script that is designed to instruct facebook to send messages, links or post on your friends walls with a message, etc. This would make your friends want to use the site too, but in reality everyone gets spammed in the process. The most recent such hoax was the osama bin ladens death. Which created a internet spam on ‘watch osama operation video’, or ‘leaked osama video by US’, of course everyone wants to see that video, but if it was never released then it never exists! All you will do is spam everyone on facebook & might get your account hacked in the process as well. Keep away from trying to exploit facebook, youtube, or major sites. Don’t click any such links & if your friend seems to be posting such things inform them about it & ask them to remove those links.
A site that is being promoted by top online marketers which usually involves or requires you to sign up for their mailing lists in promise of something better and in return you end up in spam land!
11. Coupon codes scams!
Sites that gives you coupon codes saying free access, this might sound good if you like that service and might even be a good thing, but in reality the online marketer is scamming you by saying that it will give you free access to those services using those coupons which they provide, later you will realize that the free offer was only limited for the first few month after sign up etc and you just created a yearly subscription – you got scammed!
12. ‘Get Paid to’ Scams!
All ‘GET PAID TO’ networks are scams! their are some which are true to their words, but all get paid to [click, read mails, write, surf,do offers,etc] are pure scams, they are waste of time and only have one goal – to take your money[or to make you do something to earn them money] and your private information [like those survey sites], they might be run by top marketing giants to some 10 year old kid, and they have no guarantee when they will vanish off from the Internet.
13. Information whois scams!
A site that hides its ‘whois’, in case you don’t know, smart people do a ‘whois’ of a site to find out more about the site owner or the domain owner and information such as where the guy is located or what company hosts that domain, if a site is trying to hide such information from you [as some hosts provide private who-is services] then i would recommend you to be very careful of those sites. They might not necessarily be scam, but if a site is selling something or asking for information & its whois is hidden then you might need to be careful. Not all sites need to show the whois, in fact some major corporations hide their whois for privacy & copyright reasons.
In case your wondering how to find someones whois information, check it here.
14. Investment Scams!
All ‘HYIP’ are SCAMS! Yes it may sound funny but their are thousands of people who lose money in HYIP programs, in case your wondering what it is, HYIP stands for ‘High Yield Investment Programs’, these sites usually ask you to invest say $50 in promise you 200% return within 1 month, i.e $100 in end of the month, and when that time comes they offer you a option to reinvest the same money again to double it, in the end they tempt you to make your friends, family etc everyone join in that scam and finally after few months they will be gone, along with your money. If your interested in HYIP don’t do them online or else do your research & trust only those sites that have been around for decades.
15. MLM scams!
Nearly all ‘MLM’ or related schemes are scams, MLM stands for multi level marketing, i should not be calling it a scam, but MLM is a flop idea that don’t work anymore simply because it requires lots of hard work, no guarantee, cold calling, leads making, etc while their are many smarter ways to earn then MLM.
16. Matrix and cyclers scams!
All ‘matrix’ systems or cyclers are scams. I am not saying they might not be real, but most of them end up scamming you, matrix system is almost similar to HYIP and MLM but with some twists, and it usually involves you to recruit others via your affiliate id and those recruits would have to invest real money, so in this case your not only getting yourself scammed but others as well, so don’t promote or use matrix’s or cyclers unless your sure that those systems are legit and proven!
17. ‘Pay it forward’ or Chain Mail Scams!
The ‘pay it forward’ scam, no i am not talking about the sites that use the pay it forward system[even tho they might be scamming you as well] this pay it forward system is very weird and usually involves physical methods, like someone will ask you to ‘send mails by post’ containing 5 dollars or more to specified location and mention your name as well, then those people who receives it will do the same to others and keep spreading the words, while you might be going around the post office waiting for mails, this might work but try it at your own risk as you cannot trust the person to actually pay it forward.
There is a similar trends online that involve spreading chain mails or posts, avoid these as well. Nothing that involves spreading the word will actually do you any good & you will end up being a spammer. The smart thing is that the person who started these chain mails or emails is actually profiting from your efforts. Yes thats how smart Internet Marketers are!
18. Duplicate content Scams!
Sites that offer free products or bonuses [usually the same bunch of things which almost 99% of the Internet marketers will offer] on purchase of their products, now this might sound tempting [because all the Internet marketers make sure their sales letters are tempting] but the fact is that they are just trying to sell you a product which they even dint create! yes you heard it right, i have tonnes of zillions of PLR, MRR products which i could sell as if my own products, with the sole purpose of making money, nothing in it for you, so avoid such sites. This is also a good way to avoid information overload. You can’t make money online by reading ebooks but only by taking actions!
19. Misleading Advertisement Scams!
“Congratulations you won 1234$ click here to claim them now!” or “you are the 999,999 the visitor, claim your prize here”.
Yes you guessed it right, basically these types of advertisements are from the lotto or pooling sites, where you play and try your luck, its not a scam but a legit thing on their part, however their are TONNES of lookalike sites just like the top sites[free-lotto for example] and those sites can steal your private information or even scam you.
20. Casino scams!
Online casino, well not all are scams, but recently i discovered a software that allows me to instantly create ‘my own casino site’ and boy was i shocked when i found that it gives me exactly the same output as a top casino site has, and the best part is all the money which a player deposits goes direct to my paypal, so be careful as some casinos might just scam the shit out of you! Anyways gambling will rape you up like always, so even if you play at online casinos do it at your own risks, and think about your family before trying it [as sometimes they are so addicting you might end up throwing in all your savings into gambling.]
21. Reputation scams!
Sites with bad reviews – perhaps you don’t value your money, perhaps you do? but if you do, then like all other smart buyers you will do your research on the site or product before buying, type the site name and add ‘review’ to it on google, like ‘click-bank review’, then the mighty google will show you what others are talking about it and you might just save yourself from getting scammed. Most of the time the reviews you read could also be fabricated. So only trust reviews from reputable sources such as amazon, yahoo answers, etc. [the reviews posted by the site itself are of no value & internet marketers would do anything to fabricate information if they want to make a sale]
22. Warez scams!
Warez sites! you might wonder why am adding warez sites to list of scams, well mostly because they might end up hacking your paypal or other private information [including your email] – how?
well everyone wants free stuff, and mostly people do searches like ‘free instant site creator’ and you will only find warez sites that will offer exactly what you want, and some of those software might not be what you want, but spy ware and ad ware that will just destroy your computer! [also torrents are NOT exactly warez, they are different then warez, torrents are p2p media sharing, but people associate illegal torrents, i.e warez to all other torrents, and sometimes torrents can also be used to do the same]. Be careful of what you download & always scan them before running.
23. Script scams!
Sites that offer free scripts or nulled scripts, how cool it will be if i actually had my own facebook site? or youtube? amazing ha? well not so when you find the scripts, of course you can always get a coder to do it for you, but be careful of those ready-made scripts that are promoted all around the Internet, specially the nulled version of a script using which hackers can break into your site, your pc and other important areas where you don’t want them!
24. The T&C scams!
Here is a rule of thumb, Read before you click the ‘I Agree’.
yes you heard it right! always read a companies Terms AND Conditions before you actually sign up for them, because even unknowingly you might be getting scammed legally. Prevention is better then cure, ha?
their are many online companies, some with good reputation some with bad, but all have their T&C along with disclaimer, some of them try to trick people and they do it legally because you don’t read the T&C.
25. Work at home scams!
Sites that offer you work at home can actually be scamming you, these usually involves envelope stuffing, craft working, chain letters,surveys etc where they don’t only charge you but at the same time help them scam your friends and other contacts, be careful they promise you to make money and they charge you for a list of ‘free sites’ that you can find yourself if you did a bit of googling! so be very careful of these scams! Specially the sites that offer you surveys and free offers and charge you as well. If you want to work at home, then do so by freelancing, etc. Also remember, never pay in order to get paid, never pay to get a JOB!
So good luck in your journey in this dangerous world, stay safe and bookmark this page. Don’t forget to share this post, subscribe to my RSS feeds & follow me on twitter @sameerjoad till then have a good day,
SJ
38 Responses 
Leave a Reply 
[...] Go here to see the original: Beware of the Online scams – How to Detect Scams! | Sameer Joad.Com [...]
This is a very nice list and you explained them very well, ty so much i now know how to find scams from most of those sites
thx again for posting
A wise guy with a big heart maxim-1980@bk.ru
Hey, have you seen this news article?
New details about Michael Jackson’s Death Emerge
I was wondering if you were going to blog about this…
i know MJs death, its very sad and painful – one great pop legend died.
I don’t know if i should blog about it or not, everyone already knows it.
nice work man – put some elvis pics on your site
maxim-1980@bk.ru
this site is not about pop culture, so stay on topic please
damn cool site..keep up the good work….n all the best for everything! maxim-1980@bk.ru
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Excellent article, I enjoy every article I read here. Thanks,
and keep bloggin!
Thank you guys, i appreciate it:)
been busy lately with exams tho
Nice design!
Keep up the good work !!!
yeah
I liked it! Keep it Up, Buddy!
Insightful. Inspirational. Beautifully Designed
. The experiences and skills gained through your website be carried throughout my professional career. If only everyone had the same level of perseverance – the world would be an enjoyable place to live in. Ciao for now 
. I hope this message is worthy of being posted maxim-1980@bk.ru
Yur site is excvellent buddy..i like it..keep up the good work ….i recommend it to all ..
Great post..Keep them coming
Thanks for sharing.
I admire the valuable information you offer in your articles. I will bookmark your blog and have my children check up here often. I am quite sure they will learn lots of new stuff here than anybody else! The Commission Payload|
Hi, I found your blog on yahoo. I’m pretty glad to have found your blog because I think it is informative! I will definitely come back! Great resource for my students. Youproblog
Very nice post I love your site keep up the amazing posts
Blogs like yours always make me jealous!
Great work! I keep working to build a following to me charity for cars site, guess it just takes time.
This blog is looking really good, the information is solid. I get discouraged at times until I come across one like this!
Your website is doing very good, carry on with the amazing work that you have done.
Hi! I was just wondering is the blog post appearing for anyone else? All of it is missing from my screen, it’s etting me kinf of nervous. Help?
it is working fine for me lana. which browser are you using?
Of course, what a great site and informative posts, I will add backlink – bookmark this site? Regards
Just a quick comment to thx u for your interesting page article. Do u know where I can find more on this? x
Of course, what a great site and informative posts, I will add backlink – bookmark this site? Regards, Reader.
Hello, I attempted to e-mail you about this article that i have a few inquires, but can’t seem to reach you. Please email me when have a moment. Thanks.
Great blog. Keep up the good writing.
Please, can you PM me and tell me few more thinks about this, I am really fan of your blog.
Very interesting. That’s a new way to think about it. Thank you.
I actually don’t trust the so called work from home guru’s.According to me they simply help us to steel our money.But i should test what you said but i truly think there is nothing easy in the online business.
I like your blog a lot. Well done!!! I ll come back here soon;) good luck and everything the best
Ooohh, I am quite interest in your site. If I using this website, I can earn 100-200 USD daily. I can cooperate with you on the condition that you share 50% revenue with me. If you are interested,please email for me.
Hi there may I use some of the information here in this post if I provide a link back to your site?
yes sure go ahead, but don’t copy paste the exact thing or google will give you the supplement index for duplicate content and make sure you include a link back to my site:)
WOW, it really sounds like you’ve been burned by virtually everything. And very sorry to hear that. Although, it seems you did finally find something you can back and promote (affiliate programs). So, at least you found something you can enjoy, which is what we all simply have to do.
Unfortunately, by generalizing some of the programs, such as MLM, or similar programs, and calling them all scams, is not very accurate. And worse, only hurting those who do believe in them and do currently enjoy some level of success with them. As with everything, there are good one’s and bad.
So, if you truly want to help others avoid scams, which you obviously do, without hurting others who rely on these companies/programs to support their families…let them know a bit more about exactly what to look for and what makes or breaks an opportunity. Simply having to buy a product is not a good indication whether a program is legit or not. As you say, you can’t make money from free. But, if you find the right company and a sponsor willing to help you do it in a way that’s best for you, you can have success in MLM. Just food for thought and hope it helps others.
FYI for your readers, simply because a site is on a secure server, does not guarantee your info. remains safe. Sad, but, true. The key now, is whether it gets encrypted before it is sent over the airways (you’ll see it change as you enter your info. or submit it). And something many sites are also now doing. Just a useful tid-bit.
[...] illegally, such things might be bountiful for some time but in the long run your in loss. Read how to detect online scams to find out more about what you shouldn’t do in order to be scam & spam [...]