How to Make Money Online and Avoid the Scams
This is a guest post from Joe and Steve from I’ve Tried That. As far as I’m concerned, Joe and Steve are the same person. This will likely turn out to be false. Also, neither of them are the guy in this picture. Read, comment, go to their website, and I’ll be back when I’ve recovered from writing an ebook.
Even with a seemingly clear-as-ice title to lead you, half of you reading this are misunderstanding me. Well not you, of course, but some other reader less savvy than you. Because you’re an IttyBiz reader, you’re better prepared than most who come to the Internet looking to supplement their income.
You’ve already learned the lesson most people have yet to learn: those who go to Google and search for “make money online” are like country rubes stepping off the train in the big city and asking, “Can anyone tell me where I can give away a lot of money?”
This post is the first in a series designed to limit the blood loss you’re going to suffer if you’re one of the rubes.
It’s a Scammer’s Market
Where do those easy victims go wrong? Their first mistake is the expectation they bring to the table Google altar. When they type in “make money online,” they’re actually looking for jobs they can do from home on their computers. The difference is important: making money online involves running a website or many, affiliate advertising, SEO, contextual advertising, and other tactics you read about here. It’s a pretty sophisticated undertaking. Working from home, on the other hand, is a simple one. You find an employer that needs skills you already possess, and you convince him or her to hire you.
The problem is that newbies think they’re searching for work from home jobs. Knowing this, the scammers write their pages to make affiliate marketing (a sophisticated money making proposition) look like a “rebate processing job” that looks simple.
If you’ve spent any time at all in the work-at-home niche, you know that it’s a fairly slimy corner of the net. It’s full of hucksters, shysters, liars and thieves, many of whom rank high in search engine results. (Editor’s note: All guest posts on IttyBiz now need to use the word “shysters”. Is that not the awesomest word in history?) They rake in thousands of dollars per day by selling the secret of how to rake in thousands of dollars a day by selling the secret of how to rake…you get the picture (for a clever satire of this deceptive hype-based approach, see You’re a Poor Loser.com.). Many are sucked in every day. You won’t be among them after reading our posts.
Pulling Your Emotional Strings
These hapless searchers for online income are ripe and ready to have their emotional strings pulled by flashy websites full of shiny, happy people and wads of cash. They are only too eager to believe the message that making money online is easy and everyone’s getting rich online except you! For only $197, they’re told, you, too, can learn the secrets of making $5,000 dollars a day in your underwear! People under financial stress are not always well equipped to make smart financial decisions. The result is even greater financial stress after throwing money at a scammer.
A struggling single mother of two toddlers, a retiree who’s discovered too late he can’t live on his retirement income, a two-parent household bitten by adjustable rate mortgages and rising gas prices: these are the types of people we see every day at I’ve Tried That (”We lose money so you don’t have to.”). They’ve searched for information about a program they’re ready to spend money on, and they decide to check it out a little first.
Sometimes they spend the money first and then come to us a little too late, but ready to start the disappointing process of bubble bursting that is necessary before they can really begin to make an income using the Internet.
I hope our small series of posts will add to Naomi’s excellent work here at IttyBiz by beginning or continuing that bubble bursting process for you, wherever you are in your pathway. You can never learn too much about the work-at-home niche and how to avoid those who would prey on you.
Next Post: How to Spot the Scams
When I used to search for freelance I used to run into alot of the same problems that desperate people looking for work online would run into…
That is doing work for absolutely dirt cheap because of the way these auction style websites were setup to bid on freelance jobs. It got to the point where I outright dismissed doing any freelance that didn’t approach me and I almost completely gave up on Craigslist.
We are, in fact, different people. Equally awesome however. Joe wrote this series and thank you Naomi for publishing it.
Too many people are out there searching for the get rich quick. I am surprised how many people, some very close to me, fall for these things. I hope you don’t mind that I pass these words of wisdom along to them. As I tell a lot of people, a little common sense goes a long way.
The old but wise saying “If it sounds to good to be true, it properly is” comes to mind!
It’s sad stories like these that perpetuate the myths that all SEO is evil, because the way the scammers are doing it, it is. It gives the impression that is all SEO is, when it is not. That’s why Naomi’s book is so awesome.
I’m glad to see this kind of post here. I didn’t know about you guys before, so it looks like you just got another subscriber. :)
Hey I’ve-Tried-That guys! You’ve caught yet another new subber from your swell intro here. Looking forward to your series since reading expert advice on the ways to not do things that I’d never do anyway always gives me a private boost without anyone thinking I’m too smug.
Not that I enjoy watching other people’s pain (well, not like Tei does at least), but I think your writing is more like watching a trained comedian slip on a well-placed banana peel and dive into a glorious prat-fall… since anyone too busy searching “make money online” to see the banana peel right in front of them kinda deserves some minor splat. Clicking over to read more of you now — IttyBiz always has great guest posters –
I went out and checked the site. You got to see the part at the bottom that shows number of people and amount of money “saved”. That’s awesome! It’s great to see people fighting back against the scammers.
Thanks, Michael M. We’ve seen some really sad stories from people who’ve been victimized. Single moms throwing away their rent money to a data entry “job,” disabled people so desperate for money they cash fake checks only to end up thousands of dollars in debt. And yes, perhaps they should have known better, but they’re still victims of crime and when scammers intentionally take advantage of the ignorance they know is out there, it’s crazy-making.
@Timberooni: I learned to stay away from those freelancing sites when I saw I was competing with folks in India who would work for $5 per hour when I was charging $35 and up. Craig’s List, though, was a very good source for me. You said you “almost” gave up…have you had success with CL job/client searches?
I have to wonder which of these programs said “Make sure your price ends in 7.” Has someone done a study or a split test showing that prices that end in 7 make better bait?
How much money is Naomi leaving on the table by taking the high road with a price that ends in 9?
What’s really hilarious is that when I get the emails notifying me of new comments to this post in Gmail, I see nothing but ads for these kinds of “rebate processor” services.
I teach a class on how to create a product (a good one) for your online business targeted to your market. One of my students called me after the first class and wanted a refund because…..wait……”she didn’t realize it was going to take WORK”……I couldn’t refund her FAST enough. Guess she’ll just go back to buying “crap” in a box with a “pot o’ gold” at the end of the crap colored rainbow. I’ll have to send her to the “work-at-home” niche. Does anyone really believe it won’t take any work to make a bazillion dollars in your underwear while your underwater basketweaving?
First and foremost, thanks should go out to Naomi for introducing us to you. From the comments, I can see that I’m not the only person who didn’t know about y’all until today.
Now…this post has generated yet another subscriber for you…and whetted my appetite for more. Keep it up!
Joe,
Great post, and, dare I say it, noble calling, trying to keep people from falling for this stuff. It was around in the pre-digital era, of course, but it is SO much easier to get suckered into now.
There’s only one way to make $5000 bucks a day in your underwear. Call Eliot Spitzer. Ahem.
I can hardly wait for the rest of the series. Another great guest, Naomi!
Regards,
Kelly
I’m not trying to play devil’s advocate . . . okay I am.
But anyone who knows what viagra is and can find nigeria on a map knows the internet is full of scams.
Even before the internet when I was still in school you used to get those letters saying if you sent some guy money and then sent out a whole bunch of letters, then people would send you money.
But I think also people - especially older people - tend to forget that the internet is also a magical place where magical things can happen - like making money for instance - thanks to the wonders of technology and clever people with good ideas.
Fancy the idea of a non-naughty software program that can do all your social bookmarking for you or upload all your home made marketing videos to all the video sites at the same time. Sounds like a scam.
That poor loser thing has been the highlight of my day. But then, its still early. I will be following you geysers site. Cheers.
You only want them to use the word ’shyster’ because you use it. I saw you. Like four posts back.
I’m on to you, Dunford.
Whooo, this is cool… kind of a Consumer Reports for spotting shysters on line…hats off to you guys. Great guest post. Look forward to the series. Let me click over and subscribe….
Thanks for the response, folks. GirlPie, that’s possibly the best complement I’ve ever been given on my writing. At least, I choose to take it that way. You might have meant that it’s predictable and stale, but the world is prettier when I’m half in denial.
@Kelly: that method might work for some of
usyou. Not for me, alas.@Tammy: it’s amazing, no? People believe that because that message is aggressively marketed online and because the want to believe it. I’m interested in hearing more about your class. Will I find more info at your site?
Joe — you’re maybe doubting a compliment? Print out all these comments and add them to your ‘nice letter’ file. You DO have one, don’t you? EVERYONE should —
For all the nice cards and comments and notes and testimonials and thank yous that people all throughout your life send or give or email to you… that file you look through when you’re a little down in the dumps, to get a little lift and feel better and get back to doing what you do that makes people want to have you as a guest poster and sub to your blog and buy your books… yeah, compliments go in there.
Joe,
He’s got enough trouble of his own making. I do hope it wouldn’t work for you.
Effort will be required to make money. And in all probability, clothing.
Until later,
Kelly
A great starting article for newbies to this industry.
Joe, thanks for the interest. It’s not on my site because 1. My site is the crappiest site online and I’m imploding it like a cheap vegas hotel. My PR Bricks and Mortar friend recommended the name “it sucks” and I changed my name to “The Renegade Business Coach and Mentor” because I am (a renegade that is) - oh where was Naomi when I was creating my sucky site-I get like 2 visitors a year….and B, because it’s in Beta mode and will be fully launched in the fall after I get my first classes feedback-so far it’s been great. Will keep you posted though and so appreciate what your doing out there to keep the “shysters” at bay. - The Renegade - currently underwater basketweaving in my underwear.
[...] teach you how to avoid SCAM affiliate products and programs. WHY? Because most affiliate products have bad ratings and I can tell you from a distance if a [...]
[...] This is the second post in a three-part guest post series about making money online and avoiding scams during your search. It’s by Joe and Steve of I’ve Tried That. They still maintain they are separate people. I still maintain they are not. Read part one here — How To Make Money Online and Avoid Scams. [...]
Learning how to make money online is just like learning how to ride a bike. You will suffer and fall down a lot in starting.
Sometimes it is difficult to identify scams due to false statements. We should join programs where there is a chance of getting our money back soon of course in a leagal way.
[...] guest post series from Joe/Steve of I’ve Tried That. Haven’t read the first few? How to Make Money Online and Avoid Scams and How to Spot Online Scams [...]
[...] Ittybiz (a great non-scammy website) has three must-read posts before listening to any internet business pitch online or offline; How to Spot the Scams, Can You Tell a Scam from the Sales Copy? and How to Make Money Online and Avoid the Scams. [...]