How to Spot Internet Scams

There are a lot of internet scams out there. Many of these scams are "get rich quick" opportunities, which promise you riches beyond your wildest dreams for doing very little work. Unfortunately, many people take the bait, and before they know it, they are out $100 or even $500, with noting to show for it.

While there are some legitimate opportunities out there, it can be difficult to tell the good from the bad. While there is no "full proof" way of telling which programs are legitimate and which ones aren't, there are ways of researching a product to see if it is legitimate or not.

1. Research the Rip Off Report

The Rip Off Report can be a very good source of information when researching a company to find out if it is a scam. You can do a company search to see if it anyone has reported a complaint.

One thing to keep in mind, however, when researching a company on the Rip Off Report is that not all companies are "perfect", and even the good ones drop the ball every once in a while. I have seen very GOOD companies get bad reports, so that is something to keep in mind.

The other thing to keep in mind is that sometimes, someone will "suspect" a company or a product is a scam, and then they will report the company to the Rip Off Report without any evidence. However, usually, its not hard to tell the difference between a consumer trying to be Sherlock Holmes, and a complete ripoff.

2. Research The Online Better Business Bureau

The Online Better Business Bureau can also be a good source of information to spot internet scams. While they do not list nearly as many companies as the Rip Off Report, they have a lot of great information about how to spot scams in general, including different kinds of scams.

3. Research Online Forums

Online forums can be a great resource for information. All you need to is either do a forum search for the name of the product or company you are researching, or simply make a post and ask, "has anyone heard of", followed by the name of the product.

One thing you have to look out for, however, is that sometimes you will have affiliates of the product you are researching sing the praises of a very bad product. I'm not saying that people in forums don't recommend products that they actually believe in - I've made plenty of positive forum posts about Honest Riches and Wealthy Affiliate because they are very good products. However, if 5 people say the product stinks, and only one person says the product is good, then chances a the product stinks. So, try and use your best judgment when researching a product in a forum, but also use common sense.