Marketing and advertising scams are part and parcel of being on the Internet. Legitimate ads can be found on the Internet, but it’s not uncommon to come across some shady ads and marketing ploys.
TV and radio usually have a little more control over advertising because of the FCC so they can limit fraudulent advertising, but that’s not saying the FCC is good.
What Are Advertising Scams?
Advertising scams are exactly as they sound. They are advertisements for scams on the Internet and print media. The scams come in every shape and size. They don’t care who you are they just want easy money.
Easy money is a dream, but even scammers work hard for you to burn your hard earned money on a pipe dream.
Advertising scams come in all shapes and sizes. It can be a crowdfunding effort or a promise to get your business more hits. They normally sound legit until it is too late. Just remember if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Scams Are Everywhere
If you’re on the Internet, you’ve come across ad scams. The worst part about them is they seem to be exactly what you need. Did you miss your electric bill?
You come across an ad for a $200 electric bill reprieve. You know it’s too good to be true, but you’re desperate. The scams seem to hit home for a lot of the victims or they just seem like a great deal.
Terms And Conditions
Remember the Internet is a place for people to make a living, gain knowledge, and scam innocent people out of money. The ads follow your browsing habits and they aren’t much different from the ads that follow you based on cookies and search habits.
The difference?
They are too good to be true. That will show in the terms and conditions. A lot of these scams don’t’ even have terms and conditions. That is a major red flag. Terms and conditions are written by a massive team of lawyers to ensure the company’s safety in litigation, if that isn’t there, then they don’t care.
If they don’t care about being sued, they’re typically a fake company. It’s funny to think that terms and conditions would be your saving grace, but they can be. Term and conditions are always there if they’re not, it’s a scam. Beware!
Secret To Success
The secret to success is that there is no secret to success. Success is hard work. Now, of course, there are exceptions to this rule like inheritance and hitting the lottery, but the rule holds true. When you see a post or ad speaking of the secrets to success, ignore it. The secret? A con artist is trying to exploit you. The secret to success in each industry is hard work. Daycare industry requires hard work; you can’t get rich quick in daycare. Investing takes work, knowledge, and persistence; you don’t get rich quick.
Do Research
Google can be a great tool. This isn’t an advertisement for Google. Duck Duck Go, Bing, and Yahoo all work just as well. Just use any search engine you trust and get to work. Research the advertisement scams you’re coming across. Someone will have eventually reviewed them and reported the company as a scam. Always be wary when you can’t meet someone face to face for your own safety. Not just your physical safety, but your financial safety as well. Remember you matter to someone and having your money drained and your future ruined will wreck relationships, especially if you’re married.
“Just Like You”
How many ads have you seen directed to people like you? A lot is the answer. Every person like you has done everything ever according to some advertisements. People like you have done plenty, but they haven’t made millions from sneezing. They haven’t pulled themselves from $10,000 in debt to a $10,000 surplus in 20 minutes. People like you are great. The “just like you” approach is incredible. It reaches the basic level of human connection and really makes you feel loved. It’s hard for other scammers to beat.
Red Text
Pages on the Internet that feature advertisement scams are usually full of red text. The red text stands out from the typical black text on the white background that is sported by most Internet advertisers. Colors speak volumes while advertising, but red is really an attention grabber. Then on that red text for advertisement scams is usually a yellow highlight. A yellow highlight shows that the red text is doubly serious. The red-yellow motif is important because it draws people in because it stands out. Red text with yellow highlights tends to be a difficult to turn down for people who are desperate or even people who are interested.
Ad Scams Are Unavoidable
Advertisement scams are always going to be there. Where there is a legitimate business, there is a same trying to cash in on that business. The legitimate businesses are great for themselves and their customers, but their success hurts the losers. What do the losers do? They decide to scam and piggyback off of the successful companies.
You can’t avoid them because they are everywhere. They pop up on signs at major intersections. They pop up on funny comic sites. They won’t go away. Your best defense is being educated. Be educated on the matters at hand. Be educated on if deals are too good to be true regardless of the industry.
Don’t Let It Stop You
There are great deals across the board. Don’t let the losers who scam good Americans ruin your shots at success. There are still incredible deals on the Internet and in life. Too good to be true is typically a mark of scammers but on occasion these deals are real. Don’t let yourself be discouraged from finding a good deal because of advertisement scams. You will eventually figure out what to trust and what not to trust. It takes time and understanding.