Just Cause a Product Makes Money Doesn’t Mean It’s Not a Scam

I do a lot of research when I write reviews. Unless it’s a sure scam blatantly standing out in the open, I like to join and see what’s on the inside. Behind the scenes where all the action actually takes place. Learn what there is to offer and then write my most honest opinion. And there is one argument I hear all the time when I’m researching these programs.

“It’s not a pyramid scheme because there’s a real product being sold. You’re not just recruiting people. Therefore, it’s not a scam!”

While I’m not planning on calling anyone out at this moment, the people with this argument need to understand something.

Just cause a product makes people money doesn’t mean it’s not a scam.

When most people think of scam and pyramid scheme, they associate with the fact just about everyone loses money on those programs. But that’s the thing. While most may lose money, some DO make money with these scams as long as they hustle hardcore, even if it is a little unethical (I get it, desperate times call for desperate measures). We all want to become rich so we can live a full life, right?

One recent example of a scam making people great money, but sending most into house size debt is Mobe, ran by Matt Lloyd. The FTC recently shut them down, but for months I got a lot of hate comments and emails from people in the program after I posted a review. I admit it was written a little harsh but, at least I saved people thousands of dollars that decided to head my warning. I think that’s worth all the negativity and personal attacks I’ve received.

You can hear what the FTC had to say here.

So what is a scam defined as according to Merriam Webster?

Definition of scam
:a fraudulent or deceptive act or operation

When it comes to reviewing online programs and whether or not I blatantly call them a scam. It’s not completely about how much or how little people make with that program. Because the fact is people can lose tons of money on legitimate programs by not following instructions and taking action. Or they can make a ton of money from a scam or pyramid scheme by being deceptive and deceitful to the people they’re selling too.

And you don’t just find scams online either. They’re everywhere.

Recently I crossed the border from Thailand into Laos heading towards the capital. There were tons of taxi drivers all being friendly and offering to drive me the rest of the way.

I’m an open-minded person so I always like to hear the price they are offering. The thing is they are always overcharging what the price should be.

I got one offer on the Thailand side for about $100 in USD. When I say “No thanks” they will almost always cut the price in half because even half the price is great pay for them.

Once I got through immigration and made it to the Laos side, once again, I was getting offers to be driven all the way (It’s about 40 minutes from the border to the capital for reference). I explained to a few of them that I’ll take the bus instead and asked them how much that was and they tried telling me it was 3x the actual cost of the ticket to make their offer look more appealing.

While in this example there is a true service being sold, it’s considered a taxi scam because of how deceitful these drivers were being to me with the overpricing and lying about you could say their “competitor” the bus.

So, What are some tips to avoid scams?

Well, for one, anybody promising you riches but asking for an upfront payment before you even see the product is a huge red flag. How do you know what you’re receiving? How do you know it even works? Just cause some guy in a fancy suit tells you it does, you should listen?

Everybody has a gut feeling when making these kinds of decisions and sometimes it’s just best to follow what you’re already thinking in your head. Can this guy be trusted?

You know the answer already. Don’t let money and greed push those thoughts away. There’s always going to be tons of other fish in the sea to make money in this world. Whether you’re already rich or a poor man looking for a way to dig out of this rat hole. Find the opportunity that your gut says you should try. Not the one with second thoughts and this persons ulterior motive.

Number two, If you don’t know what you’re doing before you have to pay this is a huge problem. This really falls inline with number one.

Ask all the questions you have. Ask to see examples, Ask for something that will help you understand the kind of effort you need to put forth and type of activity you need to perform to see those successful results that keeps being talked about.

If your questions can’t be answered and the opportunity presenter keeps beating around the bush, then this is the type of person you probably don’t want to follow and put your faith in.

You can take gambles all you want with the money you have, but you’ll never get your time back which takes time away from more legitimate opportunities out there to attempt. Look for something that is worth your time. And promises of riches is never worth your time when there is nothing to back up the story.

There is no real “secret” that rich folks are hiding that you have to pay for to receive the information. Those kinds of statements are all bogus. Out of the 100 riches people in the world. More than half started in a job in a company and pushed their way up through hard work.

Number three, selling a lifestyle to you instead of the actual product.

Most people at some point in their life has been approached by a friend that joined an MLM company and tells you that if you start buying these products and tell your friends to do the same, you will all get rich just from switching to a different shampoo, or taking these vitamin supplements, or buying vacations through this website instead of the usual businesses you associate yourself with.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been approached by these methods myself, and I’ve used some products offered through these different companies. Some products are even better quality than what I was used to using. But when it came to selling these products to me, it was never about the product itself. It was about how much money I would make using them.

You don’t invest in a business because you’re going to get rich. You invest in a business because you believe in what they are doing. Whether it’s for economic reasons, or environmental reasons, if you don’t believe in the business how are you going to stick through with it? How are you going to put a huge effort to make money in something you don’t believe in?

My website, or really my business, is about searching for scams and exposing them. It’s about helping people save money and looking for ways to add extra cash in your wallet. But exposing scams is a very negative business, and for a while all the hate emails and comments has gotten me a bit depressed about what I’m actually doing on this website.

“Am I doing this for the right reasons?”

Has been a question I’ve been asking myself for a few years and one of the reasons I haven’t posted as much content as I should be doing for my audience that does appreciate the effort I’m taking to help.

Now that I’m seeing scams that I’ve exposed in the past finally being brought to light, and the joyful comments of people that I’ve truly helped save them money. My reasons have renewed and refreshed. This makes me happier to be in this negative industry cause I know now that I truly am doing good for people out there.

Even if there are still a lot of haters, No one becomes successful without a few people disliking them.

If you want to hear more ways to avoid the “make money online” scams then check out this other article I wrote awhile ago. There’s still opportunity out there, and anyone with an internet connection and computer and become a success story, but it does always seem like it’s easier to lose money than to make money.

So learn how to avoid the scams check out my other articles to see what’s out there, and ask me questions if you want to learn ways to add more money in your wallet.