How to spot a scam

The IMC Team
The Internet is bursting with excellent opportunities to make money.

… Unfortunately, it’s also teeming with unscrupulous scammers who seek to get rich by scamming honest people out of their hard-earned money.

Today we want to help you SAVE 1000s of dollars by making sure you can recognize a scam when you see one!

One of the most popular scams out there is the “business in a box” hoax. If you are currently in the process of looking for a business idea, chances are you will come across this kind of scam.

The “business in a box” pitch looks something like this:

Wow, sounds like a sweet deal. Or does it?

Think about it… If a company is selling you an opportunity to sell their product, chances are they’ve sold the exact same opportunity to thousands of other people.

(After all, why would they limit their profits by selling the rights to that product only to you?)

That means you have to compete against thousands of other people who are selling the exact same product, with the same website, using the exact same marketing strategies you are!

Do you want be contending with that many IDENTICAL competitors? (Nope!)

Not only that — if the product really was that hot, why isn’t the company selling it itself, instead of merely selling the opportunity to sell it?

… Because they know they’re not going to make much money that way, that’s why.

To make sure that YOU don’t get sucked in by this kind of scam, we’re going to show you how to filter the REAL money-making opportunities from all the B.S. out there, with our handy “Scam Detector Check List.”

Whenever you come across a possible business opportunity, simply consult this handy checklist. It’ll help you discover if it is a real opportunity — or a real waste of money.

You know you’re dealing with a scam IF:

#1. The company can’t prove a successful track record

If you’ve never heard of the company before — and they can’t offer solid proof they’ve got a successful track record — then how can you trust them to help YOU make money?

Be skeptical. Ask questions. If they say they’re a successful company, ask for proof!

#2. You can’t talk to a company representative in person

Before you make a significant investment in a business opportunity, give the vendors a call. Talk to them in person. Ask them hard questions.

If they don’t make it easy for you to talk to them in person, then don’t do business with them!

#3. Former customers have lousy things to say about the product

A little bit of research goes a long way. Try typing “the name of the program + scam” or “the name of the program + customer review” into Google and see what results you get.

If the majority of the results are from former customers saying the product is a scam or a waste of money, then whatever you do, don’t make the same mistake THEY did!

#4. 1000s of other people are selling the EXACT same thing

If your “business in a box” package includes a product for you to sell, do a search on the name of the product in Google and go through the results. How many people are selling the exact same product? Say hello to your competition!

(And how many of them are using the exact same website the company is trying to get YOU to buy?)

If a lot of people are selling that product — and you can’t see any way to offer a unique selling proposition that makes your offer stand out from the crowd — then quite frankly, you’re going to find it extremely difficult to make any money at all.

#5. They can’t show you legitimate testimonials from recent customers

If you are making a significant investment in a business opportunity, the company you are purchasing from should be willing to put you in contact with other successful customers. We get this request all of the time, and have numerous successful customers who are happy to give us a personal reference at a moment’s notice.

(If you’d like to take a look at how we use those testimonials on our salesletters, please look at our sales page for our best-selling course,
Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet.

Look for testimonials that names, photographs, and URLs, if possible. The more information that proves the testimonial giver is a real person, the better.

If the testimonial has a URL, go to that person’s website and check it out. Does it look like the website of someone who’s making good money? Look for the contact info on the site and then email that person to ask him or her directly about the product you’re thinking about buying.

If the person says yes, it really is a good deal, and is still experiencing good results with that product, then chances are it’s the real deal.

However, be on the watch for DATED testimonials. If people were able to make money using this package four years ago — but the profits have long since dried up — then the product’s not going to do you much good now, is it?

#6. The company is charging YOU money to sell THEIR products

If a company is making a product that millions of people are going to want to buy, why wouldn’t they simply sell it themselves — instead of making other people pay for the opportunity to sell it for them?

The truth is, companies like this KNOW their “affiliates” aren’t going to generate any sales. That’s why they need to get your money up front!

Take it from someone who has been running a highly successful affiliate program for years. If someone wants to become an IMC affiliate and sell our products for us, we’d never make them pay. Why should they? They’re doing us a favor!

#7. The company makes outrageous income claims without backing them up with proof

If a company says their product will have you earning tens of thousands of dollars within a matter of weeks, BE SKEPTICAL. There is no magic bullet on the Internet that can promise a five-figure income in 30 days or less.

The truth is, building a profitable business takes TIME. Sure, you can have a profitable business in less than a month… but you’ll probably have to wait a few more months before the money really starts pouring in.

So whenever you see outrageous income claims, ask yourself — where’s the proof?

Look for testimonials that back up these claims. If someone claims to have made incredible money from using this system, track them down via their URL and ask them if it’s really true.

And be sure to listen to your “inner radar” to determine whether the person is genuine or not.

Above all, do your research and ask lots of questions. If you follow these guidelines, chances are you will make the right decisions and pursue the right opportunities.

When it comes to online success, there is no magic pill. If you want to start a real business on the Internet you need to be prepared to put in the time and effort to build it.

Just remember, when you’re thinking about buying into an “online cash machine” opportunity, use your common sense. Because if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.