The economic meltdown has thrown more people seeking means of livelihood into the hands of fraudsters. The unsuspecting public get scammed in their quest to join an online business to sustain themselves. The desperate will easily throw caution away. He is easily scammed in online business or any business at all. It is important to look well before you leap no matter the threat. The evolution of internet has given birth to a number of business opportunities that were not in existence before. They are businesses one can do online. There are also scams, ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, frauds, tricks, rip-offs, and swindling by con men all in the name of online businesses. Here are tips on how to recognize some when you see them:

• Be Reasonable to Avoid being Scammed.
  How reasonable is the business? Is it promising you $1,000 a day without doing anything? Why do they have to pay money to advertise that? They cannot control the crowd if it were true. Did they tell you to read email and earn $10? Even an illiterate can read 200 a day. To read is only to open the mail since you are not required to read aloud to someone’s hearing. If it is too good to be true, it is probably not true. It is a scam. Run.

• How Transparent are they?
  Look at their website well for full information. Do they have a valid address with street number, zip code, box number, telephone number etc? Sometimes you need to call the number just to confirm.

• Seek Knowledge online.
  Some websites provide information about those scammers. Mcafee Site Adviser is such a site. If the site you are visiting has been reported or has been reviewed by Mcafee, information on them will be available for all to see. If you install the Site Adviser on your computer you will get instant alert anytime you visit the site of such scammers. Type something like this on your browser “Is www.abcdef.com a scam site?”. You can also go to “Yahoo Ask” to find out. All reported cases will be published.

• Ask Yourself whether it is a scam.
  Do you trust your inner self? Please do, because it is very knowledgeable being. Is your mind not settled with the business? Why are you venturing into it then? Even if it is not a scam, you will never succeed in such an online business.

About the author or the publisher:  Tukur Kazaure.  A Professional Accountant, with over 24 years working experience and an IT professional (MCP) Microsoft Certified Professional and MCSD. Author of MS Excel For Professionals. I also hold an MBA. I have a good working knowledge of Oracle Financials. Just retired at 52 years of age.