Affiliate Marketing Scams - Why You Should Be Careful explains Faisal Abidi

An affiliate marketer has to be on his or her toes when it comes to fraudsters trying to take advantage of naive individuals looking to make extra money. This article based on the conversation with Faisal Abidi takes a look at some of the top scams that have been around in recent years, as well as some advice on how you can avoid them and how you can report them if they happen to you.

All affiliate programs are not scams

For example, Amazon affiliates program is one of the most effective and legitimate affiliate programs in existence. But you should be very careful and check that program’s terms & conditions before signing up because there are many scams in the name of affiliate marketing. Learn how to spot them and where to find reliable resources to avoid such frauds.

Learn how affiliate marketing works before you sign up

When you join an affiliate program, there’s often a lot of excitement about getting your first sale—but there may be more to think about than just that. While affiliate marketing can be an excellent source of income, it also is susceptible to fraud and scams. Be careful to avoid becoming one of these fraudsters. Affiliate marketers want people who are going to work hard and refer them to good business so they need money to make that happen so go into it knowing what you’re getting into!

Ask yourself this important question

Is Affiliate Marketing for me? The internet is full of a-holes looking to take your money. If you aren’t careful, these fraudsters will steal your credit card information and empty your account out. Before you jump into affiliate marketing, make sure that it’s for you. Here are a few questions to ask yourself: Do I trust myself enough to not fall victim to scammers? Can I keep my identity private online? Am I willing to put in a lot of work before seeing results?

Know who you are dealing with

The internet makes it easy to get in touch with a potential affiliate. Some fraudsters have fake websites and official-looking email addresses that can be hard to distinguish from genuine affiliates when you’re new to affiliate marketing. To avoid falling victim to these fraudsters, do your research into a potential affiliate before sending them any money or signing up as an advertiser on their website.

Don’t get duped into thinking that everyone is making millions online as an affiliate marketer

Despite how easy it seems, making a living as an affiliate marketer isn’t always possible. While there are some success stories out there, you’ll also find a ton of scams and schemes, making it even harder to make money through affiliate marketing. Here are some factors that can help you protect yourself against scams and frauds in affiliate marketing.

Read your contract thoroughly

It goes without saying that you should read every line of your contract. Pay close attention to clauses about affiliate marketing scams and frauds, because if you don’t, there is a good chance that you could be committing fraud on your business partner! Many affiliate programs have rigid requirements for promoting their products; do not break these rules in order to complete certain tasks. If there are grey areas in your agreement, contact customer service and ask for clarification.

Don’t pay for services if there isn’t a service attached to it

Online marketing can seem like a numbers game, and it’s easy to get caught up in hype. It’s not uncommon for many new affiliate marketers to pay for tools that either aren’t profitable or don’t have an actual service attached to them. Don’t fall into these traps. Do your homework and research potential products before you buy in. And never pay for something with promises of future returns, as they rarely deliver on what they promise.

Beware of websites using pictures and names of celebrities or influencers in their ads

If a celebrity or influencer has endorsed a product, there should be an about page on their website that explains why they support it and why you should, too. For example, actress Jessica Alba created Honest Company to sell eco-friendly cleaning products, including diapers. That company is 100% owned by her—she isn’t getting paid by some corporation to endorse their product. Sites using pictures and names of celebrities or influencers in ads may be scams.

Never sign up for any program without doing your own due diligence first

While affiliate marketing can be a lucrative and fun way to work from home, there are many scam artists out there who operate under false pretenses. Ensure that you do your research thoroughly when looking into any particular program or company before signing up to see if it’s right for you. A good starting point is always to look at its Better Business Bureau rating. Anyone with an F rating is cause for concern.