Filed under: Articles | Tags: advice, affiliate marketing, direct sales, home based business, home business, internet marketing, internet scams, locusts, MLM, work at home
What is a scam artist? I thought long and hard before writing this article as not to offend anyone. Nobody would ever be complimented by being called a scam artist. A scam artist is one who takes your money for product or service and never delivers anything to you. They run off with your money to never be heard of or found again. Unfortunately, there are many folks out there who operate in this way, especially on the online.
It has been my experience that there are similar traits in a lot of home business affiliates and distributors. For example, I have found that “program jumpers” have similar traits and characteristics to that of scam artists. Actually, they more resemble a common species of insect that damage agricultural economy…the locust! Like locusts, these people usually jump ship into every new program that comes along. Whenever a new program launches, they are there at the beginning, taking what loyal customers they have with them, and playing the pied piper until those customers have been sucked dry by each and every new opportunity out there.
Here is an article I found at Encarta. Let’s see if this resembles any of the so called “Internet Guru’s”:
Locust (insect), common name applied to a number of jumping insects and especially to the true locusts, which are migratory grasshoppers (see Grasshopper). The true locusts cause great damage to crops wherever they swarm. Control measures include the spreading of poison bait and the plowing under of locust eggs. Infestations threatening large regions of the United States are combated with insecticides sprayed by planes and truck-mounted mist blowers provided by joint federal-state programs.
Aside from the true locusts, the periodical cicada (see Cicada) is another important insect to which the name locust is applied. Grouse, or pygmy, locusts are small, jumping insects that are of little economic importance. Most species are dark brown and are less than 2.5 cm (less than 1 in) in length.
Now, does this sound like something you’ve seen or witnessed online? I would love to warn you about these people by name, but would never do that. I will however, give you things to watch out for and let you be the judge.
If a person has joined 3 or more programs in one year, they are probably program jumpers, which as we see above, have similar traits to the locusts and do more harm than good. These people are simply out to take your money. No wonder they are making so much money. They have perfected the locust style of business.
A truly successful and experienced entrepreneur takes the time to get one program off the ground and running successfully before heading into new ventures. Also, a more ethical entrepreneur is less likely to encourage members from one opportunity to follow them into additional opportunities.
Take the time and look at the entire situation whenever you’re being asked to join a new program by a previous or current sponsor. Has that person helped you to get on a good foot in the current program. Have you already paid all initial start-up fees for the current program? What does your sponsor have to gain by recruiting you into the new program. Often times, such scam artists will make promises without delivering on them, and will offer incentives or freebies for joining the new program. They offer these because they stand to gain much more than they’re providing to the customer.
Legitimate home businesses aren’t meant to bring instant wealth. Businesses, whether internet-based or otherwise, take time and effort to get off the ground. My suggestion is that you find a good one, spend the better part of 6 months to a year getting it off the ground and running successfully, and be sure that any future ventures you pursue can be easily integrated into your current business. having opportunities that compliment each other can make for better marketing!
