Faisal Abidi Shares The best way to avoid marketing scams

What you need to know about marketing scams, spam, and frauds can be summed up in three simple points: Don’t trust everything you read or hear, look for red flags, and research every offer or investment thoroughly before making your decision. With these guidelines in mind, here are some tips shared by Faisal Abidi on how to avoid marketing scams completely.

Is it free?

Just because something is free, doesn’t mean it’s a good deal. Be on your guard against free trials and free offers that really require credit card information in order to sign up for them. If you have time, check out reviews about a business before making your final decision—most of these offers are scams.

Does it need access to private data?

The easiest and fastest rule for fighting scams? Don’t sign up for anything that asks for your private data. Many scammers will ask you for your phone number, address, or other details before pitching you their service—avoid them all by steering clear of those types of applications. Even when a website is asking for seemingly harmless information like an email address or birth date, it could be collecting data from you without your knowledge.

Is it too good to be true?

It’s better safe than sorry. If you think it’s a scam, it probably is. Look for these warning signs: If you can use a credit card or PayPal without having to give an email address, phone number, or other identifying information, chances are good that it’s not a legitimate offer. Legitimate businesses won’t want your personal info in order to make a sale—just your credit card and shipping information.

Beware of affiliate programs

The easiest way for marketers to get you on their spam list is by signing you up with an affiliate program. An affiliate program allows other people or companies to sell products or services for a percentage of any sales they make. These are often created as an easy and free way for marketers and bloggers to earn money from their sites, but don’t fall into that trap.

Where did you hear about this?

We have seen a lot of spam and fraud on social media advertising one product or another. Now, you know that there are people out there trying to use their hard-earned cash in order to make their lives better, so if you hear about something that’s going to do just that, it’s tempting. However, as soon as We read it on Facebook or Twitter (usually written by someone with very few followers), We realize it’s a scam.