How to Avoid Income Scams

[Music]

Scammers make big promises when they're pitching you a fake money-making
opportunity.

They'll say you can make hundreds even thousands per week and change your life but those promises of big money are all an income illusion.

Hi my name is Rhonda Perkins. I'm an attorney with the Federal Trade Commission and i'm going to show you how to spot and avoid income scams. 

Income scams come in many forms and target everyone they might say you'll make money online through real estate, in the stock market, by selling goods or in other ways. But the biggest signs of an income scam are when someone promises you'll make a lot of money using their methods. They pressure you to join fast
and they guarantee you'll be successful. 

Here's the reality: there's no such thing as a guaranteed way to make money.

If you see an offer like that it's a scam period. The FTC has sued and shut
down lots of companies that have made fake claims like that like this operation the FTC sued for conning 54 million dollars out of aspiring entrepreneurs:

[audio from commercial] 

"Welcome. You're about to receive a very special guide the what reveals how you can make six figures online in the next 90 days or less.

No hype, no bs. Just the honest truth about what it takes to succeed online.

What if an online millionaire offered you his entire business no strings attached?

What if he offered to walk you through every step of running this business?

To train and coach you every step of the way?

Do you think you'd be successful? Of course you would."

[audio from commercial ends] 

Unfortunately the people who invested in that program didn't find success.
Instead, they got a series of training videos and some less than helpful so-called
coaching sessions, and they were out of their hard-earned money. 

So before you invest in a program that says you'll make a lot of money stop take your time and do your research, search online for the company name plus
words like scam, complaint or review.

Be skeptical about success stories and testimonials. They're too often misleading or just plain fake also check with your state attorney general's office.

If others in your community have reported a bad experience, that's a sign to walk away. If you see one of these offers know that the only people getting rich
are the scammers selling the system.

So if you think you've spotted an income scam, tell your friends family and neighbors so that they can protect themselves, and then tell the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Thanks for watching. If this video is useful give us a like share with others in your community, and subscribe to get more tips from the FTC.