You are not happy with your job and keep seeing these testimonials online, such as: “I get paid to post links on Google” or “Stay at home mum earns $500 a day”.
So you start clicking on all these links. You find a website that promises you will make $2,000 by posting ads online and, if you do it properly, you could quit your 9-5 job and make money from the “comfort of your own home”.
That’s exciting! You will have to post ads and then process e-mails, meaning that you have to respond to people who are interested in the ads. You are promised $20 per e-mail. Sounds good, right? You do the math and see that if you respond to 50 emails per day you could be a millionaire next year.
However, to get the ball rolling you have to register in their program and pay a one-time fee, of $25 or so. Well, as against what you estimate you will be earning, that’s peanuts. The trouble is, it’s a scam.
How to avoid: don’t even consider doing this - you will pay the money but never get paid. If you’re lucky enough to have a job, hang onto it until you find another, proper, one.