Let me tell you a little story. A few years ago I was in pretty dire straights financially. I had myself and two kids to support and no real skills. I decided to start a business online. But, I was afraid of getting "taken". I was afraid of falling victim to internet marketing scams. 

Actually, my fear of internet marketing scams started to become a bigger problem than any potential scam since I became too afraid to do anything. I wasted a lot of time until I learned one thing: it's really not that likely you will be scammed unless you stop using your brain. 

Every time you hear a story on the evening news about someone being scammed you can almost always see that the person wouldn't have been scammed at all if they had just used the brain that God had given them. 

Now, I'm not trying to be harsh, but truth is truth. You see, for the most part, the people who get scammed are people who are desperate. Unfortunately, that desperation makes it easier for them to put their common sense on hold. And when that happens they are likely to get scammed. 

Scammers also know that desperate people are easier to fool so they rely on that desperation, they target people who are desperate and they manipulate them. 

Knowing that there are people out there who are so low that they would prey on desperate people is really sad, on the other hand, now that you know a little bit of their tactics and how they work, it is easier to avoid them. 

The internet, in my opinion, has gotten a bad rap. Some people think that everyone online is a scammer. In my experience it is actually rather difficult to get scammed online. 

Here's what I man. For one thing, virtually every online payment you make will be through a payment processor called Paypal. Whenever you make a payment with Paypal, they give you time to request a refund or even report a problem. 

That makes it difficult for would be scammers to get a way with much. 

Pexels Nataliya Vaitkevich

Another thing to consider is that many of the products and services internet marketers would buy come from a place called Clickbank. Clickbank too has a very powerful return policy (I know, I've used it myself on a few occasions). 

You can get your money back in a day or two no questions asked so even if you did buy a product or service through Clickbank that you thought wasn't worth what you paid for it, you could get your money back quickly and easily. 

Here are a few common sense tips you can use online to protect yourself:

1. Read the fine print. In my experience there are more instances of simply having the wrong idea about what you would get than actually being scammed. I have had some products that didn't quite deliver what they said they would, but I've never been out and out scammed. 

2. Only buy from reputable companies and with reputable payment processors. 

3. And last, but not least, don't ever expect something for nothing. Keep your desperation (if you have any) in check. When making purchases use your head more than your heart. 

Overall, getting scammed is a two person job; it takes you putting common sense on hold and someone who is trying to take advantage of you. Avoid internet marketing scams by using your head at all times.

Keywords: Internet Marketing Scams, Avoid Scams, Common Sense, Desperation, Reputable Companies, Payment Processors, PayPal, Clickbank, Fine Print, Protect Yourself

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