There are some recent news stories that involve fraudulent ads relating to widespread criminal activity. In some cases, the crime is intentional but sometimes internet marketers fall victim to what they think is good product to use in their affiliate marketing. No matter which case applies, fraud does not pay, and in some cases can result in huge fines, seizure of assets, and possibly prison time. This makes it more important than ever to do some intensive research on your product choices before you launch your affiliate marketing strategy.
Here is how the scam works: Someone surfing the web sees an eye-catching ad for a product that appeals to them. One known ad is the “1tip for a tiny belly.” It is currently seen on a lot of sites, and has gone viral in the internet fraud circles. Once the user clicks on the ad, they are taken to a fake news site with a product that coincides with the ad. In this case, some sort of weight loss product.
The site gives testimonials on how well the product works, so the user clicks on another link that takes them to a page where they can get a free sample if they simply pay shipping and handling. The user enters their credit card information and gets a sample of the product. What they do not realize is that the fine print tells them that their credit card will be charged large monthly or weekly amounts as a subscription to continue receiving the product. In a lot of cases, people lose hundreds or thousands before they are even aware of the scam.
You have to be sure that the product or service you are linking to or allowing to link to your site is a legitimate one in order to prevent internet fraud. Remember that ignorance of the situation does not excuse you from criminal prosecution, make sure you do your research.
If you know of other scams of this sort that trap honest affiliate marketers, please share them here so that we can all protect our businesses.
