Work At Home Scams

Puttering through cyberspace, I came across this work at home ad, telling me how the seller – whoever they are – “made $76,875.71 in 26 days!”

Now, before I get myself into some kind of libel trouble, I am NOT saying that this fine advertiser is selling a scam.

In fact, I don’t know anything about them.

The ad’s landing page is full of absolutely wonderful… nothingness. The advertiser doesn’t have a name. You can’t say “Hey, this Bob guy made half a mil last year!” And this non-Bob doesn’t tell you HOW you too can make that kind of dosh.

As far as ad copy goes, it’s great. Ignore the deplorable grammar (why didn’t they hire a fantabulous content writer such as myself to avoid that problem??) and focus on the emotions being presented. A desperate single parent, needing to provide for their kids, had to make money fast… are your heartstrings all a-quiver yet? The made-for-TV-Billy-Mays-esque “if you order now, it will be half price and I’ll throw in all this other free stuff” tactic is surefire. I mean, as web courses go, $76 really is a bargain.

But for what? What does the course teach you to do? Is it about web traffic and income streams, like Naomi has? Probably not. Is it an e-book about writing good and marketable web copy, like Jennifer’s? No idea.

The ad merely makes vague references to visiting ATMs – for all I know the lesson is about robbing them!

This advertisement plays on emotion. You want to buy the product without having a clue what it’s about. Believe me, I have seen the good and the bad on offer out there, and even I was tempted to click the Order Now! button. Which means it is an excellent ad; and that means that there is a chance that with advertising like that, the advertiser really did make that kind of money.

This post isn’t about avoiding getting scammed – you shouldn’t be allowed to play on the internet if you don’t already know how to trust your gut on stuff like that. It is merely to point out that in the advertising world, you don’t need to have a product – or even a name! – to make money. Damn, I wish I had that kind of chutzpah.

PS: When you click over to the landing page, and you scroll down to the “beach” image… Is that rocks on the beach, or dead fish washed ashore? Heh. I’d be willing to buy the product if it was dead fish – I like a little truthful cynicism in my advertising.