Everythings coming up Roses

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Opportunity or Scam

This evening, I received a phone call from an individual that at first offered me an online job. I responded that I was currently doing work on a website that I had built at Wealthy Affiliate. I got a very surprising response to my comment. She offered me $50,000 usd for my site as is or if I improved my site significantly in the next 30 days then the offer would go to $100,000 usd. Is this a scam or an opportunity?


Helpful Feedback

Since I have been at Wealthy Affiliate, I have seen others who have posted about getting offers from outside sources. The advice we gave to them was to be cautious and check out the company or individual who made the offer. Unfortunately, I did not get her name or number since I was in a state of shock.

She pulled my website up and went over most of the Posts that I have there and commented on them, even the reviews. This sounds to good to be true. It is however motivating to me to have this opportunity(?) at this time.

A Thorny Issue

This raises all sorts of questions of which way a person should go. Should I take the money and run? Should I just continue to build and walk away from a lucrative amount of money? Should I look at this as a scam? Am I too trusting since opportunities just don't happen to everyday people?

These questions and many more are crowding each other in my head at this time. There is one thing that will not happen. I will not make a decision of this magnitude without consulting with my wife or praying about it.

Caution to All

For those of you who are new to WA this is not an everyday occurance, do not think that all you have to do is build a website and you will have a buyer for it in six months or a year. An opportunity like this is rare. Do not take anything for granted. Trust in the training and master it. Once you have mastered it, go through it again to learn what you missed the first time.

Please leave your thoughts and comments. All are welcome.

Jerry

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Recent Comments

41

Featured Comment

Ask them to send you nonrefundable "earnest money," maybe $1,500 and watch them go away. Earnest money means intent to consider a contract. It is usually nonrefundable. It is done a lot in real estate to communicate honest intent from the buyer to the seller to purchase (Hold the property off of the market while the transaction takes place).

I am sure that you will not hear from them again once you ask for that.

1) If they ask you to send some money before you receive yours, then it is a complete scam.

2) If they send you a check over the amount requested and ask you to send the difference to them, then it is a complete scam.

Very slim chances that it is real...sorry to say.

P.S. I went to youtube to try and find a video you could watch about scams, and I saw a funny comment under one of the videos, "Biggest scam of all times, "I love you." Don't know why, but I thought it was funny. Haha.

By the way, I have built and sold many websites online. The only way I would do it is through an escrow account.

Here is a good article: https://www.sitepoint.com/10-places-to-sell-your-web-site/ I have used Flippa several times. Very good. You can say to them. Yes, I will put it on Flippa and we can have the transaction escrowed.

Websites have been sold on Flippa for several hundred thousand, very rare. Take a look at what most websites go for on Flippa and you will see that the offer was way overpriced. A decent e-commerce website goes for a few thousand on average with good traffic and revenue.

If you are wondering how they found you, it is called a scaper. It will go out on the internet and find telephone numbers and email address. They will then contact you with an offer. They have Wordpress plugins that stop scrapping. I would recommend one for privacy. Here is an article: https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/beginners-guide-to-preventing-blog-content-scraping-in-wordpress/

There is a white hat way to use a scraper and a black hat way. I scrape for keywords of other websites. It produces the contact information, and then I submit a request to guest blog. That way I am posting links to my website in the niche category. So, not all scraping is bad. I have software that does this.

Thanks.
Jerry

I like the advice about putting it on Flippa! That is what I will do if I am ever in the same situation, as there is too much I do not understand about the process and possible scams!

E, write a post on this same process as you are describing, invite me, so I can find it again, please. Yes, and that's why I chose to follow you.
Thanks, Suzay

Thanks!
Suzay

If it sounds too good to be true, it usually a SCAM!! They are everywhere! And it is no surprise. They take advantage of people because people become desperate and then get "raped" by the scammers. I have had this happen to me more times than I can count. I did finally get wise and realize there is no easy path! As others suggested, ask for "deposit" money and a contract. You will see if they are serious or scammers. Also, keep an eye on your website. I am sure you know that they can be hacked, stolen, taken over and/or copied! Keep an eagle eye on everything! Good Luck and I hope this turns out O.K. for you. And, if the offer is true, (which I doubt) I would definitely take the $100,000 and run to the bank as fast as I could! Oh, another word of advice. They may just be trying to get your banking information. My husband and I set up small accounts at our banks to deal with just such things. That way, if they get your information, it is not your main account. With a small account, we just keep a few dollars in there, and if it is ever compromised, we can easily close it without losing our shirts! Just a thought! It is a shame we have to be so cautious, but people can lose EVERYTHING if a scammer gets your main bank account information. It is scary! BE CAREFUL!!

I like your advice, once you think you have learned it all, go back and see what you missed! Let us know how it turns out for you.
Sandy

Certainly something for consideration that involves legal & financial implications >>> contract law, depending upon your jurisdiction....

You are your best guide first of all, follow your nose as they say.

It's similar to the sale or purchase of any business -- have everything in writing, including any deposits (non-refundable/refundable?) ... terms & conditions et al.... you may want to 'brain-storm' your own list of requirements (if any) going into the talks / discussions / negotiations....

from what you've shared, it just strikes me that the proposing party seems to be a wee bit 'too eager' -- tossing a doubling of the offer within a 30-day period for 'improvements?!' .... i'd question that... that's just the 'skeptic' part of me... :)

...keep well & hope the WA community feedback is helpful to you as you think about the offer .... .. all the best, cheerio..:)



If you want to seriously consider the offer then all you have to is make sure the financial arrangements are in place.
In view of the sum involved, a lawyer would probably be a good idea.
Curious as to how she got your phone number. Is this someone you know?
Further investigation, but of course, you have to be cautious.
Quite frankly, sounds a little suspicious to us.
Be careful, friend. Keep us posted. We care about you.
Colette and Philip

I will most certainly keep everyone posted. When she found out I was affiliated with WA, her price doubled. She remarked that at WA we are always trying to improve our sites and doubled the offer.
Jerry

Was this just a call out of the blue?

yes
Jerry

Thanks for scam alert

Hi Jerry. You are right on. It’s amazing to me at how much effort the scammers put into their hustle. Too many of them get away with peoples money. If it sounds too good it probably is a scam. Hugs

Intersting questions, Jerry. First, I would say to absolutely proceed with caution. I know you've given that advice, but have not heeded my own advice on occasion when something seems like a deal.

Regarding the bigger question; whether to take the money and run.

Perhaps taking the money and going nowhere is an option. If you built a site that sells for $100,000 in less than a year, I bet you can do it again, maybe even better. Maybe even faster; maybe that becomes your niche.

Maybe you sell it for $50,000 and stay on as the main content provider for a monthly fee. They obviously like your work, and I'm guessing you like what you're doing as well. Why not continue doing it for a fee?

Start another site on the side. Tons of options.

I hope it's for real my friend.

Best,
Haven

Over the last six weeks I have been getting advertisers seeking me out. I have had my name come up beside a YouTube video asking for my personal comments. That has rarely happened to anyone. It is if there is a higher power taking this down a path. One thing is for certain there will be prayers from my wife and I about the path we are to take.
Jerry

That is awesome, Jerry.

Keep us posted.

Best,
Haven

Isn’t it sad that we have to question so many thing that sound good and are really not. Thanks for reminding us to be careful in

Barry alias Barney44

I have learned from life experiences to be cautious. I don't always like being cautious but this time I feel I have to be very cautious.
Jerry

Hi Jerry- Thanks for the heads up- there are a lot of people who have sold their websites but not until they are really grown and getting lots of traffic and I am still growing mine so won't be heading to flipper anytime soon :)
Vicki

Be sure that you know everything about the transaction before doing anything. Have an attorney(solicitor) look at it before signing on the dotted line.
Jerry

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