Devil in the Detail - How to avoid an online scam

As I become more active online I have become more and more aware of the possibility of being scammed thus I have conducted some research on how to avoid a scam. But before anyone can avoid anything some understanding of what is to be avoided must be gained.

How do scams work?

Scammers take advantage of three aspects of human behavior. Let us look at each of these aspects:

1. Fear of missing out.

The fear of missing out can be seen in a number of situations of human behavior. It is seen in young kids daring one another to do something, most of which bordering on danger if I might add. This is when you are compiled to make a decision immediately under the impression that the offer will not be available for long or you will be left out if not done now.

This aspect is triggered by phrases like "Limited time available" or "Limited space available".

2. Loss Aversion economics.

This aspect is so important that it is a topic studied in economics. This is the creation of a feeling that if you don't act now you will face an even bigger loss. It also increases the fear aspect mentioned in point one above.

3. Reference dependent.

This is comparison of the cost against the anticipated gain. "This is what every business man does" you might say. This, however, is where the method of how the gain will be obtained is not clear or is the projections are over anticipated.

If you critically look at the aspects you will see that all are targeted at your emotion and not at your logic.

Devil in the details:

To avoid falling in the above situations you have to:

a. Be alert

Scammers are always lurking in the shadows and will test you at every opportunity. As someone once said to "You can stop birds from flying over your head but you can stop them from making a nest on your head". Scams will come, scammers will test you. It is up to you to bit or look away.

b. Good to be true

There is an old english saying "If something is too good to be true then it most likely is". Test it, if possible, without committing any money or releasing personal / financial information. Some scams are after your personal information and not your money, identity theft.

c. Devil in the details

If you are able to test it, look at the details. The devil is in the details. Read the fine print, analyze the product, Apply your logic and not your emotions.

Conclusion:

Keep scams in your crosshairs. And avoid being scammed. To learn more on genuine online business, and how to grow your own, click here for a Wealthy Affiliate University Review. Joining is free!!!

Hope this has added to your arsenal against scam. Your comments or questions are so welcome, please leave them below.

Patrick.