Hello, community! Continuing with our series of materials aimed at beginners, we can’t overlook the topic of scams. Affiliate – it’s a challenging profession for many reasons. But one of the most dangerous aspects of the job is scams, just like shaving, which we’ve already discussed. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, and today we’ll tell you even more about the dark side of affiliate marketing!
Shaving
We’ve already covered this topic in detail in our article. But to recap, the main type of scam in affiliate marketing is shaving. Shaving refers to situations where some conversions are not credited to you, even though they technically occurred according to the offer’s terms. However, the advertiser or affiliate program does not credit it or deducts it post-factum.
The main problem is that it’s extremely difficult to protect yourself from shaving. Our advice:
- Avoid working with questionable affiliate programs and networks
- Always monitor statistics, use your own tracking tools, and respond to any discrepancies between your stats and those in the affiliate program
- Test your campaigns before committing fully, but it’s also a good rule to follow when working with trusted partners
The main thing – always keep an eye on the stats so that, in case of shaving, you can notice it in time and respond appropriately.
Fake Job Offers
Many beginners choose to work in an affiliate team as a “soft entry” into the niche. And it’s understandable: you take minimal risks, get a great opportunity to improve your skills, establish connections, and so on.
But the biggest problem is fake affiliate teams looking for inexperienced newcomers with one goal – to scam them out of money.
There are many scam variations here. The most common is when the team suggests purchasing resources from them. And this isn’t one of those cases where they offer to connect you with a verified seller. Affiliates are simply forced to transfer some money to a so-called “founder” who will supposedly purchase everything, and all you have to do is wait. The justification is simple: you need specific resources for work that are supposedly only available through the team. But the result is clear – no resources, no money, and no job.
Important: always verify an affiliate team before starting any communication with them. Naturally, most affiliate teams aren’t formal legal entities, and you can’t verify information through a registry. So, you’ll need to seek information from the community.
Specifically, visit our Telegram community, where you’ll not only find any information about affiliate marketing but also many job offers. Each question has a dedicated thread, so join us!
Paid Courses
Adding to the topic of scams by fake affiliate teams, we can also mention paid courses. This is a broader issue, as it includes fake teams, self-proclaimed gurus, and outright scammers.
A common situation: an affiliate team says they’re ready to hire you, but since you’re a beginner, it would be helpful to take one of their verified courses. The price may be very reasonable, why not? But after you send the money, you receive nothing in return: no course, no job.
There are also outright scam courses. This is when the seller either disappears after you pay for the information or sends outdated info they found on some file-sharing site.
To avoid such situations – do your research. Research everything: information about the author/publisher, reviews, discussions. Analyze, and only buy when you’re confident you’ll receive useful information rather than just a life lesson.
Questionable Offers from Dubious Managers
This type of scam is less common but can still fool even experienced affiliates. Moreover, they are often the ones at the highest risk since these “characters” seek to profit from others’ work.
There are cases where people claiming to be managers of certain affiliate programs approach affiliates. They promise high payouts and favorable working conditions. But it so happens that the “project is in its early stages,” so all they can provide is a referral link.
In such cases, there’s a high chance you’ll simply be directing traffic to another affiliate’s campaign, who decided to scam you, if not for money, then at least for time. Especially if you trust this “manager” and start buying traffic.
Paid Offers or Affiliate Programs
Everyone enters affiliate marketing with one goal – to make money. And you get paid for what benefits the advertiser – traffic and conversions. So it’s very suspicious when an “advertiser” offers you to pay for the opportunity to bring them profit, isn’t it?
However, such situations are quite common. Affiliates are offered offers with incredible approval rates and high payouts. Just start running traffic. But in reality, if you’re lucky, you’ll gain access to a regular offer available for free on any CPA network. But more likely, you’ll just lose your money.
Conclusion
Where there’s big money, there will always be scammers. And there’s no avoiding it. But you can protect your funds by following the small tips we’ve listed above.
The main advice – join our Telegram community to respond promptly to any threats to your wallet and to know about scammers even before they realize they are scammers!
Best regards, Your Geek!
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