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Avoiding Affiliate Marketing Scams
By Sherry Frewerd

As long as the internet has existed, there have been scammers out there waiting for the gullible work at home wannbe to come along and fall for their slick pitch. The affiliate marketing industry is no stranger to the pitfalls of online scammers.

The ability to create passive income with affiliate marketing is a great way to supplement your income, but also a major way to find yourself at the mercy of scam artists. Simply type in the keyword phrase 'work from home' or 'make money at home', and you'll be inundated with millions of results. Click on the first couple and you'll quickly notice that the song and dance is all the same for the most part. The sales methods are virtually the same, fancy house and car, pretty blond at a handsome guy's side, and they both had previously been homeless. You too can have what this lucky sap now has, and only by putting some banners on your website or by buying his 'how-to-get-rich-quick' book. Being the savvy online marketer that you are, you of course would never fall for this hype. Or would you?

I started in affiliate marketing a few years ago after the birth of my youngest son. Being at home with him was top priority to me, but although I was planning a home child care business, I still needed a more creative outlet than just educational television and the Itsy Bitsy Spider each day. So, after a couple of months at home I did a bit of research and stumbled upon Rosalind Gardner's affiliate marketing book. Being a bit skeptical at heart, I waited a couple of days and did some additional research, but ultimately purchased the book. Rosalind is of course a reputable marketer, so I learned quite a bit from the reference and started on my new affiliate marketing online adventure. Still, being an online newbie puts you in a vulnerable position, add to that enthusiasm for your new venture, and you'll find yourself signing up for every newsletter and affiliate marketing program going. It won't be long before you begin receiving emails from every scammer out there, just hoping you'll fall for their current ploy. You'll be told that you can make money with this and that with little or no time or effort.

The only way you can earn a good, stable income is to put in the hard work it takes. Before you join any affiliate program, you need to do the proper research. That's one of the best benefits of the internet -you can find the information you need.

How can you tell the scams from the legitimate programs? Do a search for the name of the affiliate program that you're interested in, adding the word scam to it and see what you get in results. By joining forums and networks involving work from home boards you can meet others in affiliate marketing and learn from them. Make sure to read everything and don't be afraid to ask questions about any affiliate program you may consider joining.

Legitimate affiliate marketing programs will always fully disclose their compensation plan before they ask you to join. If membership is required before you can see the program outline, then beware. There are some programs out there that will not tell you what is required or what you should expect to receive in commission and support unless you buy into their program or product. By avoiding these 'too good to be true' type of affiliate programs and by networking with others who may have already encountered certain scams, you can build a successful affiliate marketing business and create passive income.