It’s exciting to see that email in your inbox. It seems completely legit to you, and the idea of ​​earning thousands of dollars without any investment or effort is impossible to resist. You click the link, scan the information there, fill out the form, and pay a “one-time” membership fee or other money.

Several weeks later, you’re not making any money, and worse, you think you’ve downloaded a serious virus in the process. It is very likely that you, my friend, have fallen for one of the many scams to make money online. Some just scam you out of a little money, but others can be much, much more serious.

Scams to make money online can cost you more than some initial money, for example, the initial amount you invest in the right to join a program. If you have given your personal information to a scammer, you may be the victim of identity theft.

And, as you suspected, some of these scam sites also cause viruses to be downloaded to your home computer, costing you not only your computer but also your personal files. Is twenty bucks really worth losing the videos of your baby’s first steps and the last photo you have of your mother?

There are legitimate opportunities to earn money that require a fee, even asking you to pay a monthly fee so you can search their job postings. For example, there are sites that allow you to bid on creative works like photography and others.

The difference between paying for these legitimate sites and falling for online money making scams is simple: the real sites don’t promise how much work you’ll get or how much money you could earn. Scam sites make claims that should seem outrageous, but still attract even completely reasonable people.

Scams to make money online can also be recognized by the rotating or disappearing websites they use. Right after you pay your money or provide your personal information, the site will be gone, along with your money and potential opportunities.

The old adage “if it sounds too good to be true, it is” is definitely true in this situation that can leave you dealing with the virus and lost money you have spent in your effort to make money without thinking carefully and proceeding on bail.