Affiliate marketing scams are on the increase as more individuals turn to the web in hopes of providing extra income for their families.

Its not difficult  to find an affiliate program and just as easy to be scammed if you are new and can’t distinguish the good from the bad. Starting out as a newbie in affiliate marketing can be difficult enough with the learning curve to over come.

Learning to recognize and avoid some of these affiliate program scams will make the learning curve a great deal smoother.
Avoid affiliate program scams by keeping these things in mine before you sign up.

The age of the offer
Who is promoting the product? Does their website get any traffic. Check out the competition and see the number of affiliates who are promoting the product. If the numbers are good,don’t let that scare you. It just means the product is selling,never let a little competition deter you. Sometimes it’s good to monitor an offer just in case it might be one of those over hyped offers…. you know the kind,here today gone tomorrow.

An affiliate program that charges you a fee in order to promote.

Yes, I know this might be really laughable to many marketers with a bit of experience under their belt. keep in mine,the number of individuals who are almost desperate to make living on line and the number of scam artist that prey on the desperate. Marketing to newbies on the Internet is a big business in itself and many products created in the field of e commerce are geared  to those who are still considered new and naive.

More issues that can signal a red flag for an affiliate program scam

No support contact information on affiliate program’s website
If You cannot contact the vendor of the product to  ask questions regarding affiliate program…. Red Flag. First of all you should definitely e-mail the affiliate company asking some general inquiries if interested in the offer. If they do not reply within a few days, this should be enough to set off a scam alarm. Anytime a contact is withheld from an offer,don’t waste your time. If the response takes days to answer a simple inquiry,take your services elsewhere.

Try to Google for negative testimonials about your affiliate program.

Although all reviews especially in the field of Internet marketing can’t be taken as truthful or honest. An overwhelming negative to positive ratio in reviews would be a red flag. Many Internet marketers know the value of a good review copy write,but this is one method in the marketing niche that can be abused and really twisted truth wise. A forum would be a good place to start for reviews.

There is no proper affiliate tracking system or network
If the promoter of the affiliate offer or company does not provide you with affiliate tracking,this is not an offer I would consider if new to the game of Internet marketing. Most who are new probably won’t know much about setting up tracking. You wont know if you are making or losing commissions without it. Usually a well set up affiliate program will allow you to check your stats because it’s a resource they provide to someone like you or me who wants to promote for them. Another red flag…..possible.

Test your links on occasion,make sure your affiliate links go the right address. Cloak your links to prevent theft.

Does the offer just sounds to good to be true? It more than likely  is. There is that learning curve you must conquer while starting out. Once you have mastered the basics,which are not difficult. It will be easier to distinguish a legitimate affiliate offer from a con.

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