Are all get rich quick schemes a scam run by con artists?

Answer

Great question and the first answer you received was very good I must say. However there are a few different points of view I wanted to discuss. True if a person has found a "get rich quick business" why would they want to share, well for several reasons, obviously they have been there done that so to speak so why not capatilize with there discovery and sell to the masses. 95% of our countries wealth is controlled by only 5% of the people so there is a market out there looking to get their piece of the pie. You tell me why not market a plan that has worked for you and try to make millions selling to the rest of the 9 to 5'ers? True there are MANY scams out there but just think if you do your homework as mentioned below what changes you could make with your life if you find the one that does work! Read my Bio if you wish I have 35 years experience starting and operating my own companies and was able to retire at a early age due to their success. I now want to give back and devote my time to helping as many people I can achieve the same success.

Answer

YES, a large majority of the time they are scams, but only some of them are run by con artists, most are run by regular people who are trying to get rich quick by selling you some phony method for getting rich quick.

You can earn money as an entrepreneur, but it takes hard work and determination. Making money is rarely quick and easy. When someone discovers a way to earn high profit margins and make money fast, they do it and that opportunity closes up. In fact, that's one of the easiest ways to pick out a scam: ask yourself why this guy thinks he can make more money selling the idea to you rather than keeping it secret and doing it himself.

But do consider such business models that have long term return and have a proven track record. I have made good money through multiple online business programs. There are very good opportunities that close minded people pass up. Just make sure you do the correct research

Before buying into any get rich quick scheme, do credible research for information on it on the Internet. Google's a good tool, but don't' just Google. Go to Better Business Bureau or Dun & Bradstreet or look for information in the chamber of commerce. If you can't find information here it may not be legal.

Some things to look for:

• Talk to a live person, preferably in person, and preferably more than 3. If you don't talk to anyone most likely there's a reason. But do consider that not talking to anyone can also be a positive because if they're making money without talking to anyone then you can too.
• Research how old the company is. A company that's 10 years old and has been profitable the majority of the years (most likely the later 6-7 years) are a lot safer than something that's in its first year of development. Although companies in their first years of development have lots of profit possibilities. If this is the case you may want to look at the owner or owners of the company.
• Consider privately owned vs. publicly traded. A Privately owned company can be much safer depending on the owner. Whereas a publicly traded company can yield a higher profit but is much more likely to change compensation plans frequently (which would screw you over. A privately owned company may still change compensation plans, but most likely it would just increase over time)
• Work with honest and trustworthy people if you want a long term return. If your looking for a short quick way to make some extra cash it doesn't' matter, you can work with sleaze bags, but just be smart and watch your back. The safest thing to do though is to work with people you can trust, that will give you a much higher chance of a long term return.

Realize although a majority of these get rich schemes a scams, you can still make a ton of money with them. Just do good research, take advice only from people who have experience in the field and has been successful (If you want to also be successful in the field). All entrepreneurs must take risks and sometimes they don't turn out they way you want. It's okay, fix it if you can, if you can't then just move on.

Be prepared: although many of these programs take less than 20 hours a week to develop, they can require much research, mental energy outside of the 20 hours, money to invest, long term commitment, and/or disassociation from certain unsupported people.

First answer by Ike. Last edit by Val Newton. Contributor trust: 30 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 90 [recommend question]