Since I don’t want you to repeat the mistakes I made, let’s go over the most common online scams. These are the traps that catch beginners all the time, and trust me, I’ve nearly fallen for some of them myself.

1. Get-Rich-Quick Schemes

This is probably the biggest scam of them all. These schemes usually come in the form of flashy ads or YouTube videos where someone says, “I made $50,000 in my first month online, and you can too—just buy my course!”

The problem? They never show you the actual process. Instead, they sell you a dream: easy money with no work.

For example, I once saw an ad claiming I could make $5,000 a week just by “copying and pasting” something into a system. I was tempted at first, but when I looked closer, there was no explanation of what I’d actually be doing. That’s the thing—if it sounds too good to be true and doesn’t involve real work, it’s fake.

Red flag: If they guarantee you’ll make thousands overnight with zero effort, it’s a scam.

2. Crypto Pump-and-Dump Groups

Now, don’t get me wrong—cryptocurrency itself isn’t a scam. But the scams within crypto? They’re everywhere.

Pump-and-dump groups work like this: a group of insiders secretly buys a small, cheap coin. Then they hype it up on social media, telling everyone, “This coin is the next Bitcoin! Buy now before it’s too late!” Thousands of unsuspecting people jump in, the price skyrockets… and then the insiders sell everything at the top, leaving everyone else holding worthless coins.

I had a friend who joined one of these “VIP crypto groups” on Telegram. They charged him $200 just for access and promised “insider picks.” Within a week, he lost nearly $1,000 because he bought a coin at the peak, and the next day it tanked.

Red flag: If a group is charging you to get “secret tips” or urging you to buy fast, it’s almost always a scam.

3. MLMs Disguised as “Businesses”

Multi-level marketing companies are masters at disguising themselves as “online business opportunities.” They’ll tell you, “You’re not an employee—you’re an entrepreneur!” But in reality, you’re just buying overpriced products and convincing your friends to do the same.

I once knew someone who got into one of these “health supplement” MLMs. The company told her she could make thousands by selling shakes and vitamins. But here’s the catch: she made more money recruiting new people than actually selling the products. After six months, she had spent over $2,000 buying inventory but only made a few hundred dollars back.

Red flag: If your income depends more on recruiting than selling real products, it’s a scam in disguise.

4. Fake Investment Websites

This one really hurts people because it looks professional. These sites pretend to be legitimate trading or investment platforms. They’ll show you a dashboard where your “investment” is growing. It feels exciting—you think you’re actually making money.

But when you try to withdraw? Suddenly, there’s a problem. They’ll say, “You need to pay a withdrawal fee first,” or the site just shuts down completely.

I once heard from someone who put $5,000 into a “forex investment platform” that promised a 20% monthly return. At first, the numbers on the screen looked great—his balance kept growing. But when he tried to take money out, they asked for another $500 fee. After he paid, the site vanished overnight.

Red flag: If returns sound unrealistically high or withdrawals are blocked, it’s a scam.

5. Job Scams

These are especially sneaky because they target people looking for remote work. You’ve probably seen ads like: “Work from home, make $500 a day stuffing envelopes!” or “Easy data entry job, $50/hr, no experience needed!”

Most of these are fake. They either ask for an upfront “training fee,” try to steal your personal information, or worse—trick you into laundering money.

A cousin of mine once applied for what looked like a legit remote assistant job. They sent her a check for “equipment costs” and told her to deposit it, then forward part of it to a “supplier.” Turns out the check was fake, and she almost ended up in legal trouble.

Red flag: If a job seems way too easy for the money offered, or they ask for fees upfront, run.

Lesson: If someone guarantees money without effort, it’s not real.