How many times have you been scammed? I know that might seem like a strange question but there is a reason for it. I asked how many times you got scammed because, judging by the online advertising around over the last few months, admitting to getting scammed multiple times is the latest Internet marketing trend. The websites all these "I was scammed" people are talking about are work at home/home business opportunities. These "I was scammed" websites are multiplying and the latest ones claim that between 95% and 99% of work at home opportunities are scams.

Work at home/home business opportunity scams do exist (I have even written articles about them previously) but an estimate of 95-99% being scams sounds too high to be genuine. I decided to check out some of the "don't get scammed - work at home/home business opportunities are scams" websites. (Please don't get the idea I'm going to pass myself off as a "researcher" or "investigator", it was just done out of curiosity.)

There are some good anti-scam websites which give warnings about types of work at home scams, how to spot them and where to get help if you do get scammed. The new style "don't get scammed" websites are different. They don't actually offer any help or advice on how to spot and avoid scams. They just issue frightening warnings about the number of work at home/home business opportunity scams, tell us they were scammed numerous times and advise us to join their latest get rich quick program.

Can anyone explain why any sensible person would join a get rich quick program recommended by someone so gullible they have to get totally charred before they realise fire is hot?

Looking at these "don't get scammed" websites was a saddening experience. One ant-scammer says: "I have tried just about anything to try to make money and to be honest with you, I didn't have the brains to get very far". Then he goes on to urge you to buy into his current get rich quick program. You have to admire the guy for admitting he is short on brains but is that enough to make you want to join his get rich quick scheme? Makes me want to reach for my credit cards - and hide them!

Another "don't get scammed" website owner admits he was scammed 37 times in 3 months when he joined 37 get rich quick programs. Then he suggests you join his pick of get rich quick schemes. Three months? Hardly long enough to establish a home business, let alone become successful with it. He doesn't explain whether he joined all 37 get rich quick scams on day one and tried to run them all (obviously impossible) or if he tested them one at a time. If he took the latter course, the average time allowed to each get rich quick scheme would be 2 ½ days (not really long enough to give any program a fair trial).

Yet another "don't get scammed" researcher says he knows all online paid survey companies are scams because his sister joined one once and hadn't made a profit after trying for a month. Then he tells you to join his selected money making programs. One person, one company, one month: hardly a scientific test conditions for a research project.

Another "don't get scammed" website states: "we went out and paid real money for the Internet opportunities that we thought showed promise. Most of the time, we were wrong." Then it lists recommendations for various work at home/money making programs. "Most of the time we were wrong" - would you trust their judgement and join the programs they recommend? - Me neither!

A genuine victim of a scam is in a position to give a detailed warning about the particular scam. However, these people just say "I was scammed", they don't name the scam programs or explain how the scams operate. Their message comes through as "I'm so stupid I was scammed numerous times but still try to make money with get rich quick schemes, you should join my latest one."

Remember: fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me 37 times…?