By Karina Stathis, Daily Mail Australia
March 30, 2024 14:24, updated March 30, 2024 14:33
- Woman bought $597 marketing course, but soon realized it was a 'scam'
- “Faceless digital marketing” is rapidly increasing on Instagram and TikTok
- Seller claims that by purchasing the course you are “helping others make money online”
- Read more: How a single mom turned $5 into $17,000 in 2 years
Gabriela, 23, was intrigued when she saw a flood of TikTok videos of people raving about how their digital marketing courses “changed their lives.”
Gabby, from Dunedin, New Zealand, usually scrolls past such claims, but she also wondered why “so many people” were saying “the same thing”.
All the young women claimed to be making thousands of dollars just like her.
She decided to take a risk and try it herself in hopes of making some money. She invested her $600 in a “Digital Marketing Course”.
But she soon realized it was too good to be true. It's a pyramid scheme, and it's becoming more and more popular.
They claimed that the course was “life-changing” and that they were now earning “$30,000 a month.” They make it sound like it's easy and anyone can do it,” she told FEMAIL.
“I basically bought the course to see if it was a scam. It cost me NZ$650 (AU$597).”
Despite feeling “terrified” before spending the money, she committed and documented the process on TikTok for those who feel the same way.
In this course, you learned how to create an online store, start selling courses, and the basics of digital marketing.
“When you buy a course, you get master resale rights to that course. So if you sell it as your own product, you get 100 percent profit,” she explained in a TikTok video.
After taking the course, she admitted that it “wasn't worth the money.” All information is available for free on YouTube and there are no refunds.
“This is a bunch of people selling meaningless things to vulnerable people and trying to keep the cycle going,” she says.
She issued a stern warning to others to ignore those who claim they can make money as this is a pyramid scheme.
'save money. If you want to learn about digital marketing, watch YouTube videos,” Gabby added.
“Faceless digital marketing”: a trend sweeping social media
Gabby’s experience has a lot in common with the “money making” trend sweeping social media known as faceless digital marketing.
The plan revolves around selling courses that teach others how to make money using only social media, and the biggest appeal is that marketers don't have to show their faces.
What's more, it means anyone can start a faceless marketing profile and sell online “courses” at a variety of prices.
Instagram is full of accounts promoting products using phrases like “real faceless marketing,” “faceless marketing for introverts,” and “faceless digital marketing.” ing.
These pages include persuasion tactics to attract people, such as “Imagine what could happen,” “Steal my strategy,” and “$29,000 in 15 weeks to motivate you.” A powerful call to action is in place.
The idea of making extra cash from home sounds appealing, but dig a little deeper and it doesn't take long for alarm bells to start ringing.
Helen Baker, a financial advisor from Brisbane and founder of On Your Own Two Feet, told FEMAIL there's one principle Australians who want to make money should keep in mind.
“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” she said.
“When it comes to these profiles, you don't know who you're interacting with. Is there accountability? Who are you actually talking to when you contact them?
The trend has caught the attention of Reddit users, and critics have been tearing apart the scheme.
“Why are these? [profiles] It shows up everywhere… I don't see the appeal of posting random stock content with millions of words in the caption and nothing to say. I want a great explanation,” one person wrote.
Another provided insight, saying: “'Don't say anything' is a strategy, so you binge-watch all of their posts, scroll through their profiles, and try to understand how they're doing it.”
“Then you move on to their stories and get drawn into their recurring income claims and screenshots. I don't like it. It works. It's not completely fraudulent or unethical. That's not true. I just think they're preying on humans a little bit.”
The danger of this type of business model is that it tempts vulnerable people who don't have the extra cash to splurge on marketing that may not be effective for everyone, there is no customer service, and there is no return guarantee.
Marketing always involves risk, but since faceless digital marketing is in its embryonic stage, it is almost impossible to measure return on investment.
“You're taking someone's word as fact when you might not get the same results,” Baker added.
Baker knows what it's like to be fooled by marketers.
Ten years ago, she trusted someone to help her grow her business, but she was left with $10,000.
She suggested taking a step back and making a carefully calculated decision before spending money.
“Think about whether you can get your money back or whether it's money you can afford to lose,” she said.
“There are so many ‘get rich quick’ schemes out there these days, it’s very difficult to tell which ones are real and which ones aren’t.
“In so many situations, someone always gets rich at the expense of others. Even online, many reviews and comments are written by robots and AI.
“If your intuition is bad, don’t question it, just run.”
