Online Training: How to Escape From Fraudsters
Uche Joe, 3 years agoToday, I will be lecturing specifically on "How to identify genuine online trainers among fake ones".If you're joining the training for the first time...My name is Uche Joe.I'm the founder of a fast growing ICT and talent development company in Africa, Heroic Universal Concept Int'l and Heroic Online Institute.I deliver ICT-related lecture every Friday and spiritual/moral lectures every Sunday.How are you doing today?The advent of internet is a huge blessing in so many ways. Online training is part of the blessings that comes with the internet.Today, you have the opportunity to be lectured by experts that are far away from you.Knowledge is fast becoming equitably distributed as a result of the internet.The trainers and trainees are gaining very massively.Online training is giving ordinary people the opportunity to teach their skills and make money in millions.In online training, the amount of money you're going to make is limitless as long as you know your onion and how to market it to the world.Young smart Africans are making millions teaching their skills online.One of my mentors hit 6 millions in just one month. Another hits 5 million in three months. I can hear you doubt it but it's true.I've made some good money too, though not up to that figure but I'm gradually getting there.Just know this; There is money in online activities.However, when there is a huge opportunity in something, huge risk is always expected, right? Online training has it's own share of enormous risk.Having seen great opportunity in online training, fraudsters are posing as genuine online trainers to defraud people.A young undergraduate chatted me sometime ago and indicated interest in my online training but expressed fear of being defrauded.He told me his experience with his first trainer who promised to teach him web development at N150k.After payment, he sent an eBook to his email with few tutorial videos, promising to make more videos for him. That was how he stopped picking his calls or responding to his chats.Today, the boy is my student and he's learning fast.Another person called me from Isolo, Lagos. His story was not different. The only difference was that he went to see his trainer at Ketu, Lagos.They met in his office and he paid N20,000 as a deposit for online training. He gave him an eBook and promised to make tutorial videos for him.Till today, he kept telling him stories. No tutorial video, no refund.The funny part of the whole story was that, the last time he called the boy, he started pleading that he should send him more money to repair his generator to be able to make the tutorial. You can imagine.As you plan to take a course online, how can you avoid these sad stories?Consider the following;Follow him online for sometimeIf you see someone that has what it takes to teach you online, consider following the person on social media for sometime.View his whatsapp status everyday. Go through his social media posts. Watch his consistency. Is he giving you the value you need?If in doubt, start smallIf you're receiving value from the person's free lectures and posts but you're still a bit afraid of committing huge amount to learn from him, start small.Pay for his inexpensive course or make a deposit for his expensive course if he will allow you.If you're satisfied with the training and mode of delivery, you can consider committing more money.Ask for testimonialsIt's important to know how satisfied his students are before becoming his student.Ask for screenshot of his student's positive testimonials. Go to his website to check testimonial section if he has any.I have close to a hundred positive testimonials from my students. Click here to see what my students are saying...Ask for projects he has builtIf the trainer is teaching you how to build website, ask for links to the projects he has built in the past.Whatever he claims to be teaching, let him show you the project he has executed or sample he has built.If he sends you some samples, go through them carefully and analyse his expertise. If you're ok with what you see, you might consider giving it a try.A Major in the Nigerian Army went through my new Academy and was very impressed. He called me and we talked at length.His son might be registering in my Academy soon. That new academy and the way I spoke to him are convincing evidence for him.If his course is too cheap, find out whyMost times, we, Africans make mistakes of jumping into an opportunity because it is too cheap. Fraudsters use this technique a lot to defraud people.So, when you find out that a certain course is way too cheap compared to other similar courses. Find out details of the course.If there is no convincing evidence why it is too cheap, have a rethink.Let me give you an example. I have a web development course (full stack web development) which goes for N50k. This course has over 12 very detailed courses inside it including lifetime coaching and more.Someone chatted me and told me that the course is very cheap and shared a flyer of similar course which goes for N150k in another academy.I explained to him that it is a promotional cost. I was running a promotion then, the original cost of Full Stack Web Development in my Academy is N100k but selling it at 50% discount then. Secondly, I want to accommodate as many young Nigerians as possible before increasing the cost. That's a convincing reason.If he's making a unbelievable claim, verifyIf someone tells you that a particular course will make you wealthy overnight, find out exactly how. Don't quickly jump into it out of greed.Examine the veracity of any bogus claim before risking your hard-earned money.Fraudsters usually play on your greed. They know you need an easy and comfortable life and they're smart enough to present a fake one to render you poorer.If he still succeeds in defrauding you after all your carefulness, take it as gain and learn from itSome fraudsters are too intelligent to be figured out easily. If a very smart person plans to defraud you, no matter your strategy, you might still fail.Only very few fraudsters are probably that smart to cover all loopholes.So, if you take every necessary precaution, you're most likely going to escape being defrauded.However, after being very careful, if he still succeeds in defrauding you, take it in good faith.Fight back to recover your money if you can, otherwise, learn a lesson from it. It will make your experience richer.Failure is one of the indispensable prices to pay for greatness. It's almost impossible to achieve great things without some painful loss.Take the loss as one of the painful experience greatness demands.