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1 day ago

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To make money online, you need skills, experience, and a willingness to do hard work for many hours a day. You don’t just start from scratch and end your day with a couple thousand dollars more in your bank account… right?

As a young adult who spends a lot of time on social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, it has become a regular occurrence to be confronted with ads and posts featuring so-called “coaches” or self-proclaimed “millionaires” boasting about their success as online entrepreneurs. They assure you that making money online doesn’t require skill, experience, or effort; instead, they claim it’s simple and fast.

It goes on and on, as they talk about their unbelievable tactics and strategies to develop an online business that supposedly makes them a fortune through consistent high income.

Speaking from my own naive experiences, those well-crafted stories about “how to make millions of dollars online” once seemed incredibly appealing to someone like me — someone with a lack of business education and therefore not able to be aware of the red flags such “online gurus” present. Little did I know back then that the real businesses these people profited from were those with which they claimed to teach us their skills.

By taking the risk of shattering your hopes and dreams to “quickly make a lot of money online,” I aim to enlighten and inform you on the false promises these so-called gurus use to fill their own pockets at the expense of their viewers and how to detect them. The goal here is to dive deep into the psychological tricks such gurus employ to convince people like you and me to spend money on expensive courses or programs.

The most important question to answer is this: What drives people to let these fake gurus influence them into signing up for so-called “marketing courses” or programs?

The strategy most commonly used relies on said charlatans creating a sense of urgency and unease among their viewers. These feelings are either induced by time pressure or, alternatively, by instilling the fear of missing out on a great opportunity.

Many fake gurus use the power of exclusivity and secrecy to make people feel as if they’ve stumbled upon something rare and valuable. Phrases like “I don’t usually share this, but I’ll make an exception for you” or “This is my secret formula that no one else will tell you” create a sense of exclusivity, making the opportunity feel special and trustworthy to the one receiving it — like the guru is revealing something that others don’t want them to know. Through such carefully crafted phrases, viewers are pressured into seizing these “rare opportunities” before they miss out on once-in-a-lifetime chances at success and financial independence.

Another crucial element to be taken into consideration is time pressure. Limited offers and countdowns, accompanied by statements like “Only 3 spots left — act now before it’s too late!”, “This exclusive deal expires in 24 hours — don’t miss out!”, as well as “Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever — secure your spot NOW!”, create a sense of urgency. Potential buyers are left with little time to think critically, question the offer, or evaluate it rationally — significantly reducing the likelihood of skepticism or constructive doubt.

Fraudsters therefore exploit emotions by stirring up a fear of missing out (FOMO) or creating hope for a better future. This is what leads to one of the most crucial aspects to understand: those gurus, entrepreneurs, as they call themselves, work with narratives that exploit people’s wishes and fears. Through skillful marketing, they target an audience who’s most likely in a vulnerable position. For instance, students drowning in debt might be confronted with ads from individuals claiming that their methods can help them become debt-free within a few weeks. Similarly, people unhappy with their jobs might get ads in which fake gurus claim to teach them how to get financial freedom and be able to quit their exhausting 9-to-5 grind.

What makes this aspect so particularly dangerous is the differing approach such people take. While some “entrepreneurs” are bold and aggressive in their attempts to persuade you to “let them show you how to make money,” others use a more emotional and empathetic marketing style. They go out for empathy, sympathy even, trying to lure you to their side through well-intended advice or so-called (often tragic) “personal experiences.”

Using false promises, unreal testimonials (statements from supposed customers or clients who claim to have had great success with their methods), and “free services,” these fraudsters hook unsuspecting victims into their programs.

However, no matter how tragic or empathetic people seem to be in their ads, keep in mind that the reason for them to be in one of your ads in the first place is because they want to sell you a product. In most cases: a course or a program.

As mentioned earlier, another common strategy is the use of so-called testimonials — “real” people who have supposedly become rich through their methods. However, deeper research often reveals that these individuals are nothing more than paid actors or stock photos. One company that even capitalizes on this deceptive marketing tactic is Crowds on Demand. It provides its clients with actors posing as fans, paparazzi, or even protesters. The company, which was founded in 2012 by Adam Swart, offers services that allow individuals to simulate the lifestyles of celebrities or generate artificial support for various causes. This includes hiring actors to create fake testimonials or success stories to mislead the public about the popularity or effectiveness of a product, service, or person.

Why it works: People trust social proof. When others appear to be successful, they tend to believe that it will work for them too and replicate their actions.

Highly controversial people, such as Tai Lopez, for instance, show off expensive cars and mansions as proof that his methods work (e.g., Tai Lopez, “Here in My Garage” (2015), promoting his “67 Steps” program). He presents this as yet another reason to sign up for his course, following the mentality of “If it worked for me, it will work for you too.” That way, they position themselves as an inspiration and a person of authority — someone capable of teaching their skills to others, such as you and me.

People tend to trust figures of authority and their claims, especially when they provide so-called “proof” for their theories to work. However, it is highly criticized that this so-called proof never suggests that these luxury goods were funded by his course instead of the “work” he tries to explain with it.

Regardless of the way fake gurus try to validate their tactics — whether it is through the flaunting of their self-made luxury or through actors who do it for them — it is accused to be dishonest in a lot of cases.

There lies the reason for the importance of critically examining a business and its participants and whether their success stories are realistic and achievable with the methods they claim to have used to get it.

However, said last step can be particularly challenging if these gurus are not only dishonest about their success but also fake the numbers they might prove it with. Whether it’s a high-ticket sales course, a “brain-hacking” wealth seminar, or a passive income system, they often rely on fake data and pseudoscience to legitimize their business. For the untrained eye, differentiating reality from fakes can become nearly impossible.

An example of this might be Kevin David, an entrepreneur who aggressively promotes his course through widespread ads, promising to teach people how to “earn money online.” However, he seems to have made a crucial mistake when attempting to fake his sales figures. (For more details, I recommend watching the video linked at the end of this article: “Real Amazon Seller $8M+ Gets Honest About Kevin David.”)

The creation of fake or unverifiable statistics — without citing a real source

The usage of complex-sounding equations in presentations to overwhelm people with seemingly “scientific” proof

While I have repeatedly mentioned Tai Lopez, he is just one of many so-called “coaches” who might be using these tactics. Examples of self-proclaimed gurus who stand in front of a camera, claiming to teach people how to make money online, are widespread:

John Crestani, an “online entrepreneur” who’s most likely known for marketing his one-grand-worth webinar, in which he shows one “how to make free and easy money” while having piles of dollar-bundles in the middle of his desk, calling them “racks”.

Dan Lok, who is a self-proclaimed business guru, and has gained significant attention for his high-ticket sales program. Participants of Lok’s courses, such as the “High-Ticket Closer” program priced at $2,500, have reported encountering immediate upsells. For instance, an additional $2,000 upsell is often presented to access the complete training, bringing the total investment to $4,500 — an approach perceived as a tactic to extract more money from students without delivering more value.

In this post, I have discussed fake online gurus who might use deceptive marketing, false promises, and various psychological manipulation techniques to sell their products to unsuspecting, vulnerable customers. However, while working on this article, I often found myself wondering: Are there still positive examples of self-proclaimed online gurus? Are there people who genuinely keep their promises and provide valuable knowledge in this industry? And, another question going through my head: is making money online really not as easy as they claim?

“If you take the modern world, where people are trying to teach you how to actively trade stocks, I regard that as roughly the equivalent of trying to induce a bunch of young people to start off on heroin. It is really stupid. And when you’re already rich, making your money by encouraging others to get rich through trading […] is ridiculous.” “And the people who do this all day think they’re useful citizens. But they mislead you on purpose.” — Charlie Munger (2021), The Dangers of Day Trading and Speculation, CNBC Interview.

The world of online gurus is often built on manipulation. From fake success stories and made-up charts to psychological pressure tactics like urgency, social proof and the fear of missing out — every element might be carefully designed to make you believe you need to buy the advertised product. But the truth and the answer to my former question is simple: if their methods worked as effortlessly as they claim, they wouldn’t need to sell you a course — they’d be too busy making money with their strategies. The same goes for the principle of making money online. To earn a livable income online, most opportunities require hard work, patience, and expertise in the field. It is, in my own experience, far from being as “easy and fast” as some claim.

The hope that some individuals in this industry genuinely prioritize their customers’ success over their own financial gain is slim. Nevertheless, I would be very interested to hear if anyone has had a genuinely positive experience with such courses or mentorship programs. Please let me know!

Coffeezilla. (2019, November 20). Real Amazon Seller $8M+ Gets Honest About Kevin David [Video]. YouTube.

James Jani. (2019, December 12). The Rise of Fake Gurus: The Dark Truth Behind Making MILLIONS from Online Courses [Video]. YouTube.

Chancentest. (n.d.). Wie Fake-Gurus Menschen ausnutzen — und warum sie damit so erfolgreich sind. Retrieved February 28, 2025, from https://chancentest.de/fake-gurus-menschen-ausnutzen/