Crowdfunding can be a very satisfying activity if you dropped some money on to something and witnessed some meaningful results. Being satisfied may even convince you to give it another go on something else. With so many physical products being pitched along with attractive rewards, it can get real tempting to spend even more money on backing something. But you have to be cautious on every crowdfunding page you encounter even if it is hosted on a popular crowdfunding platform. There are a few tips that are worth taking note of but this single tip should be real easy to follow.
Search for the Cause or Project on a Video Sharing Site
Any serious creator of a project should back it up with a nice video that gives a full overview of the product. Since videos take a lot more time and effort to make than a few paragraphs of text, having a nicely presented video complete with the creator talking adds a lot of authenticity to the project. Not seeing such a video should immediately raise a red flag but before you close the page, search on YouTube and other video websites for any videos related to the project. Simply having the person’s name on the project isn’t enough because remember, a person can impersonate a popular individual to help achieve his or her goal.
Don’t just look at the uploaded video either. Also take note of the uploader and date uploaded. See if there is a link back to the crowdfunding page so you can really connect that account to the crowdfunding page. Fake accounts in video sharing sites exist as well so find out when the particular account joined and if the account uploaded any videos in the past.
If you cannot find a video but you really want to believe the idea, you can simply request the creator to supply one. Otherwise, just bookmark the page and monitor it from time to time. See what other backers think and keep an eye on the project’s progress. While waiting, you can apply other scam detecting tips as well which will later be posted here.