Affiliate marketing can be a legitimate way to earn income with no upfront costs or risks, but one must be careful of scams. Scams will often promise huge earnings with little effort and no actual products or services being sold. True affiliate programs will clearly describe the products or services being marketed. One should also avoid any programs that require paying to join, as these are usually pyramid or multi-level marketing schemes. Doing research on any affiliate program is important to avoid getting scammed and losing money.