The fake online course industry is out of control. In this video I share the tactics I see behind many deceptive courses aimed at coaches, consultants and entrepreneurs: AI generated templates, misleading sales pitches, and programs that put profit ahead of anything true.
This video first went up on YouTube on April 4, 2025. The written post was added on October 20, 2026.
How to Spot a Fake Online Course
Look deeper into that individual, look deeper into seeing the validity of that course. Take those extra steps so you don’t get scammed.
- Go look at that course outline, the course tagline, search it, see if it shows up anywhere else.
- Look into their YouTubes. Are they sharing information in shorts, in long videos that’s genuine? Is everything only a sell?
- Check the money back guarantee, check that liability thing.
- Look beyond the reviews, see if there’s anything where there are genuine reviews … that aren’t bots or aren’t tied to that site.
- Inside of some of those templates, you’ll see things coming up the side in chats. Notice though, some of them don’t line up so well.
Fake Online Course Industry: The Full Transcription
Why Online Courses Need a Course Correction
I believe there needs to be a serious course correction on a lot of these online courses. My name is Loren Weisman. I’m a brand communications and optics strategist.
And I have a little bit of a problem, or maybe a lot a bit of a problem with this fake online course hype industry, if you haven’t noticed yourself. And they’re out there and they’re sort of hidden because they’re aimed specifically at coaches and certain entrepreneurs, not at the whole of how easy is it to put together your own course to start selling this to people?
How Template Course Systems Work
You go to these different sites and they have, whether it’s AI or template systems where they can piece together a course, many different sizes. Here’s this. Put in these words, when you put up a page to sell it, here’s your series of call to actions.
Say that it’s worth this much, but they’re getting this discount. And if they act now, in the next 24 hours, they get this discount. They have this whole model of how to build an online course, but the one piece that tends to be missing in the majority of them is how to build something that’s authentically true.
These people that are building these companies, they don’t care. They’re not held liable, they’re not responsible, they’re not accountable. So they package these things to anybody that wants to try to build, build up a course.
Due Diligence Is on the Buyer Too
Now here comes the problem. Now, the average individual that comes across something, they buy into it. And in a way, that’s their fault.
You know, people say, oh, I got screwed over by this person. I got taken advantage of by this person. This person fooled me, this consultant, this coach. They may have showed the pieces.
However, if you didn’t do your due diligence and you’re vetting, you’re just as responsible. So that’s the core of this thing. How are we going to fix this fake course online course industry? I have no idea.
How to Vet an Online Course
The Internet AI, it’s still the wild West. However, taking the time to look into these people that are putting out these courses, one off, you can see the templates. So if somebody’s claiming, I’ve got this course, great, go look at that name. Go look at that course title.
Go look at that course outline, the course tagline, search it, see if it shows up anywhere else, see if it looks exactly the same as somewhere else, because it may be one of the template models in the same aspect, look at the individual that’s giving the course.
How to Vet the Person Giving the Course
So many have become experts overnight because they have the confidence to call themselves experts. However, they’re nowhere close to having the knowledge, the wisdom or the teaching ability to be genuine experts. So search that out, doesn’t matter.
And you’re not going to find that necessarily on their Constant sell of YouTubes. Look into their YouTubes. Are they sharing information in shorts, in long videos that’s genuine? Is everything only a sell?
Or are they gifting, stewarding and showcasing the information that they have? Do they have a podcast that isn’t just rambling, but it genuinely showcases authority, knowledge, authenticity? Do they have blogs? Do they take you to a website?
Or does it just feel like it’s an infomercial of an ongoing ad of so many promises to come and yet no sense that anything can be delivered? And it happens. People get taken advantage of. They get wired into something, they see something, they tie into it.
When a Free Demo Pulled Me In
I was taken advantage of about a month and a half ago. There was a guy and the way that he delivered it seemed a little hypey. A couple red flags went up, but it was about a topic on a personal level that I was very concerned about.
And he started hitting all the points that, oh yeah, oh, I’ve been dealing with that. Oh, yeah, I’ve been dealing with that. With the lawyers. Oh, I’ve been seeing that.
Oh, I see that. Oh, wow, wow. Maybe this guy does know what he’s talking about. I didn’t take it that next step.
It was surface level hype and relatability. He hit the optics pretty well. And so I dug in.
I went to the free initial program, and I’m glad that I didn’t pay for that next level because in that free initial program, seven promises, none of them delivered. This guy was a hype lawyer that was not telling the truth. And I thought, especially with lawyers, that’s something you’re not supposed to do. You’re actually to be held accountable in the middle of that.
I’m glad I stopped at the point before paying, but I did get suckered in. At least it was his little free demo. And his free demo was clearly a template.
Fake Activity in the Chat
And inside of some of those templates that you’ll see, you’ll see things coming up the side in chats. Notice though, some of them don’t line up so well. So he’ll say, hey, hey, just give me a thumbs up or give me, give me a, give me a clap or write five in here. If you’re believing these five things, I’m sharing.
And then all of a sudden you see a whole bunch of fives. You see a whole bunch of people as if there are all these people in this live stream, pre course that’s not true. At one point with this particular lawyer, all of a sudden this shows up 555-5555. 30 seconds later he goes, you know what, man put a five in the chat.
Checking the Claims and the Money Back Guarantee
If you’re vibing on this point, being in the middle of this fake online course thing, the entire funnel system to get you in from the emotional, volitional, intention, perception, subjective to objective, and then all the hype claims, stand your ground to see if this person has the genuine authority from that foundation of where you’re standing, look to different points to see if it’s that genuine.
See if you can gain knowledge of learn aspects, get seeds of information, of pieces that are genuinely helpful for what you want to know. Or does it all seem like promises and then when they state, oh, you know, guarantee money back guarantee, check the money back guarantee, check that liability thing.
Because a lot of those money back guarantees, they’re set up very nicely so they don’t have to give you your money back. Oh well, you did this to this point, so you took advantage of this. So I don’t have to return this. Watch out.
Accountability and Real Reviews
I don’t see an answer in sight right now until liability and accountability come into what’s being put out online. I don’t know how many of you have seen that ad about the guy going, I share all my trades. Yep, but you’re an AI bot and you make all these claims, but then it’s everything’s gonna go through a WhatsApp kind of, kind of iffy to me.
Look deeper into that individual, look deeper into seeing the validity of that course. Look beyond the reviews, see if there’s anything where there are genuine reviews of can reach out to that aren’t bots or aren’t tied to that site. Take those extra steps so you don’t get scammed.
Because right now, until this stuff changes, many people are making money off of telling people that shouldn’t be putting out courses how to do it. They’re helping them do it and they’re framing the optic and the message to make it look like they know what they’re doing. So be careful out there, dig deeper.
Before You Put Out a Course of Your Own
And for those of you that are thinking about putting out a course, pause for a moment. Are you putting out a course because you genuinely have information to share that you would be a profit at the expense of no one, that you would be gaining as someone else would be gaining equally, or you just out there to try to make the next possible buck on the Internet, have some morals, have conviction that stands on truth, and take it to the next level, even if many people aren’t. That’s all I got.
Vetting Coaches and Experts in My Talks
Examining the claims: vetting a strategist, consultant, coach, trainer or expert.
Questions and Answers
How can you check an online course before you buy it?
Go look at that course outline, the course tagline, search it, see if it shows up anywhere else, see if it looks exactly the same as somewhere else, because it may be one of the template models.
What should you look for in the person giving the course?
Look into their YouTubes. Are they sharing information in shorts, in long videos that’s genuine? Is everything only a sell? Or are they gifting, stewarding and showcasing the information that they have?
What about a money back guarantee?
Check the money back guarantee, check that liability thing. Because a lot of those money back guarantees, they’re set up very nicely so they don’t have to give you your money back.
Why do so many online courses look the same?
You go to these different sites and they have, whether it’s AI or template systems where they can piece together a course. They have this whole model of how to build an online course, but the one piece that tends to be missing in the majority of them is how to build something that’s authentically true.
How can you tell if course reviews are real?
Look beyond the reviews, see if there’s anything where there are genuine reviews … that aren’t bots or aren’t tied to that site.
What should you ask yourself before putting out a course?
Are you putting out a course because you genuinely have information to share that you would be a profit at the expense of no one, that you would be gaining as someone else would be gaining equally, or you just out there to try to make the next possible buck on the Internet, have some morals, have conviction that stands on truth.
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