If someone is promising you investments without risk, tell this to yourself over and over as they go on with their sales talk: “You are getting scammed.” Investing is the discipline of managing risk; the more risk you take on, the higher your potential returns. If you’re offered deals like an absurd 80% return in one week, then it’s best to get your cards off the table. This method is called phantom riches and is used to prey on newbie investors looking to instantly double up on their investment.