AI is popular, so many people sell courses with big promises. Watch for these seven red flags before you pay.

1. Guaranteed income or a guaranteed job. No honest course can promise this.
2. Fake countdown timers and “only 3 seats left”. Pressure to buy today is a sales trick.
3. No clear syllabus. You should see exactly what each lesson covers.
4. Unknown teacher. Look for a real name, real experience and a real profile you can check.
5. Only screenshots as proof. Screenshots are easy to fake. Look for verifiable results and honest reviews.
6. No refund policy or no free preview. Good courses let you try before you commit.
7. Selling “secret” prompts or tricks. Most useful prompting knowledge is free. See our prompt guide.

What to do instead

Start with free courses from universities and well-known platforms. Ask yourself the questions in our guide on choosing an AI course. And read our list of online earning scam red flags.