Here is a check list for icos!
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2131560.0 You can use it to verify if the ico you are interested in is fulfilling all or part of the points!
However every project is individually and besides the team, skills, technology used and promising made. You still need to make your own judgement about every project. There are tons of scam icos around and even for skilled people its hard to identify them as such. Joining an ico will always keep a risk, higher or lower, depends on the project. But just do not invest more as you can afford to loose. See it as some kind of gambling with a little security of the project as whole!
Other: I do not think that
ALL icos are scam! Ico is a opportunity to get new technologies and future profitable projects funded. Not every team can afford to financial the whole project by them self and work 1 - 2 years out of own pocket. therefore they offer shares of future profit to get things done! BUT as said, ico opportunity got abused by scammers. sadly but true. So watch out!