Another Google Work at Home Scheme - Can it Get any Funnier?

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!! You have no idea. I was looking for that job again. My husband and I are very tight. I can’t get a job- due to health problems. So,I have been looking for something at home.I could do when I felt good enough to do it. Just to help my husband out. If I hadn’t found this 1st..Oh my gosh…with prices like that. We would have lost our home. I know in time God will send me a good REAL job at home. Like I said, you have no idea how much you just saved our family. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Clara

Clara:
I’m glad to hear someone was spared the indignity – your comment makes it worth it.

Randy

My god, I cannot believe I fell for it. I can’t even remember how it appeared on my screen. So if I cancel my credit card, will that be the end of it?
Thank you for your article.

How can such a reputable company get away with misleading so many innocent people that just want to work? I also clicked on the link and was a bit leary of the offer. I need a job and it sounded fine – especially because the Google name is there. I never went any further and have been called multiple times daily by the company since. I can’t believe Google would be this deceitful.
Thanks for the heads up…….

Carolyn:

If you cancel your credit card, they won’t be able to keep charging it. You can try contacting the card company first and see if they will refuse any further charges from the company – that would save you from having to update your card information with whomever you’ve authorized to charge it legitimately.

Terry:
“How can such a reputable company get away with misleading so many innocent people …”

IT IS NOT GOOGLE THAT IS DOING THIS. THESE SCAMMERS HAVE NO RELATIONSHIP TO GOOGLE WHATSOEVER – They just want you to believe that they do so you’ll bite. If you read carefully and read the fine print – they generally admit that. I will post more on this issue very soon. About.com has notified Google to ban one particular outfit that was doing this – but the ads are still out there from others trying to do the same thing, and I’m fed up with it!

Randy

I almost got sucked into that scam and I’m glad I looked at the fine print. I also went to GOOGLE jobs and found nothing on the work at home kit from them. The ad I saw was “FREE” as well, plus $1.95 S/H, a six day trial, and additional $84.75 a month after the six day trial. The link also displays Yahoo, MSNBC, and etc. to make it look legit. So, do the research everyone and if take that chance, get a pre-paid credit card from the store fist. THANKS for the posting.

Only one mistake in this article:

“And, I’m assuming you meant canceled (the status your ad deserves)”

– If you look up both cancelled and canceled at dictionary.com, both are valid.

Blah – Yes, I guess it’s acceptable, and it may be that the British often add the second L. Either way, the scammers can go to ‘ell.

Randy

hmm. so what if it’s debit? just ask the company to also refuse any charges from them?

Yes, same with debit or credit. See if the card issuer can help you by refusing to accept charges from them, if not, have them replace the card with a new number – but don’t forget to update the other accounts that use that card once you get the new one.

THANK YOU! I ordered this CD and now my CC has been getting this charge on it and I had no idea why!!! Now I have to TRY to see if I can stop this!!!! I guess the past charges are my loss????

Sal:
They’re pretty good about putting in lots of disclaimers that you will continue to be charged unless and until you cancel. If you hadn’t tried to cancel in the past, those charges probably can’t be disputed now.

I’m so happy I found this site before I actually went through with it..ur a life saver and money saver..LOL..can’t something be done about this

My goodness! My boyfriend is soo smart! I just read him the “mom makes $$ on the internet” thing and asked him how it sounded. He told me to do more searching and if it still looked good we’ll see what’s up. And that’s when I read this. We’re struggling and this would have been disastrous…

Ashley and Christina:
Glad to hear you were spared. Christina – In my opinion, the best thing we can do is to spread the word to others that these deals are scams. I’ve been reporting them to Google and it still amazes me that Google approves their ads since they are all subject to Google’s approval in the first place.

Isn’t it sad that there are people are there who would make money by lying, stealing and what ever else they are able to do. Its even more sad that a reputable company such as Google would approve these people’s ads. God have mercy!!!!!

I’m actually surprised they’re not shutting these people down – certainly their legal department could do so.

I fell into this trap and quickly found out what it was about and cancelled it immediately. I should know better! I was suppose to recieve a “CD” or “kit” that had detailed info on it. At day 6 still no CD. I called and asked what was going on and they man told me “Most people don’t recieve the Cd withing the trial period”. At that time I read him the riot act. I also asked him exactly what would I be charged 84.95 a month for…you are not going to believe this…he said it was to use their website.. HA! are you kidding me? You can do what they are saying without paying a DIME to anyone! Scammers! I have filed a report against them as well. Google will soon have them shut down. I couldn’t believe the gull of these people going as far as using the Google trademark on their website to trick you.

Way to go Heidi! People like you can make a difference. And you’re absolutely right, you can do it all and not pay a cent.

Randy,
Thank God for you & your blog of the researched info on this scam. I too am not working & have been struggling to find a way to work from home due to health issues. I was also almost scammed into one of these links, however I have experience in Real Estate & also worked as a paralegal to Real Estate Attorney so I knew I needed to read the terms & conditions very closely. They are absolutely ridiculous. Not only are they completely contratdictory they are also very confusing. Even with my experience in working with contracts & legal documents, I found myself having to read & re-read these so called terms. I just pray that there is something done to stop these people from this horrible criminal activity. God Bless You!
Kristie

I almost fell for this trick myself, until I read the “terms and conditions” and fell out fo my chair laughing so hard! What a bunch of idiots! I do feel sorry for anyone who falls into traps like this. However, I do want to work from home and I hope that there are legitimate websites out there to give me info on how I can make this a reality. The world needs more good people like you, Randy! Keep up the excellent work!

I have ads on figi and craigs list and I get anywhere from 2 to 5 emails a day from those ads advertising this same thing. is there a way to stop them. and thank you for your intrest

Kristie and Nicki – thanks for the kind words. It’s always good to know the materials are of benefit.

Amanda – here is a URL for reporting spam and/or fraud within ads served by Google:

http://adwords.google.com/support/bin/request.py?display=usertype

You may or may not get anywhere reporting them to figi and Craig’s list. You can also file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at: http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx

but I think to do that you actually have to have been a victim for them to accept your report.

Randy

Thank You so much for your article regarding the Google work from home offer. I was in the middle of filling out the form and after typing in my credit card info I paused and decided to research this opportunity first before submitting my cc#. Thank goodness I never clicked “for instant access CLICK HERE”, so that they could start charging and ripping me off.
Eventhough I never submitted my cc#, is it possible that they can track and see what I typed in those sections and attempt to charge me anyway? I just cannot afford to receive these charges.
Now why is Google approving these ads? These scammers are giving Google a bad reputaion.
Thanks again.

Nikka:
Usually, your card doesn’t get charged until you click the Submit button, so I’d think you should be okay. Keep an eye on your statements none the less. And I have no idea why Google is approving the ads. It seems very counter-productive to me, since they can pretty much ban anyone they want to from their ad system.

And my kids I’m the smartest mom around. Can’t believe I got sucked in. Way too late for me to realize it was a scam. Good to know that I still had this sense something was wrong somewhere but didn’t listen to this instinct. Perhaps I got lured by the promise of this business to encourage my teen kids to make use of their time wasted on the computer. Now, my big job of the day is to cancel this stupid $1.97 charge on my account. If I won’t be successful to have it refunded in 5 days, time to cancel the card.

Still can’t believe I got so stupid this morning. Thanks for a great job you’re doing, Randy!. God Bless you!

Thanks buddy…..u made a through investigation thru the site…which made me believe against the easy way of making money…Thanks again – Ranjeesh

Jettie:
Over the years I’ve learned that your gut instinct is almost always right. I recently turned away a client for that very reason. Your heart was in the right place – you just slipped up in the execution by not doing enough homework before jumping in. Thanks for your kind comments and best of luck to you in the future.

Ranjeesh:
You’re welcome! All of the comments are making me want to expose these types of scams even more. It’s a jungle out there – be careful!

If you bought into this and need to cancle the contract, call your Credit / Debit card company and ask them if there is a phone # listed with the charge – call the number and ask them to cancle. I bought into a government grant scheme similar to this and had to go through the process, and if it has just been a month or you haven’t used the product ask for a refund – you might get it. You don’t have to go to the point of canceling the cards, I didn’t have to. If they get real ugly or won’t quit – report it to your CC company.

I did this so angy with this there was alink to xcl i did that but after reading some of the post’s i am going to xcl my debit card asap…thanks everyone

Thanks Lynne. There’s no better teacher than first-hand experience. From what I’ve heard, not all of these characters are quick to let you cancel though.

Randy

Might be better safe than sorry, Kim. You might also want to check with your bank first, though, to see if they can disallow the charges so you won’t have to update everywhere you’re using your debit card. Best of luck to you!

Randy

THANK YOU SO MUCH, I TOO ALMOST GOT SUCKED INTO IT, AND PEOPLE LIKE YOU MAKE ME STILL BELIEVE IN THIS WORLD… YOU TOKE THE TIME TO MAKE PEOPLE REALIZE THAT DOING THIS SCAM WILL END UP HURTING THEM..AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT..

I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION ? DO YOU KNOW ANY WORK FROM HOME PROGRAM THAT WILL HELP ME AND MY KIDS GET BACK ON OUR FEET…

Thanks, Cynthia. I have yet to see an actual “work from home program” that does anything except take your money and make the people running the program all the richer. The whole key to me is to make things happen for yourself, depending on what you can do well. People often ask me what they should do, but that always depends on what they are skilled at doing and what they like to do and what experiences they have that can be converted into something that will provide them with a living.

Randy

Thank you so much for this information. I almost fell for this but read the fine print…

Congratulations, Deb. If more of us would take the time to read the fine print and not rely on taking everything at face value, fewer scammers would succeed in the first place.

Randy

OH MY GOD!!!!
I can’t even express how much I THANK YOU, for saving the little money I have left, I almost fell for this, I also didnt know how I got to the website but it suddenly appeared in my screen and I inputed some of my info…then I thought about it and opened a new tap to research and almost..almost skipped your blog…Now that I read it..I’m amazed at how there’s people out there who are willing to take someone else money with no mercy.

I applaud you for helping us not to fall into this scam…in which I personally think google should stop and if they are not stopping this is because there’s some kind of profit for them too.

Jenny:
Glad you didn’t get taken.

Yes, there is profit in it for Google every time someone clicks one of the ads. I now they are well aware of these schemes as I have been reporting them, and there are loads of posts on Google’s own forum about these sites, but no one from Google has seen fit to respond to those posts (at least not as of 2 days ago). I’m sure Google has to deal with legal issues as well, which we may not fully understand.

Randy D.

I actually fell for it! I was charged 49.95 once so far. I am going to my bank to see if they can help me by not allowing these charges. Now I am worried bacause I gave my social, my routing info and all of my other info. I admit to not reading the fine print thoroughly, and now I regret it. I haven’t told my husband yet, because he won’t believe that I could do something so stupid!

Shelli,
I’m so sorry to hear what happened to you.
I’m a writer for a parenting website who wants to talk to people who fell victim to one of these fraudulent advertisements. I’m working with Randy to help spread the word so others do not fall prey to the same tactics. We will protect your identity. We just want to talk with someone who can share their experience in an effort to warn other people.
If you, or anyone else reading this post who has had a similar experience wants to talk with me, please email me at momlogicwriter@gmail.com

Thank you!

Shelli:
Don’t beat yourself up. What’s done is done. I’d encourage you to share this with your hubby sooner, rather than later.

Randy D.

To all:
I can confirm I have discussed this with momlogicwriter, who has agreed to be sensitive to your needs. Since I won’t share your contact information with anyone, you would need to get in touch with her directly if you want to share your story with her in confidence. You will not have to share any information you don’t wish to disclose. With your cooperation and the cooperation of other important online publishers, maybe we can get some more attention to this problem and shut some of these scammers down.

Randy D.

Well sad to say I fell for it. My Aunt sent it to me, she’s really smart, and she knows I could use a job. I’m greatful I noticed it through my online banking early on. I tried calling the company, all I get is a voicemail to call another number or the speal about the office being closed but that they are open 7 days a week from 5 AM to 9 PM pacific time. I called my bank and they informed me what was going on. I canceled my card. Thank goodness I didn’t loose to much. not even $60. Man I stopped falling for these scams years ago. I’ve been dealing with a concussion so reading to much hurts my eyes. I didn’t do it to get rich I just thought why not try it for 1.98. If it works it works if not oh well. So much for that! I hope these comments gets circulated a lot for others peoples sake.

Jessy:
Sorry to hear they almost got you, and sorry to hear about your concussion, but glad you caught on in time.

Those of you who know how could get the story much greater exposure through posting it on social bookmarking sites like Digg, Delicious, StumpleUpon, Yahoo Buzz, etc. – I’ll leave that up to you. I’ll be writing more about social bookmarketing services soon, but from the sounds of things, the whole concept of making money with Google (legitimately and watching out for scams) will probably take some priority.

Meanwhile, if you want to follow the comments on this post as they develop or link in from your blog, the permanent link for this page is:

http://homebusiness.about.com/b/2009/06/04/another-google-work-at-home-scheme-can-it-get-any-funnier.htm

I have been searching for a work at home business. I saw the phony google ad and almost signed up, then I decided to go to search more on that. Thank goodness for your article. Keep up the good work!

Gifty:
Glad to hear I prevented another mistake. Thanks for your kind words.

Great news for those of you who have been following the comments on this post. The FTC is suing these creeps! I wrote a more detailed post on this today, which you can see at http://homebusiness.about.com/b/2009/08/07/ftc-cracking-d…k-at-home-scam.htm. You can also read the entire 17 page complaint (PDF) here:
http://homebusiness.about.com/library/GoogleScamFTCComplaint.pdf. Enjoy!

Randy D.

I also thank you for your watchdog efforts to warn people. As to where I received the prospective link, it was on my MSN.com homepage! Not far under the AARP ad, of which I’m a member and advocate! MSN must have dropped the ball on this one.

Mark:
The response from my readers has been heartwarming and I intend to continue, if not intensify, my whistle-blowing efforts.

Go AARP! Also a very satisfied member. I don’t really feel MSN dropped the ball. It’s pretty tough to always be on guard for rogue pay-per-click ads because the ads essentially rotate each time the page is refreshed. If it was a permanent ad that needed MSN’s pre-approval, that’s another story!

Randy D.

Thanks Randy, I was looking into doing work from home, and I am glad I found your blog. Do you any recommendations for “work from home” companies?

Ok Now Im a little concerned here.I did not submit any debit/credit info..Thank Goodness.But what I did submit was the initial name and zip and e mail info……….should I be concerned if that s all I have done thus far? And I have seen one of these offers at the 2.95 rate and one at the 1.97 rate.Are these both the same ad?
I AMMMM thankful for looking round about to try and search further into this matter and grateful I came across this site with all of these posts.Any input or replies/remarks in regard to my “concern” will be apreciated.
Joe

Joe:
If they don’t have your valid credit card number, they can’t charge it. All they can do at this point (if they wanted to) would be to sell your information to spammers.

I too got to this point in the process – on purpose – because I wanted to see what happened next, but I entered bogus information in the form.

Randy D.

Andy:
Yes, my recommendation is stay away from “work at home companies”. You either work for a legitimate employer in a job that allows you to work from home, freelance from home, or start your own home business. Paying someone money for the privilege of working from home – for their “system”, for access to their “website”, etc. is NOT the way to go.

Randy D.

Joe M:
I didn’t answer your other question. No matter what the charge, they’re all variations of the same scam.

Randy D.

I had typed in my name and began typing in my address when that “little inside voice” told me to stop and research scams. I can’t believe I almost fell for this. I so could use a small monthly income, so I guess the temptation/desperation ALMOST got me. Thanks for all the great info., and for saving me a very expensive hassle!

Mea, I did the same right in the middle of my entering my CC #.
Randy, thank you for being a consumer advocate and posting this info. I guess the following link is a fraud as well?https://secure0.profitcenterlearning.com/gofcr/?offer=go_qg_bk&bk=2263&id1=1254310616&id2=&session-id=0767ddc5b79152225676868ba541ef5a

Rufina:
You’re welcome. Glad to hear you didn’t get snagged. Yes, the site you mention certainly appears to have the same issues as the Google scams. If you click on the Terms and Conditions link you’ll find the following information:

“By submitting this form I authorize to immediately charge my credit card $2.95 for access to the eAuction Toolkit. I hereby request that activate my account and authorize them to advance funds as indicated. Monthly Service fees will commence 14 days from the date of this purchase, and will be billed monthly thereafter. After the 14 day trial you will be billed $59.90 monthly for the continued service of the website, No refunds will be given for failure to use the requested and provided services. We reserve the right to transfer your billing to a third party Merchant of Record. This authority will remain in effect until revoked by me. ”

This follows, almost to the letter, the same modus operandi as the Google scammers. Another big tipoff is you can’t access any information until you sign up. It’s not to say this site might not provide some information that could be helpful – but why would you want to pay these people $59.90 per month when there are plenty of free and well-respected sources and books on the subject, including our own ebay.about.com site, which doesn’t charge you anything.

Randy D.

Mea – you’re welcome. And congratulations on not getting scammed! Keep up the good work.

Randy D.

so what is up with this tampon- http://www.avoid-work-at-home-scams.com/ surely he doesn’t exist, but i think people should look out for fake blogs etc when researching the legitimacy of work at home jobs… bottom line- work isn’t easy, and your only overpaid if you know your employer– such as parent, in-law, or childhood friends.

He is engaging in affiliate marketing, which I could tell by hovering over the links on the page — except the Google Profits System, which was probably specially developed just for him.

This is how you do NOT want to engage in affiliate marketing – by sending your visitors to crap opportunities – they won’t come back, they won’t spread the word, nothing. It’s pure “rookie”.

The worst part is even this person, who is supposedly trying to help you avoid work at home scams, is sending you right to them!

Randy D.

Susan:
Thanks for your comment. The response has been so overwhelming I hope to be able to create more content in this area on an ongoing basis.

Randy D.

I too happened to be scammed one time by these so called affiliate sites. This on was called gofreelance. Its web is http://www.gofreelance.com, go check out its phishy site.

Ibrah:
When I went to the site, it looked innocent enough. But then I did a lookup on the Better Business Bureau and found the following comments at:

http://www.bbb.org/new-york-city/business-reviews/employment-contractors-temporary-help/freelance-work-exchange-in-brooklyn-ny-89220/

Which said:
Consumers report to the Bureau that after signing up for a 7 day trial period with Freelance Work Exchange, they were unable to cancel their subscription and were billed for the subscription. Attempts by consumers to contact the company regarding a refund were unsuccessful.

I also saw this article on Why You Should Avoid GoFreelance:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/239986/freelance_work_exchange_aka_go_freelance.html?cat=3#comments

Thanks for the heads up. If anyone is using them as part of an affiliate program, I’d drop them ASAP. If you are going to be linking to affiliates you need to make sure they are legit – otherwise your own reputation (and eventually your earnings) goes to hell in a handbasket. Who needs that headache?

Randy D.

Thank you i was considering trying this until i read your letter and went back and revieved the small print.

Hi Randy,

Just an update. When I stupidly (pardon the pun/borrowed from dear Pres. Obama) paid the $1.97 charge on debit card and too late to realize something was wrong and after getting to your site, I was ready for the nightmare. Here’s what happened next, no charge was made on the card BUT bank called to alert of use of account at numerous gas stations. Exactly a week or less after I signed in (around July 31st).
Thank God for the alert system the bank had offered when I opened bank account (I used debit card). They automatically cancelled the card and will send me new one. The bank will also refund the money. These evil, callous robbers are total losers and jerks. Their days are numbered and count on me to make sure no more innocent and gullible souls will get sucked in.

My best to you and God Bless you!!

I forgot to mention that the card number I provided those thieves were not used to pay the $1.95 fee neither will I expect some $49.95 or higher amount to be charged monthly which will be a pain to process the cancellation. If for any reason, my account was used for those unauthorized gas purchases from different stations and different cities totalling almost $500.00 (by the way bank called today there was another $100.00 charge)because I provided the account no., by mere coincidence this was an identity theft issue, I still lucked out because the bank caught it and offered to cancel the account and send new card.

To the thieves: start getting real jobs and find dignity in whatever you need to do to feed yourself or your family.

I hope that no one will be too fast to type in their info (just like I did) and realize the stupidity of their ads. Sorry, can’t still get over the fact that I was duped. I should have known better that even $1.97 is too cheap for shipping and handling. Too good to be true.

All my best to you Randy!

Jennifer -
You’re welcome. The more people who learn to look for and read the fine print like you did, the fewer who will become scam and identity theft victims – and that’s a win for all of us.

Randy D.

Jettie:
Thanks for the update. How can you be sure the very same people are the ones who used the card?

Randy D.

Jettie:
Thanks for the clarification. ID theft seems to be everywhere these days.

Randy D.

Ok, I understand your point.. don’t get scammed read fine print blah blah blah, Google is not to blame. Google works is a great way to earn ezxtra income im doing it myself. What you need to be aware of is ads that appear to be google’s don’t go into anything blind. I’m suprised google hasn’t tried retaliating agains this. well… not yet

Brett:
You’re right, as I have said many times, this has nothing to do with Google itself, other than its popularity making it a natural scammer’s target. Yes, Google actually does hire people to work from home, but you need to go to Google’s site to get it. And, AdSense can be a profitable home business, you just don’t need to pay these creeps for that information.

Randy D.

There has to be some serious penalties placed against people who do such horrid things to desperate people. I know its not fun to have the government in our lives but in such cases the government is supposed to protect us. I hope something gives on this. You don’t know how many scams the average person is wheeled into!
Thanks for the information. You are doing a job that allows you to sleep soundly at night and I thank you for all you are!

Thanks for your kind comments, Christa. I agree, the penalties need to be harsh. However, it seems like these operators are getting more and more attention from the FTC, and some will be paying what I hope are stiff penalties for conning people. If you haven’t seen it yet, check out:

http://homebusiness.about.com/b/2009/08/07/ftc-cracking-down-on-phony-google-work-at-home-scam.htm

It’s important that people who are victims speak up and not just put up with this as “another annoyance”. It’s also important to pass the word that complaining can help.

Randy D.

This sounds like the perfect way to get rich. All I need to do is set up my own website that is better than theirs. Thanks for pointing out all the flaws. I will have to do better in hiding the disclaimers.

Just kidding, thanks for saving my bacon.

Hi there.

I fell for one of these scams a few months ago.

Luckily, my bank called me as they weren’t used to me paying in dollars to a company in the USA.

So I cancelled my credit card and that was the end of it. Wish I’d read your column first.

Why do Google allow these ads?

Keep up the good work.

I am so dumb i fell for the google works scam and gave my cc number. I figured it only $1.97 I’ll c what happens. Thank god i found this site a few min later and called and canceled my card they got the $1.97 from me but that all there gettin! Wish Id seen this column before i gave my card number.

Thanks for the smile today, John. You’d better also make sure you comply with the FTC rules too!

Randy D.

Hi Peter:
Thanks for stopping by, all the way from Glasgow. Sorry to hear you took the bait. I’ve actually been on touch with the folks at Google, but haven’t heard anything from them yet.

Randy D.

Jeff:
Yep, you need to be careful out there. The common thread with these scammers is they won’t tell you anything until you fork over your credit card. Always look for the terms and disclaimer links first – it’s about the only information you can access anyway. Surf safe!

Randy D.

Almost got suckered in this morning. I was filling out the details when I stopped and did a search on Google – ‘Working from home for Google is it worth it?’ – and got Randy’s post. As I read through I went back to the details page and did not submit. Good for you, man. And that’s the moral – if something sounds to good to be true always always check it out because invariably it is a scam. Thanks again, mate. Rob.

Rob:
Thanks for stopping by and letting me know. Glad to hear you stopped before you fell off the cliff! You’re absolutely – if it sounds too good to be true….

Randy D.

Just in addition. The trickiest part about this one is the clear and blatent (though erroneous) link with Google. That’s what has to be addressed.

Rob:
Couldn’t agree more.

Randy

I saw this ad pop up on my screen, and after about 10 seconds I realized something was off. When ppl are claiming to be raking in thousands a week, you have to wonder!

Not to be mean, but I am always shocked to learn how many people fall for stuff like this. I think as a society, we have such a hard time realizing that there is no such thing as the get rick quick schemes. There is a reason why the saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” is still around after all these years….

I almost got scammed with this ad. It actually popped up while I was looking at another site. I gave them my name, address and phone number then when it went to the pay with credit card page and I said he ahem if its free then it should be free without any money. That’s when I closed it. We have to stay aware of all types of scams during these economical challenges.

Google home business sux,and the real google too for allowing this to happen.The real google is making money out of this too ya know.why havnt they made any formal apology yet.I will not be using google search engine anymore,all yahoo from now on.

THANK i was about to sign up for one the google ad but than i got to thinking something not right and found this useful information thank for post keep and keep on posting for people like us cause we can use the info.

Mary:
You’re absolutely right. I think there are a variety of reasons people fall for it, and obviously if they never did, there would be no Internet scams because there wouldn’t be any money in it. I think for the most part, people believe what they read and take things at face value, call it being too trusting? Definitely. I think another reason is that so many people want to work from home or are struggling to make ends meet, they’ll try almost anything, especially since it only costs a few bucks (until they reel you in). For this particular scam, the Google name is being used, and some assume that makes it legitimate. We are probably a too gullible, trusting society. Usually it takes getting burned once or twice to wise up.

Randy D.

Very true, Joi.

Randy D.

Benhuon:
Google’s “official response”, according to Gina Kaysen Fernandes over at MomLogic who wrote a follow-up story on this blog thread was:

“As Google is not affiliated with these sites, we can’t comment on individual claims. However, we recommend that users exercise the same amount of caution they would when evaluating other types of get rich quick claims. If there are trademark concerns regarding sites that misuse Google Trademarks, our Legal team reviews them and takes appropriate action if necessary.”

This makes absolutely no sense to me at all, since Google has to approve these ads in the first place. They have banned ads for far less serious “violations”, that’s for sure. Maybe they need to re-word their Terms of Service – then they could kick them out of AdSense once and for all.

I don’t think using Yahoo instead of Google is the answer either. It’s just like computer viruses – today there are many, many more targeting PC systems. However, as Apple’s popularity grows, there will be additional viruses written that target Macs too.

Randy D.

Someone:
Glad to hear you didn’t get caught in their trap. Thanks for your comment.

Randy D.

As an internet marketer myself, my husband asked me “whats this about google jobs and making money with google?” I pointed him towards your article which I think hits the nail on the head. A classic piece which gets the message accross just nicely. Just wanted to say thanks for the good read and the giggle.

Sandy:
Thanks for stopping by and for your comment!

Randy D.

I was surfing the internet and a pop up interrupted me and GUESS what it was! I researched it, found your article and read a lot of the comments. Since you said google had banned one group, I figured I would post the link and see if anything could be done about this one!

http://www.news3show.com/finance/google-now-hiring-you.html

Emily:
I’ve seen it. See Mary’s comment a bit earlier. Unfortunately, people think these stupid scam ads are really news sites. It looks to me like this is spreading by way of affiliate marketing, which is kind of scary. Because the landing pages are so much alike, and all of the phony comments are duplicates of others on many of the other pages, it makes me wonder if the scammers haven’t started signing up affiliates to post these ads and pop-ups for them.

You’re likely to see the same garbage on ads that are being displayed on sites through Google AdSense, in spam email messages, and now pop-ups. It’s like a cancer that just won’t go away. It’s this kind of stuff that ruins the Internet and email for everyone else.

Randy D.

so my husband signed me up for this, about 2 months ago. im not sure who was charging us the money bc he also signed me up for something called twitter profit house….
in the long run, we have been charged 2-3 hundred dollars from who knows who!
we cancelled our account with this twiter BS, but how do i cancel with google!?
i am totally and completely sick and tired of all the calls from them at 6am – around 5pm! i never pick up and then i call back to “press 1 to be taken off the call list” but dont know what else to do for them to leave me alone. UGH, why oh why didnt my husband READ the FINE PRINT!!!? so now i am suffering for what info he gave them about me =[ (for 2months now!)

please if you know what i can do to get them off of my a$$, PLEASE let me know.

thank you
Cindy

oh yea, he did cancel his credit card and get a new one…. that means they cannot charge us anymore right?

Hi Randy, I realy like the article very helpful, I don’t speak or understand a lot of English but this article was very clear I even understood the funny part of it. Also this scam is being posted in Spanish, and a lot of people that are desperate to get a job are getting into it.
THANK YOU

Cindy:
The Twitter scam is basically the same thing.

You could report them to the BBB, the Internet Crimes Commission and the FTC. At the very least, they’re guilty of deceptive advertising. The more people that report, the more likely someone will take action against them. Plus you have the satisfaction of knowing you didn’t let them get away with it. Since all of the scams say you can cancel at any time, if they continue harassing you after you’ve cancelled, you might also contact your state’s attorney general’s office for guidance.

Once the card is canceled, no one can make charges to it.

Randy D.

Steph:
Thanks for your comments. I wasn’t aware this was spreading through the Spanish-speaking community as well.

Randy D.

P.S. A Spanish version of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection website, with tips and a place to file complaints is available online at:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/index_es.shtml

It never ceases to amaze me at how gullible people are. The old saying…….if it sounds too good to be true…I’m sorry but no job is going to be dropped in your lap, money will not appear from nowhere, you can’t make money doing nothing especially when you have no formal education in a field that allows you do perform work at home. By the way I have some land for sale….hahahahahah

I’ve been saying that for a long time now. However, I don’t think that people getting raked into these schemes is at all funny, after reading the stories of what has happened to some of them.

I think the problem is that most of us have been raised with a certain level of trust, especially when things appear in the newspaper, TV, etc. and it has tainted some of our ability to differentiate fact from fiction. Scammers take advantage of that by making their pages look like actual news stories (of course, you can’t believe all of those either). When it comes to email and web offers though, especially for working at home or starting a business, we need to be every bit as vigilant as we would tell our young children to be when confronted by strangers.

Randy D.

I looked at all that yesterday and I made sure to read the fine print. I have always been told that it a company asks you to pay for anything for a job then its not a legit job. Im so glad I was taught to read the fine print. If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.

I find it sad that so many people are having to look for a job!!!! These are hard times. Luckily I read the fine print as well. May GOD bless all of you looking for work with something legit……

Stephanie:
Sounds like you’ve got the idea – way to go!

Randy D.

Joey:
I echo your sentiments!

Randy D.

I THINK WE SHOUD ALL GO AFTER GOOGLE-AFTER ALL, THEY ARE SUPPORTING THIS SCAM AND MAKING MONEY FROM IT. NO MATTER WHAT, GOOGLE IS MAKING A PROFIT AND CAN NOT HAVE CLEAN HANDS.GO AFTER GOOGLE

Marvin:
Google has a lot of good things to offer, but yes, they are making some money from these ads. If they were all banned, the scammers would likely find another way to get in your face anyway – like pop-ups and email spam, which they’re already doing. What I’d really like to see? If Google’s problem is it doesn’t have enough humans to review ads – then hire some more folks who can work at home reviewing and weeding out the scams for them. There are plenty of people who stop by here who would love to have an actual legitimate job working for Google, and who would also love to get the scammers off the ad network. That would be cool, and it would bring tons of credibility to the AdWords program!

Randy D.

that was a close shave… from the moment i told her about it my mother thought it sounded very fishy. thank goodness for female intuition!

thanks for this, my family has been in financial turmoil this year, i even lost temporary custody of my son because we weren’t financially stable and i couldn’t work due to an injury that left me disabled and my husband getting layed off, i got sucked into something like this and am still trying to recover

Pete:
Yeah, sometimes moms just seem to know everything!

Randy D.

Laura:
Thanks for your comment. You’ve been through a lot, but keep the faith. Sometimes these trials seem to go in cycles. Maybe your luck is about to change for the better.

Randy D.

i am so glad that you were decent enough to post this information. i started to do a little digging of my own and noticed something else. if you look at the picture of the so called check they recived on several different sites from several different people claiming they have succeeded, you will notice its the same pic. the fingers holding the check are of the same person and the positioning are the same. the check number is even the same. the thing they were smart enough (not by much) to change was the amount on the check. check out these two sites for an example.

{Note from moderator: I have removed these URLs. You’re exactly right, it’s the same picture, the same testimonials, etc. That was the point made in the story. No point in giving them more traffic and possibly sucking someone else into their trap. The other idiotic part of this story is that the testimonials tell you they get checks from Google every week. NOT. Google AdSense pays out once per month at most, and then only if you’ve reached $100 in earnings to that point. You’re also right – the more you dig into these sites, the more you can see right through the phoniness. Thanks for your comment! Randy D.}

Randy,
thank you! I too, as many of these readers am looking for extra income. I saw the fine print for these ads and had a problem with them. I emailed the lady profiled in the article by American Jobs Weekly, to find out if she was still paying all the fees, still haven’t heard from her. I’m glad I did my own “Google” search and found your article.

Betty:
Way to go – and thanks for your comment!

Randy D.

I went right from the Google works site to Google, and it led me to you and comfirmed my suspicions. Stay safe cyber folks, and piece.(haha)

Hi filled out info even cc# turns out my prepaid card was out of funds. I was thinking of adding money to it for this job then decide to research it. Wow am i happy i did. Thanks

Julie:
Thanks for your comment. I hadn’t thought about it, but (Duh), a pre-paid card that needs to be recharged seems like a really good way to limit your losses if you get sucked into a scam. Maybe one to use just for this type of thing where you’re not really sure, with minimal recharges when necessary. Can’t get blood out of a stone!

Randy D.

Thehow:
Smart thinking. It’s easy to fall for a work at home scam if you don’t check things out. In short, look before you leap!

Randy D.

Here’s the scary part…

After 27 years with “Company A” I was laid off over 18 months ago. Since then I’ve been laid of from two other jobs as well, the most recent was last week.

My sister who is a career/job placement counseler as a local university sent me a link to this garbage.
I had already seen this scam as well as others like it, so obviously I didn’t pay them to extort money from me.

My sister claims she has given this information out to “quite a few people” – I’ve of course enlightned her using this website as my back up!

And here I thought I was her favorite brother!

I just went to one of those sites by mistake prolly 10 minutes ago and put my inforamtion in what should I do?

Hey Robert:
Wow, that is scary! Our own family sending us to work at home scammers { shudder, shudder}. I suppose she meant well.

Randy D.

kennzy:
If you gave them credit card information, contact them and tell them you changed your mind and that you want to cancel. Keep a record of who you spoke to, when you called and what they said. Call the bank holding the credit card and see if they will block future charges from these people should they show up (the initial charge probably already appears). Ask the bank if they recommend you cancel your card if they cannot block new charges from them. If they continue to charge you, report them to all of the sources in this week’s spotlight – Reporting Work at Home Scams – Get Even.

Keep records, save receipts, bank statements etc.

Best wishes – let me know how you make out.

Randy D.

Here is the info people need to stop this maddness!

This is an *automated* message to confirm your cancellation for WebMoneyTraining.com.

Customer Service: 800-416-1339

For additional support, please visit http://www.CSRegister.com or call toll-free 1-800-490-4417

Copyright (C) 2008 http://www.WebMoneyTraining.com All rights reserved.

Make sure you tell them right away and get a confirmation number and follow up email. Smart people get suckered everyday!

Thanks for the info on this scam, i ak=lmost filled it out myself but thought it may be a scam and didnt. does ANYONE know of any stay at home jobs tht are NOT a rip off? can be over the computer or just done from home…thanks everyone.

yvonne

Melissa:
This is just one of hundreds of outfits that are doing this. The information you provided is only useful for those caught on this particular site and it does not apply to everyone.

To others I’d suggest clicking the Terms and Conditions link at the bottom of the signup page from whatever site scammed you. You should find contact information there about cancellation. Additionally, part of the problem is that people did follow the cancellation instructions and continued to get charged anyway.

Randy D.

Yvonne:
Thanks for the comment. If you approach a work at home job as you would an in-office job, you won’t have problems. In-office employers don’t charge you to come work for them and they don’t want your credit card number. The legitimate work at home job is nothing more than an in-office job in which the employer allows people to telecommute (work from home). Approach your work at home job search just as you would approach a traditional job search: Polish up your resume, review and know what you’re really good at and why you’d be a good selection for the employer, submit applications and network with others who may be able to help you get a foot in the door. By working at home you actually have an advantage – while the number of work at home employers may be fewer than traditional in-office employers, unless the employer insists you be close enough to come into the office when needed, you’re not restricted by the geographic boundaries that would limit your search for a traditional job, which would need to be within commuting distance or you’d have to move.

There’s lots of information for you on this site, including my hand-picked work at home job postings that are updated every week. I will now await the flood of spam responses I’m bound to get from your question – “does ANYONE know of any stay at home jobs that are NOT a rip off?” because that questions just draws scams out of the woodwork.

Good luck in your work at home job search. Keep a positive attitude and stick to the basics of any job search.

Randy D.

sure sounded to good to be true lol
thanks randy
at least some out there cares

Craig:
You’re welcome. I plan to continue doing my part.

Randy D.

I found the link for this on Facebook, beware. Must admit like everyone else that I am desperate to work, from home, at an office anywhere, but jobs are few and far between and many are in line before me. I’m computer literate and can find myself around the internet very well. I admit to having started filling in the form for the kit, but decided there was something wrong when the county list for the UK showed towns instead of counties. I live in Essex, not listed. Google should be shot for not taking action against these scammers – anyone using your name to commit fraud would usually take action. I know I would! Thanks to my intuition and this blog I have been saved in more ways that one. Thanks so much.

I was seconds away from buying into it when something told me to “google” google works and then I found your report here. Thanks a bunch. As a single dad of 3 boys I have no money to lose in a scheme. Thanks again! Thank GOD for Google and all it’s free info.

Thanks so much for your time in writing that article….it was vivd and clear. You just never knew how many people you have saved in getting into this kind of scam…and I am one of them (haha). I was just trying my way to sign up for this when I remembered to google search for any article re: this and thank God I found this site. Im a foreign medical graduate about to take the state medical board this October, 2009. BIG THANKS again!!!God bless!!!!

diamonsu:
Thanks for your comment. Glad to hear you didn’t get caught in the trap.

Randy D.

John:
Thanks for your comment. Isn’t it ironic that Google makes it possible to find out these are scams, when the very target of the scam is Google’s name to begin with?

Randy D.

Angel:
You’re welcome and thank you for your kind words. Glad you didn’t fall for it. Good luck with your medical boards!

Randy D.

I got ripped off by this scammers just recently. It said on there that is free for 14 days and they charged my bank account for 70 dollars after 7 days. I cancelled my card and now im waiting for the charge to pull of my account and then try to file a dispute. Thats what my bank suggested me to do. If I found your blog before i signed up for I would of save 70 dollars.

Thank you for posting this blog. I learn my lesson and I will never ever fall for this scams again. I am just desperate to find a job because of my husband is getting out of the military and I need a job. Right now I am just waiting for my State Pharmacy Tech License to get here. Once again thank you Randy for this blog it help me and a lot of people too.

Eve:
What a bummer! At least you caught it quickly. Good luck in getting all of this resolved. Let us know how it all works out in the end.

Randy D.

Eve:
Good luck with your pharmacy tech – that would have a great future. Thanks for your comments!

Randy D.

I just fell for this scam, its been one week since I paid the 1.97 for a google kit and I was charged 70 dollars today. I have called them like 20 times and although they have canceled my account they said i have to file a claim for a refund, the problem is that every time i call their lines are terrible and they cut out every 2 minutes and I cant speak to anyone! I am so upset for falling into this, and plan to file a dispute with my bank as soon as it posts to my account!

I wish i would have found this before I fell for this scam. Its still good to know that I found this now!

Thanks a lot!

Hello Randy,
Thanks for the heads up. You are a good man. I was this close to signing up. Out of curiosity, do you know any legitimate ‘work from home’ companies? I am trying to find one, but am fairly new and am very nervous of who or what I sign up with, being that they all seem fraud. Any help would greatly be appreciated.
Iraj

Liz, call your bank and tell them the situation and try cancelling the card that you use before the money posted on your account. Mine was pending and I called my bank saturday and told them that i fall for this scam and they tried to help me to get my money back. I was suppose to call my bank back today for dispute but my money is still in my account and nomore pending for 70 dollars, so it means those scammers didnt get my money.

Thank you, Randy. I am so glad that I research more about that google kit and I found your blog.

I am always amazed how people fall for this stuff as if it was that easy to make money.

I saw the googlework ad also and the dummy link was called amercianjobsweekly.com with a bogus news article about people making easy money in less than a month. Then a link was attached to the article asking for $1.97 for starter kit with free shipping & handling. It sounded too good to be true, so I ignored it.

Liz:
You’re welcome, and thanks for sharing your story. Also see Eve’s comment to you. Let us know how things work out for you.

Randy D.

Iraj:
It’s like I tell everyone – you can work at home by working for a legitimate employer who lets you telecommute or you can start your own business from your home. I can’t really say there are any “legitimate work at home companies” in the sense that they make you pay a fee or buy into something in order to work from home. All you are doing is making someone else rich. Finding a work at home job is just like finding any other job, except that the employer allows you to telecommute. Finding a home business opportunity is just like finding any other business opportunity – you either pay for someone else’s system (such as a franchise opportunity) or you create your own opportunity by finding a need and filling it. In either case it takes planning and research to find the best opportunity that works for you.

Randy D.

Eve:
You did the right thing – you took matters into your own hands and took fast action. Thanks for your comment.

Randy D.

Way to go, Ian! Yep, this is the same old scam dressed up as a “news” article, but still the same old crock.

Randy D.

Your sponsored links ar “make money from home” and Make money from work and home” are these companys ok?

So are there any work from home opportunities that you would suggest that are not scams? I am normally a teacher, but we recently had to move because of my husbands job & we have a baby so I am staying home with her since we do not know there area & I cant just leave her anywhere. We still havent sold our other house so things are getting tight. Just a little extra money would really help out. Very glad I read this though bc I was thinking about it but I had also read the fine print & thought it sounded fishy..had a bad feeling about it & this just confirms it….would appreciate any help though! Thanks!

Desiree:
You should treat all ads the same – with caution. While I report scams when I find them advertising here, every time the page refreshes new ads display and I can’t police them 24/7. If you click through an ad you find to be a scam, you should let me know. In order to get the ad removed I have to create a screenshot of the ad that displayed and would need the URL of the page the ad was pointing to.

Again – ads (Sponsored Links, etc.) are just that – ads, like you might encounter anywhere else on the web, TV, etc.

Randy D.

Emily:
I think what gets most people trapped is the word “opportunities”. Work at home “opportunities” are just that – an opportunity to buy into a business or network, so nearly all of the “work at home opportunities” you see advertised are going to want money. The vast majority of those aren’t worth a lick – I haven’t really seen any.

On the other hand, “work at home jobs” are jobs. You shouldn’t have to pay to get a job (except maybe a placement agency) and you wouldn’t be expected to run the company. It’s a job, just like any other job, except you’re allowed to do it from home. Real jobs are offered by real employers – not scam artists.

My advice has always been – if you want a “work at home opportunity” (meaning self employment) create your own – you don’t need to buy into anyone else’s system – you just make them rich and yourself poor. There are lots of ideas around this site and around the About network to create your own “opportunity” without falling victim to scam artists. If you want a “job”, search like you would for any other job except restrict your search to those companies that will allow you to telecommute.

Both require work and commitment on your part to succeed.

Randy D.

hi there randy, i really appreciate your ad on here. i was very close to falling today for the 1.97 shipping and handling google biz kit today. i saw it on msn. com and thought wow this could be something i do while i’m at home. i also thought since this is with google.com, a highly credible company, it will not be a scam. i already got scammed on craigslist this year and shipped a ten thousand dollar diamond tennis bracelet to a scammer. everyone should learn about the fake paypal scammers as well. thank you for this page you created. i hope many other people read this.

Grateful Girl:
Thanks for your comments, I’m glad it helped. Yes, I’ll probably be posting something about PayPal soon as I’ve been thinking about doing so – in the meantime, don’t trust any email messages that are supposedly from PayPal that want you to log in or provide a password – per PayPal’s instructions, I also forward those messages to spoof@paypal.com and they generally respond to every message I forward them, sometimes within hours, sometimes within a day or two.

That’s awful about the CraigsList swindle…couldn’t you do anything and did you notify CraigsList?

Thanks for dropping in – spread the word!

Randy D.

Thanks your a life saver, sucks though the job is not real would have been great. lol o well thanks for saving my money any ways

Charley:
You can check out REAL Google work at home job postings at: http://www.google.com/support/jobs/bin/static.py?page=loc.html&loc_id=1628&dep_id=1173&topic=1628. This link is for US jobs that include telecommuting. And you won’t have to pay anything for the privilege!

Randy D.

Thank you for the explanation. I was also trying to find something my husband could do until he returned to work after being injured in an accident. Good article Great explanation. I was kind of upset that the google link for a job that sounded like one I would qualify for would take me to that Google Works site…..

Thanks for your comment, Amy. That’s the problem I have with this particular scam – these are not jobs at all and they are certainly not sanctioned by Google, yet the ads lead you to believe that’s true in both cases. You can check out REAL Google work at home job postings at: http://www.google.com/support/jobs/. If you are in the U.S., click all “U.S. locations”, and then “Multiple Locations…includes telecommuting”. Don’t be afraid of the “software engineering” jobs link – these Google jobs include work at home positions verifying search results and ads and really don’t require much of a technical background other than being familiar with search.

Since Google doesn’t accept applications from recruiting agencies, your best bet is to keep checking back for openings and then apply as soon as you see one, but ONLY doe this on Google’s own site. The competition is bound to be tough.

Randy D.

Thank you i was fixing to fall into the trap!!!!!

Wanda:
Glad to hear you didn’t fall for this nonsense!

Randy D.

Is there anything out there that you know is legit? online business that is legit?

Johnathon:
See the FAQ, Legitimate Work at Home Business for the answer to your question.

Randy D.

My sister sent me an email saying ‘this is not a scam’ and after two links i found your site. Wonderful information and great that you are doing this, it looks as though you’ve really helped a bunch of people here…. great job.

I did want to point out that at the bottom of this listing under ’sponsored links’ there are many ‘work from home scam free’ links. I found that interesting since you’ve clearly said that you ‘have yet to find one’.

It’s been mentioned man times by you and other posters that Google could block these users, my question to you is… Can you control your own ’sponsored links’ on your own blog site? If the answer is NO… then I’d like to point out how easy it is to get sucked into promoting something that you’re against. If the answer is YES… then you are as misleading as the advertisers.

Kary:
Thanks for your comments. I always advise readers to proceed with caution with “Sponsored Links” – as they are just that – ads.

With regard to do I control the ads on the site, in a word, “No”. If this were my own site and the ads were being served up through Google AdSense, I could log into Google AdSense and specifically ban either entire domains or specific display or destination URLs using the Competitive Ad Filter. This doesn’t ban the advertiser from using Google to display ads – it would only keep them off my site.

However, this is not my own site, it is part of the About.com network. When I see a fraudulent or misleading or offensive ad, I report it to the folks at About. They look into it and if they agree an ad is inappropriate, pass it on to Google. If Google agrees, the ad is banned, which can take several weeks or longer to go through all of the various channels. This process involves a lot more documentation than just recording the URL of the landing page (a screen shot of the offending ad, the page on which it displayed and an explanation of why the ad should be removed also have to be submitted each time). Now, add to that the problem that every time the page refreshes, a new set of ads displays. As you might guess, this becomes a very frustrating exercise in futility, making it very difficult to catch the offenders. This is why it is my contention that Google is in a much better position to do this since they have to approve all ads in the first place.

My best advice is stay tuned – I’ll call out the fraudsters when I see them and let my readers know about them as I can – even if those ads are on this site. I’ll also let you know if I see something I think you should be aware of. In the meantime, readers need to be skeptical of any ads they see – not only on this site, but on any site on the Internet, in the newspaper, ads and offers received in email, etc. Keep in mind – these are ads and they support the site so readers can have access to free information.

In short, readers need to do some due diligence on their own to see if they should trust the advertiser or not and make up their own minds if they want to do business with or make a purchase from any advertiser.

Randy D.

Thank YOU very much for your response. I understand the process and is easy as it is to say ‘have them banned’ is it much harder than it looks.

You are very good at response and I have a high regard for people that do this, so thank you for your honest and quick response.

Reading the posts you are doing a GREAT thing helping people get out of something they’ve gotten into and more importantly avoiding these scams altogether.

Bravo!

Thanks, Kary!

Randy D.

Hello. I just found your information about the Googe AdSense work at home scheme. I wish I’d known about it sooner. Normally I’m pretty shrewd when it comes to these, but this one sounded legit after I checked it out and looked ok, so I sent off for the cd, paying only $2.00 or so for the S&H. That was back in May. I received the cd, put it up and forgot about it, thinking I’d get to it later and check it out. Well, I got a fraudulent charge on my check card for $70 3 months later that I traced back to that purchase. HUGE mistake. I called the company, and from the very get-go, they were showing they must be a fraudulent concern in the way they acted. First they didn’t have me on record, then it was from two other different states than the one I live in, then they had to have my credit card # to reverse the charge (when all others were good with the transaction #), then the phone went dead (this happened on both occasions that I called!) just after I finally relented and gave the #. I reported them to my bank and have since closed the associated account with the check card (which I found out that you have to do in order to stop the charges, otherwise, even with a different card #, they still somehow track you down and can still get to the account) and am filing a fraudulent charge report on them. I hope I get my money back, but I don’t have very much that I will. Thanks for your article. I will be more leary in the future of any work at home anything!!!

Thanks,
Donna

Thanks. I didn’t even notice the disclaimer until i read your article.

Donna:
Sorry to hear you didn’t catch this earlier and the hassle you are going through. At any rate, I encourage you to report the creeps if you can – perhaps to your State Attorney General’s office and then to the BBB, IC3, etc. Information on reporting such scams is available here: http://homebusiness.about.com/od/workathomescams/tp/work-at-home-scams-report.htm.
Good luck with everything!
Randy D.

Frank:
Yep, that’s about the only place you can get any information before signing up, so may as well check it out, right?
Now you’ll be looking for it!
Here’s to a happy, scam-free life and legitimate work from home!
Randy D.

I don’t believe it after all i’ve just sat and read and looking how far it goes back just today facebook allowed one of these google approved ads to appear surely surely they must be wise to it by now? Why are these “reputable” companies allowing these scammers to continue with these ads this one offered a kit for a £1.00. I didn’t read the whole article i saw that you needed to have a google account first so I set one up then set about gettin the info direct from google and up popped your site. I think maybe facebook and google should start getting hit in their pockets for approving these ads.

Thank you for your great information and warnings. I was really interested in the ad I saw on one of the job sites. So what about this ad you have on your site for the postcard business. Is it legitimate?

P:
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Glad you didn’t get taken by this work from home scam. Keep in mind that it’s VERY hard to police these ads – Google has the best opportunity to do so, they complain that they ban one and several others then pop up. My thinking is that if they think they don’t have enough humans to review these ads before they’re approved, Google should hire more people to work from home and check the ads – that would be a win-win for everyone and would bring a great deal more credibility to Google’s advertising program. With regard to Facebook, it’s a humungous network, and banning individual ads is not easy – as evidenced by the fact that some ads that show right here on this site fall in the same category and I can’t stop all of them. I think the buck has to stop with Google, who has the power to ban anyone they want to with or without a valid reason and have done so repeatedly in the past.

Randy D.

Robin:
I’ve seen these ads here too (again, I don’t have control over them). What I’ve seen appears to be a bit more “real” than the Google work at home scams, but as with any ad or any “opportunity” you need to do your homework. Check with the BBB and do a Google search on the company or “opportunity” name and see how they check out before you do anything. Otherwise, be sure to read the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy pages before you hand over your email address or other information to anyone. If you’re not sure about an “opportunity” I’d recommend getting a pre-paid credit card before handing over any credit card information. If the company is legitimate you can always change your billing information later if you want to continue on.

Randy D.

What would be the reason(s) Google would not do somthing about their logo and name being used in this fraudulent manner?

Good question Silk!

I posted this on the Google Help Forum:

Look at how blatant these scams are with their lies, even claiming to quote Google!

“Google Now Hiring People To Work From Home
Google is Set To Hire A Group Of Americans To Work From Home In The Next Few Days. Thousands Of Jobs Available, Anyone Can Apply. ”

“Google has now released a new “Work From Home Program” that will allow Americans to work for the titan from the comfort of their own homes.”

“The way this works is very simple, Google says.

First you will need to apply for their work from home kits. Google has release a limited amount of kits, all distributed through local websites in your area, which will cost $2 of shipping and handling to the public. ”

From:

Come on Google – this has been going on for months now – why don’t you sue out of existence these sites which abuse your brand like this?

You are allowing the trust in the Google brand name to be damaged by these affiliates of the cpa networks who create these flogs (fake news sites/blogs) full of lies.
http://www.google.co.uk/support/forum/p/Web+Search/thread?tid=3ea533a22754d1e2&hl=en
http://scam.com/showpost.php?p=819768&postcount=200

Silky:
That’s my point, and what seems to most befuddling. Most companies would be on their doorstep with lawyers shutting them down.

Randy D.

i did the same thing and so far i havent recieved a bill yet and i still have access to google revolution and this has been several months, and from what i have learned i can take my time and do things when i am ready.

Gene:
While I haven’t heard of Google Revolution before, it’s essentially the same thing, although it looks like you can access some information without actually surrendering your credit card information. This snippet from the terms of service on the site tells me it is essentially the same scam:

“On day 1 of your purchase, Google Revolution will begin your 7-day FREE trial period. After your trial has ended, Google Revolution will charge your payment card $73.83 for the monthly service fee you agreed to upon signing up for membership. Your account will be debited the same amount every month thereafter unless or until you contact Google Revolution by phone at 1-866-756-1774 to terminate your membership.”

Also, if you Google “google revolution” you’ll see many who feel they’ve been scammed in the same way as Google Works and the other worthless money grabbing Google scam artists.

Since you say you have access, have you found anything on the Google Revolution site to make it worth $73.83 per month?

Randy D.

Just wanted to thank you for the article! That was a close call just now, went looking for the scam site and I swerved here instead. Bullet dodged, I’m heading back into the sea of opportunity

Mr. Poverty – Glad I was of help. Be careful out there!

Randy D.

Hi, I just submitted an application and was sent to the Credit Card Screen where my application was denied. Has anyone else had this happen to them? I just want to know if I dodged a bullet or if i should call my bank. Thanks for this blog!!!!

NotWorkingMom:

Hard to say, maybe others will have some feedback. At any rate, if you can check your credit card activity online, I’d recommend you do so daily for a while to see if anything suspicious crops up. Hopefully, you made a slip on the cc number or something that wouldn’t allow it go through.

Best,

Randy D.

lol, i found the ad on a google link at careerbuilder.com (job seeker, jobHQ)..
So being that, i naturally thought click the link ‘Wanted – $47/ hour workers’.
The page i landed was:

I already was skeptic just by the article googled it and landed here. I love the way you expressed about this opportunity lol,,, YOU HAD ME AT FREE*.. that was great

Thanks

James:
Glad to hear you didn’t fall for it and glad you liked the post. I changed the URL you left to an image as I don’t want them to get a link from this site. This one is part of the Google Works scam. I especially love the disclaimer text at the bottom of the page in gray with very hard to read text:

“THE STORY DEPICTED ON THIS SITE AND THE PERSON DEPICTED IN THE STORY ARE NOT REAL. RATHER, THIS STORY IS BASED ON THE RESULTS THAT SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE USED THESE PRODUCTS HAVE ACHIEVED. THE RESULTS PORTRAYED IN THE STORY AND IN THE COMMENTS ARE ILLUSTRATIVE, AND MAY NOT BE THE RESULTS THAT YOU ACHIEVE WITH THESE PRODUCTS. THIS PAGE RECEIVES COMPENSATION FOR CLICKS ON OR PURCHASE OF PRODUCTS FEATURED ON THIS SITE.”

Looks to me like this is being run by someone who actually fell for the scam and is trying to make money from it – poor soul, may end up getting prosecuted by the FTC and others, as well as end up being banned from Google AdSense for life.

Randy D.

THANK YOU, Been reading these ads all day, looking for some real help at helping myself.
new meanings everywhere, after even reading several ads with the expenses, I kept going back to “FREE”!
it does take someone to point out the false ads.

Got Real info for all of us out here?
Teresa

omg i seriously almost entered my credit card number, after i entered address and other information….for some reason i decided to google “does google have a credit card scheme” and i found this thankyou so much!! Life Saveeeeeeer!!!

Lord have mercy on me!!! I just fell into the scam! Well I put all my info and it lead me to another page to download these books. Well dumb me, I check after the fact about scams and I see all these testimonies and golly I think I got fooled! Well God is my vindicator and I called customer service to cancel. I will have to call my bank and tell them, I should not have to close my account. Where can i get real parttime job at home? I live on the property i work full time and I need extra cash for my bills!

Teresa:
You’re welcome. As for “real info”, it’s scattered all over this site, but you might want to start with the Home Work Guide.

Randy D.

Shawna:
Glad I could help!

Randy D.

MMad:
Work is where you find it. Try the Home Work Guide for starters. Also, Google really does have work at home jobs available. See Is There Legitimate Google Work at Home, as well as my weekly job listings.

Good luck!

Randy D.

Please read my blog on how to avoid work at home schemes. I have listed places to validate the company and information to collect on them. Please read to avoid giving people your hard earned money. If you find the site useful, please pass it on to others. Also, if anyone needs help looking up a company, just leave a comment on my page so I can help.

http://nomiswords.blogspot.com/2009/10/avoid-work-at-home-scams.html

Hi Naomi:
Thanks for stopping by and chiming in. Your advice is solid, so I’m allowing your link. Don’t hesitate to link back! Thanks for being part of the community – I hope you’ll continue to contribute.
I’ve left a comment on your blog as well. Looks like you are just starting out with your blog. I wish you all the best. I think that over time you’ll find it’s a great way to start earning with work from home. And, because you’re in control, you don’t have to worry about getting scammed.

Best,
Randy D.

Do not apply for this Google Scam. I signed up and immediately received two emails from companies. One said that my credit card would be charged $10.00 per month for my account and the other one said my credit card would be charged $19.95 per month for my account. I spent the entire day getting these accounts canceled. Now, I have to change my credit card. Do not, I repeat, do not fall for this SCAM.

Hi,

Greenly, I fell for this on Monday, right away just after I clicked accept I noticed the 7 day trial followed by monthly fees. I spend all day Monday and night trying to ring the international number with no luck – so then I found the code for Utah from the UK and dialed the American number someone answered right away …………. I think they ignore international callers so they can not cancle within 7 days therefore allowing them to charge the first bill. Anyhow I managed to cancle and got a confirmation email and code and was assured no charges would be made – I just prey and hope I’m now out of this. My bank tells me to keep a close eye on my account and if anything goes out they will jump right on it. If anyone else needs to know the number from the UK I managed to get them on it’s 001-800-497-4988 this is direct to pacific web works in the US – I had no luck with the international number of 001-646-205-0230 they provide you with.

I felt and still feel so stupid – the name google and having daughters running around me caught me in the middle of not thinking straight – usually I’m so on top of things like this I feel like screaming at myself!

Good luck all

Nancy:
Sorry to hear they got you, but you have to admit, it was probably a good learning experience.

Randy D.

Susan:
Thanks for the info. You really acted quickly. The phone numbers you are listing here will not work for everyone – there are literally tons of scammers out there doing the same thing – they are not all owned or operated by the same band of thieves.

Best,

Randy

Wow, thanks for this page. I was reading up on it and decided to do some research to find out if this was legit. I came across your article and thank god I did before punching any of my personal info in.

I also checked out this stuff and being semi-intelligent knew it was a scam. Like most good lies they are always rooted in truth. This makes a more believable lie. Turns out Google does pay you in its program ad-sence IF you have a web page. They have to pre-approve it, but once started if you have a good site then you can generate money just like any other type ads you might display.

Unfortunatly there is always someone trying to scam people and personally I think they should be shot.

CECE:
Thanks for stopping in. I’m glad to have helped and I hope you find additional useful information on my site.

Randy D.

Bozo:
Thanks for your comment. You’re absolutely right, if you have your own site or blog, you can make legitimate money with Google’s AdSense program. But there’s no need to sign up for revolving charges for information that’s readily available for free directly from Google, from my site and from many, many others who are willing to share free tips with you, as well as plenty of available tips for building your website or blog’s traffic to boost your AdSense earnings.

Randy D.

Hi Randy,
I have my own article on the similar topic “how people can work from home with google” I generally help my Indian friends with various ideas of working from home through my website, i really liked this post, need your permission to link it to let my visitors to take advantage of this article.

if you want to take a look at the article i have written http://www.1moneymania.in/google_make_money.html

Let me know,
RR

Hi Raja:
Yes, you can link to me, and your site presents an accurate picture of things in regard to AdSense.

Randy D.

OMG YESTERDAY I TRIED TO DO THE GOOGLE WORKS AND EVEN THOUGH I HAD MONEY ON THE CARD FOR SOME REASON IT DIDN’T GO THROUGH. TODAY I WAS GOING TO TRY AND PURCHASE IT AGAIN AND I SAW THIS ARTICLE RANDY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHOWING US THAT THERE IS HIDDEN COSTS

MICHELLE

Wow. I believed this, until I read the fine print at the order screen that said something like, “Google does not sponser and is not affiliated with this program”

Michelle:
Glad you found these comments – thanks for yours. If you have online access to your account, I strongly recommend you monitor it daily for the next few weeks in case they get it to finally go through.

Randy D.

Good catch, Bryant! These “Google” scam sites make it as difficult and inconvenient as possible to find wording like that, and they go out of their way to try to look legitimate, when in fact you can get everything they’re offering for free anyway, right from Google.

Randy D.

Really, Great thing you are displaying at here…