To Get Your Free Work at Home List Please Follow These 3 Simple Steps to Confirm Your Email AddressWhich told me to open my email, open the message and click the confirmation link. I opened my email. The message read:
You were just at our site FreeWorkAtHomeList.com and requested our Free Work At Home List. I look forward to sending it to you. But first, you just need to take a quick second to click on the confirmation link below. This ensures that we only send our list to people who really want them, and it helps eliminate spam.Okay. I figure no problem. Now I can complete the process. I clicked the link.
The link went to a sign up page for a FREE Google Automated Income Kit - Fast - Free - Profitable. Son of a B, if it's not the same Google work at home scam routine wolf in sheep's clothing again!
But what happened to the "Free Work at Home List"? It's nowhere to be found!
I then clicked the Terms and Conditions link from the Google Income Kit sign up page (always my first step before signing up for anything). Lo and behold, a pop-up window, which describes the Terms and Conditions for the "BlogToolKit" I bring you the same old crap! Where did the BlogToolKit come from? And where is my "Free Work at Home List?" Did somebody eat it when I wasn't looking?
To their credit, this outfit admits they want to take your money right on the sign up page, although it's in very pale gray text. It says (emphasis added):
This is a trustworthy, authentic and secure website (actually, when I clicked through, the browser told me the site's security certificate was invalid)... By continuing, your kit will be sent to you via United States mail, in 3 to 5 business days, S/H not included, so be sure to look for it. Also, by continuing you understand this offer includes a 14-Day Free Trial to the BlogToolKit.com website, which can help you create an additional income using the tools and strategies inside. After the 14-Day Free Trial period, you will continue to enjoy full membership at an affordable $39.95 per month billed automatically to your credit card.Well, isn't that special? So you're telling me, my Free Work at Home List, is neither:
- A work at home list, nor
- Free.
But wait! It gets even better.
("How could it?", you're asking.)
What they don't tell you directly on the sign up page but do mention in the Terms and Conditions (and I assume the Privacy Policy too, except that I was too ill to read it by that time, and again, I've added emphasis here as I wouldn't want you to miss something exciting):
We may sell our user information and/or join together with other businesses to bring selected opportunities to our members. By allowing us to make the information you supply available to these third parties, you are able to receive free information on products and services that may be of interest to you. We will use contact information from your registration data to send you information about our products and services and to keep you informed of our other products and services that may be of interest to you. This information may also be shared with third party advertisers who may contact you by means of e-mail, telephone or other sources of marketing. We do not control, and are not responsible for, the practices of our third-party advertisers.Now that's really special! Thanks so much. I'm so glad I clicked your ad. I'm also glad to you are able to eliminate spam by making me click a confirmation link that goes to a completely different offer than the Free Work at Home List you advertised, yet you are willing to SELL my information to others so they can spam me! Now that's just so special that my eyes are welling up with tears.
You have just changed my life! You take truth in advertising to a whole new level! I can't wait to get my Free Work at Home List! Oh, that's right. I'm not getting it. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to go on using regular toilet paper instead.
Thanks for the great post, Randy, and the great investigative journalism as well. In fact, many so-called home business opportunities may turn out to be scams but I think it’s important to also point out that there are plenty of home businesses that don’t necessarily involve suspect Web marketing tool kits and the like or really any kind of Internet marketing in the traditional sense. If you have a product you’ve created or a service you provide, you can simply offer it from home and use the Internet to tell others about it. No SPAM or sneaky marketing schemes required.
A very good find there Randy, well done for highlighting it, I think a lot of people will be thankful.
Sue
Shawn:
Thanks for your comment. You’re absolutely right. It’s what too many people don’t “get” and it’s what I’ve been preaching all along.
Randy D.
Sue:
Thank you for your comment. Expect some more on this in the next few days – they actually DID send me a work at home list, finally. While I have to check it out further, it looks like all of their suggested links lead to other scams. In the end (no pun intended), I will probably be right about my toilet paper comment.
Stay tuned!
Randy D.
Thanks for all the info Randy, ive come across many of these scams myself and i never believe them anymore after i read the fine print of one, for weightloss, that told me i actualy wouldnt achieve the results it told me. I find it quite riciculous thought, that surrounding your page and in ’sponsered links’ we can find all of the scams you are telling us about! Atleast no one is going to click on them now! These scams should be put to an end.
Thanks for the comment, Emily. I agree, it is ridiculous that these very scams are all over my site, and I wish I could do more about it. For now all I can do is point them out to my readers and call them out when I see them. Keep in mind that not all ads are scams and they serve an important purpose of making the site available through their sponsorship.
I really get steamed when I see the claims, “As seen on …” when the only reason they were seen on those sites was because they happened to get an ad up on them.
Randy D.
Nice post Randy. Where’s the FTC in all this? Their new endorsement guidelines that take effect 12/1 promise to fine bloggers who recommend products; yet newspapers can continue to do so. And companies like Google get to make money by spreading trash on legitimate web sites through their ad network. Something’s really wrong with that.
Hi Kate:
Thanks for stopping by and posting a comment. I agree with you completely. The trash has got to go. I can only hope by exposing it, fewer people will fall in the trap, it won’t be such a lucrative practice and the scammers will have to find something else to do for a living. (I can dream, can’t I?)
Randy D.
Great lesson Randy ! And Thanks ! You have saved some wannabes from falling in to this trap. Pl keep up the good work. God bless you Randy!
PKP:
Thanks for your comment. The encouragement is welcome, especially since I just responded to a user who emailed me blaming me because she fell for one of these ridiculous scams.
Randy D.
Its normal, there are so many scam ad on the word of internet today. We have to be careful.
Wow you’ve really opened my eyes to what’s out there! I guess there are many things I didn’t know about “working from home” jobs. I too am dealing with a leg injury that is hindering my ability to find a “regular” job.
I thank you for your list of jobs on the Internet as well. I found one that looked promising but then I saw that I had to be in Texas (not where I am) to be able to do the training. But, it’s with a larger company and I think I might see if they have any other locations close to where I am.
Thanks again for the information and God bless!!
PKP:
You’re quite welcome. Glad to hear you didn’t fall in the pit.
Randy D.
Shane:
Thanks for your comment. Keep the faith.
Randy D.