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It happens about once a year that I am invited to an Internet Income Training Conference in the local neighborhood. I attended once before, just for the kicks of it, and it was what I call a dog and pony show. It is surprising to see so many people gullible enough to fall for their scam.
A dinner table is reserved for Wilfred Voss and guest! We’re also giving away a FREE laptop computer! FREE MP3 Player for everyone! FREE meal for you and your guest!
Wilfred, discover how entrepreneurs and small business owners are creating incomes using the Internet. Also, learn how people are making money using Google, Yahoo, eBay, and MSN.
And I say: Welcome to the biggest dog and pony show in America!
It happens about once a year that I am invited to an Internet Income Training Conference in the local neighborhood. I attended once before, just for the kicks of it, and it was what I call a dog and pony show. It is surprising to see so many people gullible enough to fall for their scam.
They will tell you stories about the regular guy who started his online business, and these days he sits at the swimming pool of his five-million-dollar villa in Florida, sipping his vodka-martini, shaken not stirred. He checks into his online system once a day just to check the sales. The money just flows 24 hours a day, 365 days a year right into your checking account. They won’t mention customer service, product shipment, merchandise return management, accounts payable, tax preparation, liability insurance, etc. Heck, when you make ten million dollars a year, you’ll have people to take care of that…
In this last case, C. Kevin Oliver – VP Conference Relations (the title alone cries out bull…), promises heaven and offers a bunch of free gifts just to attend the conference. My thinking is, that somebody has to pay for these gifts. If they rent a 100+ capacity conference room and have gifts (including a FREE computer drawing – I’m not kidding) for everybody, we are talking about major marketing expenses, and somehow they must be looking for a return of investment!
Don’t be fooled, their service will cost you an arm and a leg! Go to reputable websites like Daddy.com, eBay.com, etc. and create your own online store with minimal costs involved!
The conductor of the training, storesonline.com (they don’t provide a real company name), will do everything to talk you into signing a contract with them.
But be warned: Starting and running an e-commerce website is easy, and you can find out how by simply buying a book (See list below), rather than signing a contract with storesonline.com.
And yes, you can create income through the Internet, provided you have a product to sell. But this is where the problem starts. The question is, do you have a product? If yes, you’re in good shape, but I doubt the majority of the conference attendees have the glimmer of an idea.
And yes, you can create income through Google, Yahoo, eBay, MSN, and others. If you’re really good you will make about $120 per month, and this may happen after a year or two of major blood, sweat, and tears. See also my post Does The Google Adsense Get-Rich-System Work?
The scam starts when businesses provide you information (they never promise success) on how to start your own e-commerce business. In addition they have the solution for you, like a website and online store service, all this for a big fee (setup fee, monthly fee for the website, monthly fee for the e-commerce system). You will easily end up with an initial investment of 1,000+ Dollars and monthly fees around $100 per month.
For a comparison: I pay roughly $150 a year to maintain several websites including e-commerce capability. You get there by educating yourself.
Last, but not least, if you received one of their invitation: By all means, do attend! Get a free meal, and get your free gifts. Just don’t sign a contract. You will find that my information is correct.
Literature on running your own online business
As I mentioned before, educate yourself simply by reading literature on the topic. Here is a short list of recommended works, and they are all available through Amazon.com. Please feel free to browse for more books at your local Barnes & Noble, Borders, or online bookstores.
This comprehensive, market-leading text emphasizes the three major driving forces behind e-commerce—technology change, business development, and social issues—to provide a coherent conceptual framework for understanding the field.
The Revolution is Just Beginning; E-commerce Business Models and Concepts; The Internet and World Wide Web: E-commerce Infrastructure; Building an E-commerce Website; Online Security and Payment Systems; E-commerce Marketing Concepts; E-commerce Marketing Communications; Ethical, Social, and Political Issues in E-commerce; Online Retailing and Services; Online Content and Media; Social Networks, Auctions, and Portals; B2B E-commerce: Supply Chain Management and Collaborative Commerce.
The internet has changed how business is done. It has created a whole new world of search engines, web hosts, venture capital funding, business-to-business e-commerce and tech-savvy customers. At the same time, it has leveled the playing field, making it possible for small businesses to compete against established companies and strike it big. The reality byte is that e-business entrepreneurs can make more profit than ever before—if they have the right knowledge.
Start Your Own e-Business provides that knowledge, enabling you to compete on a whole new level. Armed with a comprehensive understanding of the web and the technical skills necessary to excel, you’ll learn how to skillfully navigate your way through this virtual university of opportunity.
Let this guide lead the way, as it:
· Reveals secrets for growing bigger, faster by finding a niche, getting funding, building partnerships and tapping international markets · Highlights pointers, pitfalls and words of wisdom from successful pioneers, CEOs of name-brand sites and small dotcom builders · Offers a complete course on website building, from getting started on a shoestring budget to using advanced techniques sure to attract attention
Equip yourself with the tools and knowledge needed to survive and thrive on the web. Join the thousands of entrepreneurs who have harnessed the power of the internet to reach millions of people worldwide, compete with the big guys and grow a successful business. This guide and a solid business idea are all you need to succeed.
‘The Complete E-Commerce Book offers a wealth of information on how to design, build and maintain a successful web-based business…. Many of the chapters are filled with advice and information on how to incorporate current e-business principles o
Make your e-commerce vision a success with this comprehensive, step-by-step handbook. Whether your company is a startup or well-established, you’ll learn how to plan, implement and operate a successful e-commerce site — from selecting the right software and Internet service provider through effectively marketing your online business.
Kelly Richards has miraculously transformed into Stephanie Albion. She, too, is a work at home mom making a tremendous income per month and working only part time.
Click Image to Enlarge
Click Image to Enlarge
The Scam Continues
Kelly Richards has miraculously transformed into Stephanie Albion. She, too, is a work at home mom making a tremendous income per month and working only part time.
If you have doubts, please have a look at my post The Scam: Work At Home Mom Makes $6,397/Month Part-Time, and specifically have a look at the 125 comments (as of today) by people who have been scammed. Hundreds of thousands of Americans, but also people in other English speaking countries, have lost their money to these scammers. They claim to charge only a small amount for their service, usually in the range of $2.95. However, if you read the terms and conditions you will find that you will be charged larger amounts ($39 in some cases, but usually more) on a monthly basis.
The claim is that you can cancel the service within seven days, but that is a lie as well. It will be impossible to get your money back, and in most cases people had no other choice but to cancel their credit cards.
Warning! If you signed up for this or a similar service, get in touch with your credit card company and report a fraud. If they refuse to help you, cancel your card immediately!
For more information on how to get your money back, see my post Scam Victims – Contact The Federal Trade Commission.
The Washington Post Supports Scammers
Scam Ads as seen on Washington Post online
My daily morning routine includes reading online newspapers, including the Washington Post. When done reading the articles I scan for these dubious ads (See picture above) promising you income by working from home, selling you iPads for only $13.58, and more of this utter nonsense. Basically, I do like the Washington Post, and that is the reason why I click on these ads. First, the click is charged to the scammers, and it creates income for the Washington Post.
If you see similar scammer ads here on this website (look to the right side of this page), click on them! Google, as well as the Washington Post, does not have any scruples of allowing scam in their advertisement system. In turn, I don’t have any influence on the ads provided by Google.
Clicking on the ads will create some income for me, but, most importantly, it will be charged to the scammers. So, you are doing a good deed.
The biggest problem is that there are no legal means to stop the scammers. If you read their website content carefully you will find that they disclose that their advertisement is not based on real success cases. The ads represent success stories that “could happen.” In layman’s terms, everything you see on their website is a lie. The law doesn’t help you, it you sign up for their services, because they admit that their system is not working. Signing up under these circumstances is your responsibility alone, and nobody can help you after the fact.
As harsh as it sounds, but that’s the simple truth.
Thanks to feedback from readers pouring in on a regular basis I am getting more and more background information on the current Internet scam, may it be the Kelly Richards scheme, FastNetLearning.Com, or the Weight Loss (Acai Berry Diet) scam. It seems the scammers are also using facebook to find even more victims.
See the information [...]
Thanks to feedback from readers pouring in on a regular basis I am getting more and more background information on the current Internet scam, may it be the Kelly Richards scheme, FastNetLearning.Com, or the Weight Loss (Acai Berry Diet) scam. It seems the scammers are also using facebook to find even more victims.
See the information I received from a reader:
McAfee Research Blog has picked up on this scam which is also being promoted right here on Facebook!
http://www.trustedsource.org/blog/425/Facebook-Scam-How-to-Get-Rich-on-the-InternetIt appears that the company behind many of the scams (dba Syndex Industries) is actually based in Florida (according to the BBB) and is called XM Brands:
http://www.seflorida.bbb.org/Business-Report/Syndex-Industries-92020876So people should contact the Florida Attorney General too if they have been caught by this scam.
http://myfloridalegal.com/Contact.nsf/Contact?OpenForm&Section=Economic_CrimesMention XM Brands when you contact them, as they are currently investigating them: http://myfloridalegal.com/__85256309005085AB.nsf/0/E2B4046B28E10B148525768C005B8E6C?Open&Highlight=0%2Cxm%2Cbrands
The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, collects complaints about companies, business practices, identity theft, and episodes of violence in the media. Your complaints can help them detect patterns of wrong-doing, and lead to investigations and prosecutions.
The Scam: Work At Home Mom Makes $6,397/Month Part-Time
As I had written in my post The Curse Of Revealing A Scam, reporting continually about the current Internet scams suddenly comes with a major downside: Due to the increased attention of my blog more and more people find my website and try to cancel the scam services I report about. Yes, they contact me to cancel their service!
I am referring to The Infamous Scam That Still Plagues The Internet represented by multiple schemes such as Kelly Richards, the work-at-hom mom making several throusands of Dollars per month part-time, the FastNetLearning.Com scam, the Google Profit Library, WebProfitCoach.Com, the Web Profit Club, the Acai Berry Diet, and many more (See my posts on Making Money From Home).
I have received many comments, and some readers raised the question on how to fight these scammers. The answer to these questions came in form of yet another comment, and I am copying the advice here on this post. Not surprisingly, there are many websites reporting about the scams and offering advice.
The first, and most important advice is:
If you fell for the Kelly Richards scheme, FastNetLearning.Com, the Weight Loss (Acai Berry Diet), or any other scam, contact your credit card provider or bank immediately and report a scam!
FTC Website - Click to open new window
You can also file an official complaint online with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, collects complaints about companies, business practices, identity theft, and episodes of violence in the media. Your complaints can help them detect patterns of wrong-doing, and lead to investigations and prosecutions. The FTC enters all complaints it receives into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database that is used by thousands of civil and criminal law enforcement authorities worldwide. How much personal information you provide is up to you. To learn how they safeguard your personal information, please read their Privacy Policy. If you don’t provide your name and certain other information, it may be impossible for them to refer, respond to, or investigate your complaint.
Chris Malta Website - Click to open new window
Also, here is a short video which should help folks deal with their bank: http://www.chrismalta.com/ScamTip1aff.asp
The success of my blog is based mainly on my reporting about the current Internet scam, may it be the Kelly Richards scheme, FastNetLearning.Com, or the Weight Loss (Acai Berry Diet) scam. More and more people find my website and try to cancel the scam services I report about. Yes, they contact me to cancel their service!
The web traffic to my blog FrogenYozurt.Com is currently increasing with a growth rate of roughly 50% per month. The success is based mainly on my reporting about the current Internet scam, may it be the Kelly Richards scheme, FastNetLearning.Com, or the Weight Loss (Acai Berry Diet) scam. The main purpose of running my personal blog was to promote my writing which, again, turned out to be very successful.
However, reporting continually about the current Internet scams suddenly comes with a major downside: Due to the increased attention of my blog more and more people find my website and try to cancel the scam services I report about. Yes, they contact me to cancel their service!
As bizarre as this behavior might be at first look, it also indicates how helpless these people are when it comes to matters of the Internet. They don’t have any records of their transactions (i.e. credit card charge) or the website they used to sign up. Neither did they read/print the terms of conditions. This may be a scam but these guys do provide cancelation information. I have no knowledge about whether or not that information is valid, but right now it doesn’t matter because these people, who contact me, have no clue whatsoever. Unfortunately, that makes them also the perfect victim.
The first case I reported was regarding the so-called “Acai Berry Diet.” I was contacted by Joseph Bennett who addressed me in a manner like he believed I was the supplier of the diet pills – See my post at Acai Berry DietExposed. I responded to Joseph by contacting him per e-mail, explaining that he had barked at the wrong tree.
The same day I received another request through the contact form on FrogenYozurt.Com. This time it was a lady apparently working for a real estate and property management business. She is also – you won’t believe it – a Notary Public. Her message was (excerpt): “I was instructed that I can cancel within 30 days for a full refund. I agreed to $2.95 but was also charged $2.95 plus $79.99 this is something I did not agree too. I want to cancel and want t a refund.” Note: The typos are not mine; this is what she wrote.
I responded by telling her, too, that I am only reporting about the scams and that I am the wrong person to contact. Then she asked: “do you know how to contact these people?“, without any reference of what and where she had ordered. I told her I was unable to help her. Then she responded again and recommended I should find out why I did receive her request and not the people who sold the service to her… Sorry, but in this case all help is lost!
To make things worse I received another response to my post FastNetLearning.com – Make At Least An Average Of $369 Per Day, the one where I wrote in BIG letters Welcome To Another Scam … Let me write this again … I received a response to a post on this blog: “I need to get my refund of $79.99 that you took out of my account per Matt Fry. He said I had to notify at this email address. I cannot avoid this as I am on Social Security. Please advise. Thank you. Need it refunded as soon as possible.”
At that time several thoughts came up like opening the window and scream or banging my head at the wall, probably causing my wife to call the paramedics. A bottle of Jameson came to mind, too, but, honestly, I am fine now.
While it is easy to ridicule these very vulnerable people, it also makes me incredibly angry for more reasons I can express here. After this last incident I decided not to help by writing directly to their e-mail address. First, it seems that all help is lost, and, secondly, I am getting more and more paranoid about revealing my e-mail address to everybody who fell for a scam. Sorry, guys!
Here is a last advice: If you fell for the Kelly Richards scheme, FastNetLearning.Com, the Weight Loss (Acai Berry Diet), or any other scam, contact your credit card provider or bank immediately and report a scam!
More Cancelation Requests:
June 10, 2010 per Contact Form by Wayne Bell
“I did NOT authorize any transactions from my credit card. If you do not cancel and credit my account I will report you to the authorities and take leagal action against you” – No information regarding order, account, address, or anything else.
June 14, 2010 per Contact Form by Susan Snyder
“I did not request this …..I want a REFUND NOW !!!!!! This is a SCAM !!!!!!”
June 15, 2010 per Contact Form by Preston O’Brown
“Please cancel my account and respond to my cancellation email.”
June 15, 2010 per Contact Form by Diana Archer
“on 6-7-10 Iauthorized a $2.95 to be contacted . I was contacted thru my daughters phone ,and I told him I got it to see if either my granddaughter or daughter were interested and they are not interested. I went on my online banking to find that they had charged me another 79.99 on the 14th. which leads me to believe that this is just another Scam. I want all my money returned to me P.D.Q. Diana Archer”
Initially, I wasn’t sure if this was, in fact, a cancelation request. People who fall for the scam don’t seem to have the best communication skills. But then I received further requests within minutes from the same person:
“I want a return of my money, 79.99 Immeadatley.”
“I want a return of my money, 79.99 Immeadatley.How do I go about doing so. Thank You Please reply Diana ARCHER”
June 16, 2010 by Judith L. Geisler responding to my post “FastNetLearning.com – Make At Least An Average Of $369 Per Day“
“I need help here. I signed up for your trial offer of $2.95 on 6/2, with your info that after a period of time, like 30 days?, to make some money, I would THEN be charged $79.99 for membership. Yesterday, 6/14, I got my bank statement for my “special fund” account that I keep for small projects that I want to try before buying, and to my SHOCK there was a charge for $79.99 billed on 6/8, just six days after I signed up. Since I keep a VERY MINIMUM amount in this account your charge caused my account to be hit with a $34.00 overdraft charge. This is very bad business practice on your part. So here’s what’s going to happen. You have lost me as a customer. Cancel my account with your program, and then credit my charge card account with the $2.95, the $79.99, AND the $34.00 overdraft fee. I will have my bank’s fraud protection division contacting you if this is not resolved IMMEDIATELY. I do not have a web site or an account number from you since I have not heard from you since I signed up for your offer. I was only able to gather YOUR web site from the bank statement vendor charge. I expect RAPID results.”
June 17, 2010 by Andrea Gernheuser per Contact Form
“I did not authorize a deduction of $79.99 from my checking acct. Please email me back to take care of this matter.”
You get the picture. Cancelation requests are coming in on a daily basis.
I thought I would write to you for a couple reasons: first, is to thank you for letting the world know my personal frustrations and anger towards the so-called ” On-Line Money Making Mom…” advertisement considering I filled out the quick form, but never received any business kit showing me what to do to make money by entering http web links on the internet!
Last night I received a comment through my contact form on this website. The comment was intriguing enough to make it worthwhile and publish it here. It was written by Tom, who is a victim of the current Kelly Richards scam (See also my posts at Making Money From Home). His comment is proof that this is, in fact, a scam – just in case there are still some doubts.
I thought I would write to you for a couple reasons: first, is to thank you for letting the world know my personal frustrations and anger towards the so-called ” On-Line Money Making Mom…” advertisement considering I filled out the quick form, but never received any business kit showing me what to do to make money by entering http web links on the internet!
The second thing I wanted to mention was what I did receive, and what it took to receive it in the mail. I first had to pay the small S&H charge of 2.95, but that wasn’t all. I was required to pay $149.00 for a one-time startup fee, and pay a monthly fee of around $5, and set up a merchant account, which I am uncertain how much I am being charged for this service considering they are separate business entities, but all have my credit card information to bill me at their leisure.
I am now a proud owner of Eames Enterprises, with a website that I am to list merchadise for sale to people that happen to find my website by luck or fluke (perhaps mixing those words up to find a more appropriate expression!!).
To make a long story short, I ended up spending money on something that had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the Google Business Kit, since as you have kindly reported to us that it is a F-Ing SCAM and I was Scammed by it!!!
I asked the company about the ad that led me to their “List of Suckers” and yet I got the sense that even the customer service reps where all aware of the scam when I inquired about never receiving the so-called Business Kit in the mail, conveying that they would send it out right away to me. What they did send me was a one-page fold-out ”Business Success” brochure, cartoon like plan depicting the steps to follow to make money on-line. Im certain they must have got that same inquiry alot for those who paid the S&H fee and lured to their company for further scamming techniques.
Well, I hope this letter finds you well and perhaps may be of any contribution to your information regarding the infamous scam that still plagues the internet as we speak. It doesn’t seem right that we live in a country with a government that exhibits a blatant disregard for even the most notorious Fraudulent Scams on the Internet today, and whoever profits from them continues to walk freely amidst our society without a care. It’s no wonder to me know why so many other countries in our world think the people that live in the US are evil sinners that should be destroyed, at least so I’ve heard. I wonder what that company would say if I told them I used a stolen credit card to pay for their fraudulent scam or that their internet servers have just been sent a virus more damaging than the “Melissa Virus or the Cherynobol Virus (sp?)”, and that everyone will soon learn the truth behind their scheme to defraud the innocent consumers on-line? – just a wishful thought!!
Think about it, $2.95 multiplied by each participating victim, comes a plentiful rate of return for their scam, perhaps even into the hundreds of thousands of dollars on a regular daily basis!!
Enough jibberish for now. Take care.
Isn’t there a dream we all share? Working a few hours per week, just enough to maintain a sizable income in the neighborhood of, let’s say, $10,000 a month, maybe even more. We spend most of our time sitting at the swimming pool at the summer house in the Caribbean, sipping our vodka-martini – shaken, not stirred.
Isn’t there a dream we all share? Working a few hours per week, just enough to maintain a sizable income in the neighborhood of, let’s say, $10,000 a month, maybe even more. We spend most of our time sitting at the swimming pool at the summer house in the Caribbean, sipping our vodka-martini – shaken, not stirred.
Sounds too good to be true? Well, according to Robert G. Allen you can get rich easily by following his advice and “generate a lifetime of unlimited wealth.”
“Learn ten revolutionary NEW methods for generating over $100,000 a year – on a part-time basis, working from your home, and using little or none of your own money!”
Source: http://www.robertgallen.com
My opinion on this scheme is:
It takes two to make Robert G. Allen a rich man: A relentless businessman like Robert G. Allen and the fool who falls for his scheme!
I checked out Richard G. Allen’s website after one of my readers posted a question on my blog, asking whether or not the Robert G. Allen system works. At first look, the website’s structure bares all characteristics you find on a typical scammer website: Motivational slogans, a ton of “free” (but utterly worthless) giveaways, plus the dialog box that pops up when you try to leave his website (you need to click on a button before the window closes; if you click “Cancel” you get a “special offer.”).
All the free newsletters, free special reports, free webinars, etc. are posted for only one purpose: Collecting data, i.e. customer information, to promote his books and paid services. In layman’s terms, when you sign up for any of the freebies they probably will pester you with a constant stream of e-mails, maybe even printed brochures.
Creating a database of potential customers through a website is a standard business tool, and Robert G. Allen – in the same way that scammers work – uses this method very aggressively, proving the point that you can get rich through the Internet by applying dubious business methods. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that Robert G. Allen is a scammer; I just find his business ethics extremely despicable. It is easy to write books about getting-rich-systems by applying a basic business sense. You choose real estate, stock market investments, or the ever popular Internet scheme. You take some time to develop a catchy book title. You invest some money in editing the book, and post it on Amazon. Success is guaranteed, because too many people are too easy to fool. (Now that I am describing Robert G. Allen’s system, I am thinking I should be able to apply the same method. As a publisher I do have the means.)
If it sounds too goods to be true, it probably isn’t.
Let’s apply some common sense: Getting rich on a part-time basis, working from your home, and using little or none of your own money sounds too good to be true. First, you will need to pay Robert G. Allen for his advice – so what about “using little or none of your money”? The free book download is a joke, because, while the web page suggests you will receive a book in electronic format, all you get is an audio file filled with motivational blubbering. Yes, you can get a hardcopy if you submit your full mailing address. The question is, what are they going to send you? A tape? A CD?
What does “little” money mean when you deal with real estate foreclosures, trading stock options, tax liens certificates, etc.?
The truth is, in order to be successful and create substantial income, you need a keen business sense, and you need to invest major money, blood, sweat, tears, and time. It took Robert G. Allen 30 years to get where he is now. Getting rich the fast way is reserved for the few that produce extraordinary ideas (Think Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of Facebook). If you think you possess a keen business sense, and you are willing to invest major money, blood, sweat, tears, and time, you will find success eventually without paying Robert G. Allen. A business attitude at the borderline to a criminal mind will definitely increase your chances to become rich.
Last, but not least, I know there are a lot of people out there trying to make a living. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. I’d like to know what you think, whether you agree with me or not.
Note: The views expressed on this post represent my very personal opinions, and they are not necessarily shared by others; neither are they representative for the general public.
Supplement July 6, 2010:
Robert G Allen, Grants, and a Credit Card Slimeball
From the Strangely Perfect Blog:
This is a small investigation into mail lists and scammy companies. Some companies are fine, but I always go by the adage to judge a man by the company he keeps. This shows how lists spread far beyond their initial purpose when you sign up for something. It also shows how the privacy policies of these marketting websites are just words wrapped in fluff.
Robert G Allen runs ‘courses’ and is highly public in his utterances. Here you’ll find the chubby faced entrepreneur open and engaging, and in common with all such sites, remarkably thin in actual methods used despite the vast amount of time extolling their virtues. They will always say it’s “to protect our secrets” etc.
It is amazing how many websites you find these days promising you heaven on earth. Let me say it again: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t!
Welcome To Another Scam!
It is amazing how many websites you find these days promising you heaven on earth. Let me say it again: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t!
Fast Net Learning is offered by the same company who operates the Web Profit Club, another scammer service. To put it in a nut-shell, Fast Net Learning “teaches” you how to start a web site and run Google Ads on them. There is nothing sophisticated about this; this is common knowledge in the Internet world, and you don’t need to pay to run Google Ads.
If you sign up with Fast Net Learning you will spend money for a useless service. For more information see also my posts on making money from home. The whole Internet scam business started with a fictitious Kelly Richards and articles written about her such as “Work At Home Mom Makes $6,397/Month Part-Time” (If you still need more convincing, have a look at the comments below the article). A great number of people, not only within the United States, but all around the world, have already been scammed and lost their money!
My Advice:
- Visit a good bookstore (Barnes & Noble has a good selection) and look for “Google Adsense for Dummies” (no insult meant; I love the Dummies series!). Also, look for books on running your own website or blog (FrogenYozurt.com is a blog). This is a one-time investment!
- In order to run your own website sign up for an Internet Service Provider (ISP) such as GoDaddy.com, BlueHost.Com, or others (FrogenYozurt.Com is hosted by BlueHost).
- Read my article Does The Google Adsense Get-Rich-System Work?
A Few Comments:
- I checked out the FastNetLearning.com website, and under FAQ I found: “…most people make at least an average of $369 dollars per day…” – Well, call me picky, but if this was a professional service such typos wouldn’t happen. This is probably a one-man operation, and the guy is busy creating websites (which also proves that you can make money through the Internet).
- On the Privacy page, which contains the same wording as the Web Profit Club website, I found: “We can be reached via e-mail at privacy@fastnetlearning.com or you can reach us by telephone at …” – No phone number was listed; the sentence ends without a period.
- The Terms & Conditions page (again, the same content as under the Web Profit Club) is set up in an amateurish way, and they might not hold up in court. I assume, the guy just copied a standard text he found somewhere and modified items like company name and address.
- On the same page it shows “emailing our cancellation department cancel@webprofitcoach.com” which indicates they are running yet another website called WebProfitCoach.com.
- When you switch to the page to “Join Now,” you don’t sign up for the Fast Net Learning program, but rather for the Web Profit Coach.
- Under Terms & Conditions the company’s name is listed as “Media Hub LLC” while under the “Join Now” page it is “Cool Serve Corp.” On all other pages on the website the company name is FastNetLearing.com, LLC (Note the “Learing” instead of “Learning”).
- When it comes to support they give you a phone number and an e-mail address, support@fastnetlearning.com. Be aware that creating such an e-mail address is an easy task for an expert, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a whole support department at work.
- I dialed the phone number as listed on their website, and I got the message, “The number you have dialed is not in service…” – I tried several times, making sure I didn’t dial the wrong number.
Have you fallen for the “Work At Home Mom Makes $6,397/Month Part-Time” scam? Some readers suggested to put the topic on Facebook, which I am doing right now by posting this discussion topic.
Have you fallen for the “Work At Home Mom Makes $6,397/Month Part-Time” scam? According to readers of my blog Kelly Richards (who at some time miraculously transformed into Michelle Richardson, Marie Thompson, and others) lives virtually in every town of the United States, for instance, Conway – MA, Greenfield – MA, Western Kentucky, Doylestown – PA, Cary – NC, Laurel – MD, Atlanta – GA, Clarksville – TN, Glen Allen – VA, Keene – NH, and many more.
Some readers suggested to put the topic on Facebook, which I am doing right now by posting this discussion topic.
For further information on the scam see my blog entries at http://www.frogenyozurt.com/my-articles/making-money-from-home/,
Please feel free to leave your comments at my Facebook Discussion Board.
The London, UK Job Report announces “Work At Home Mum Makes £4,397/Month Part-Time.” You find the article on the fake News Daily 7 website. Here we go again, Kelly Richards made it into the United Kingdom. See also my post Kelly Richards a.k.a. Melissa Johnson Sighted in Great Britain.
News Daily 7 - Click image to enlarge
The London, UK Job Report announces “Work At Home Mum Makes £4,397/Month Part-Time.” You find the article on the fake News Daily 7 website. Here we go again, Kelly Richards made it into the United Kingdom. See also my post Kelly Richards a.k.a. Melissa Johnson Sighted in Great Britain.
This morning I received an e-mail from Derek in Bristol, UK, saying:
“Hi Wilfried,
I found your site whilst searching for reviews of the following site advert.
I see the infamous Kelly work at home Mum has moved to Bristol UK, http://newsdaily7[dot]com.
You have saved me some money so I have now invested in your book “A No-Nonsense Guide to a Professional Blog”
Best Wishes, Derek.”
Well, I am always glad when my posts on this website help people to save their money, may it be here in the United States or somewhere else in the world. I have received responses from as far as Australia. Some of them thanked me for saving them. After all they did their research.
Others were not so lucky, and asked what they could do to get their money back. My advice would be to get in touch with your bank or credit card institution a.s.a.p. and dispute the charges. There is no guarantee that this will work, and it will take some perseverance. The Kelly Richard scammers are extremely clever and ruthless, but they also have made their operation fool-proof which may make it difficult for banks to help their customers.
For all those who read this post, please feel free to leave a comment below. The more information we share the better we can help prevent further damage.
Uh, the gravity of an irresistible (yet misleading) headline! Yes, I am guilty of reading “The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging”. On page 74 the book lists the “Top Ten Horrible Publicity Stunt Ideas”, and by using above headline I ruthlessly copied and modified the horrible publicity stunt ideas 6 and 9.
Lying increases the creative faculties, expands the ego, and lessens the frictions of social contacts.
- Clare Booth Luce
Uh, the gravity of an irresistible (yet misleading) headline! Yes, I am guilty of reading The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging. On page 74 the book lists the Top Ten Horrible Publicity Stunt Ideas, and by using above headline I ruthlessly copied and modified the horrible publicity stunt ideas 6 and 9.
Now that I am blogging for a mere 15 months I wasn’t quite convinced that a book published in 2008 would be able to present interesting insights on blogging on top of what I already know. After all, these days technology changes fast within two years. In fact, there are a few minor details that have changed since the release (for instance, the Yahoo self-service platform for small publishers, also known as Yahoo Publisher Network Online was closed as of April 30 this year). However, the book’s content is so much more than a mere instruction on running your blog. This is a book written by the very best blogging professionals in the Internet business world, and, regardless of whether you are a blogging novice or a blog professional, you will not put this book aside unless you have read it in full.
Yes, there is information on starting a blog, increasing web traffic, making money online, etc., but I wouldn’t recommend this guide for that particular purpose. There are other, much more detailed works available. The guts of this book is – as strange as it may sound – about the nature of blogs, their history, their impact on today’s world, and, most importantly, the passion that comes with writing a blog. The passion is emphasized by comments from people like Nora Ephron, Harry Shearer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Gary Hart, John Ridley, Steven Weber (Hey, Steve, I don’t hate you! I just miss Wings!), and others.
Reading the Complete Guide to Blogging effectively convinces you that you need to start your own blog immediately, and if you already have one, the authors give you the feeling that you are one of them. There is no looking down on the poor blogger with his/her mere two pages. The guide is full of advice for everybody. The language is clear, comprehensive, and professional. The reader will learn why The Huffington Post is so incredibly successful in times where traditional newspapers are struggling to maintain readership.
This book is a must-read for every blogger at every level, including those who work for the online versions of traditional newspapers. It is made to learn from the top professionals in the business.
The only complaint I have is about the extremely sparse table of content, now that I am looking for the definition of Fair Use and Copyright (Here it is – page 50). I hope it is “fair use” when I quote the horrible publicity stunt ideas 6 and 9 here in this post. If it’s not, please contact me, and I will humbly repent.
Horrible Publicity Stunt Idea #6:
Start a rumor that a book based on your blog is the next Oprah selection (and, OMG, you’re giving out tickets to the show where she’ll discuss it!).
Horrible Publicity Stunt Idea #9:
Write an open letter to the National Parks Service offering $10 million if they’ll have the Statue of Liberty hold a sign with your blog name on it for a day (in place of the torch). Since you know they’ll say no, it doesn’t matter that you don’t have $10 million.
For eight more horrible publicity stunt ideas I recommend reading The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging.
Book Description
- Source: Amazon.Com.
The editors of The Huffington Post–the most linked-to blog on the web–offer an A-Z guide to all things blog, with information for everyone from the tech-challenged newbie looking to get a handle on this new way of communicating to the experienced blogger looking to break through the clutter of the Internet. With an introduction by Arianna Huffington, the site’s cofounder and editor in chief, this book is everything you want to know about blogging, but didn’t know who to ask.
As entertaining as it is informative, The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging will show you what to do to get your blog started. You’ll find tools to help you build your blog, strategies to create your community, tips on finding your voice, and entertaining anecdotes from HuffPost bloggers that will make you wonder what took you so long to blog in the first place.
The Guide also includes choice selections from HuffPost’s wide-ranging mix of top-notch bloggers. Among those who have blogged on HuffPost are Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Larry David, Jane Smiley, Bill Maher, Nora Ephron, Jon Robin Baitz, Steve Martin, Lawrence O’Donnell, Ari Emanuel, Mia Farrow, Al Franken, Gary Hart, Barbara Ehrenreich, Edward Kennedy, Harry Shearer, Nancy Pelosi, Adam McKay, John Ridley, and Alec Baldwin.
A No-Nonsense Guide to a Professional Blog
Last, but not least, if you want honest information on how to start a web site or blog and make money from it, check out my book, A No-Nonsense Guide to a Professional Blog(There is also a preview of the book). Honestly, I wrote it after learning about the so-called “Google Profit Library” and reading the book “New Path to Riches” by Nick Usborne (Don’t buy it. It’s a huge waste of time!). I deemed it was time to stop the nonsense. The book shows you step by step how to set up a professional blog with some advice on how to run it, and maybe even make some money from it. The difference is, you don’t pay me at all (I would appreciate that you buy the book, paperback or PDF), and the required investment of roughly $120 per year goes to your Internet service provider for running your web site. Also, check out myprofessionalblog.com. This is the web site I created to write the book, meaning I created the web site, made screen-shots and included them into the document.
Making money from home is not easy, and you can’t be cautious enough about the offers you find through the Internet. I started my article series Making Money From Home after almost falling for the Google Profit Library scam, and I received many comments from people who almost fell for it, too. One of these comments was more pro-active than the rest, because the commenter recommended what I believe to be a legitimate solution: Selling candles.
Making money from home is not easy, and you can’t be cautious enough about the offers you find through the Internet. I started my article series Making Money From Home after almost falling for the Google Profit Library scam, and I received many comments from people who almost fell for it, too. One of these comments was more pro-active than the rest, because the commenter recommended what I believe to be a legitimate solution: Selling candles. See the information below.
However, first of all, a disclaimer: I have published this comment in the belief that this is a legitimate business, but I have not engaged into any research, and I cannot vouch that this is not a scam. I do, however, know that several of my friends are creating income through selling candles. As always, please do your homework and do some research. Last, but not least, I cannot stress enough that success comes only with blood, sweat, tears, and time… a lot of time! If somebody promises you instantaneous success, it’s most probably a scam.
Here’s the comment:
“Thank you for the information. My husband and I were looking at this last night. We’ve been scammed a few times, so we also search something with the word scam after it. For those of you looking for something to do from home, I can tell you a few. I am an independent consultant for the company who supplies the candles for the white house. It is not a get rich quick, but I personally know people who make over $1000 a month. You do work, but you can start by having friends/family over for an evening or afternoon of fun. They are on Facebook. Also, their website is http://www.partylite.com. There are also serious jobs out there as secret shoppers. Google it. You do have to check the companies out, some are not legit.”
If you have any experience with selling candles through PartyLite, positive or negative, please fell free to post a comment here by responding to my post – See comment box below.
A No-Nonsense Guide to a Professional Blog
Last, but not least, if you want honest information on how to start a web site or blog and make money from it, check out my book, A No-Nonsense Guide to a Professional Blog (There is also a preview of the book). Honestly, I wrote it after learning about the so-called “Google Profit Library” and reading the book “New Path to Riches” by Nick Usborne (Don’t buy it. It’s a huge waste of time!). I deemed it was time to stop the nonsense. The book shows you step by step how to set up a professional blog with some advice on how to run it, and maybe even make some money from it. The difference is, you don’t pay me at all (I would appreciate that you buy the book, paperback or PDF), and the required investment of roughly $120 per year goes to your Internet service provider for running your web site. Also, check out myprofessionalblog.com. This is the web site I created to write the book, meaning I created the web site, made screen-shots and included them into the document.
The principe is easy: You create a website or blog, then you add Google ads. As I explained before, the Google Adsense service is free of charge and is available for everybody who runs a website. As soon as somebody comes to your website and clicks on one of the Google ads, you will have created an income between a few cents and a Dollar depending on the ad. Adding these ads to your website is fairly easy; the Google website will provide you the code that you just copy and paste. Also through the Google website you can keep track on your income, and Google pays you on a monthly basis.
Lack of money is the root of all evil.
- George Bernard Shaw
Just the other day I received another comment on the current Internet scam, may it be the Google Profit Library or the Web Profit Club, famously promoted through the “success” of Kelly Richards, a.k.a. Michelle Richardson, Melissa Johnson, and other names.
Let me quote the comment:
“I made the mistake of “fooling myself” and submitting my info for the internet scam fraud you wrote about in January, but because your article popped up, I called to cancel my account. They have an address, a billing department and a customer service department. I was able to cancel my account and avoid the $139 charge, but is the company valid? I see from your article that the advertising is fake, but what about this business? Are people doing this?”
1. Is the Company valid?
Yes, companies offering a getting-rich-system based on creating income through Google ads, despite a despicable business attitude, are valid – as far as I can tell. In turn, the services and advice they offer are are valid as well.
The Web Profit Club, for instance, is located at 11136 Ferragamo CT, Las Vegas, NV 89141, if you can believe their web site information. The first warning sign, though, is their very limited web site where the majority of links lead to the same page. The disclaimer, terms and conditions, and the privacy policy on their web site are written and presented in an amateurish way, and, when push comes to shove, they might not hold up in court. My estimate is that this is a one-man operation, proving that you can make money through the Internet… It is easy to set up a web site like this and pretend you have a customer service department, You just set up an e-mail address such as support@webprofitclub.com, and everybody is convinced that the service department, in fact, exists.
So, what’s the real scam, you may ask?
What these companies sell you as a service is common knowledge in the Internet world!
The scam starts with the simple fact that you don’t need these companies to start your own website and add Google ads. The Google Adsense service is free of charge, and it is available to everybody who runs a website. You can avoid services, such as the Web Profit Club, by buying Google Adsense for Dummies (a much better and at the same time cheaper investment for the same thing), or even use the vast information on the Internet, or even have a look at the Google Adsense tour.
The scam continues with promising fast cash and getting rich very fast. All you have to do is paying their monthly fee – an initial $2.97 sign-up fee plus a (hidden) monthly fee of $49.00 and $139.00 for additional services. The service description and charges may change, but the pattern is the same: You pay good money for something that doesn’t work for 99.99% of the users. On top you don’t need their services and you don’t need to pay them to go through that kind of experience.
2. Are people doing this?
I interpret the question as: Are people using the system as offered by the scammers? I don’t have any solid information, but I am sure that some users actually are using the system, and they may even make money out of it.
The question arises again, why should we not sign up with the Web Profit Club?
The answer is very simple: First, as I explained before, you don’t need the Web Profit Club (or whatever term they use these days; there is a multitude of similar services out there) to create your own website with Google ads. Secondly, the system will not work for the vast majority of users, and I will explain why.
How to get rich through Goole Ads – or not
The principe is easy: You create a website or blog, then you add Google ads. As I explained before, the Google Adsense service is free of charge and is available for everybody who runs a website. As soon as somebody comes to your website and clicks on one of the Google ads, you will have created an income between a few cents and a Dollar depending on the ad. Adding these ads to your website is fairly easy; the Google website will provide you the code that you just copy and paste. Also through the Google website you can keep track of your income, and Google pays you on a monthly basis.
Sounds easy enough, but there are a few obstacles; the most serious of them is creating web traffic. The other problem is that you cannot create sufficient income through only one website or blog; the average income will not be sufficient to pay for your monthly grocery bill, let alone a mortgage.
Okay, the solution is to create more than just one website, let’s say 500. Let’s apply some math to calculate the possible income: You run 500 websites, and each website draws 2,000 visitors per month. You assume that 2% of these visitors will actually click on an ad (it’s called the average CTR – Click Through Rate, and 2% is low). With an average payment of $0.25 per click and 40 clicks a day you will have made $10.00 per day per website. With 500 websites you make $5,000 a day! That’s $1,825,000 a year!
The saying is, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t. On the other hand, you may say, it’s not about getting filthy rich, and maintaining 500 websites seems a little out of reach. We just want to make a reasonable second income, and even if we are not quite as successful, we just might make enough money to keep us happy.
Okay, rule #1 in any business: Success comes only with blood, sweat, tears, and time – a lot of time. It doesn’t come with working 15 hours a week, and the rest of your time you sit at your swimming pool sipping your martini. Even if you spent 80 hours a week you will not see instantaneous success. As I wrote before, creating a website and adding Google ads is easy, but you will have trouble creating web traffic. Your web site is only one out of countless others in the world wide web.
My personal blog, at the time of this writing, attracts 4,000+ unique visitors a month. I got there by adding to my blog on a constant basis plus applying a ton of measures to attract attention. I reached the 4,000 mark after roughly 14 months. I, too, use some Google ads, but I have to admit my main focus is on promoting the books I wrote. The income through Google ads on my blog is roughly $20 a month. It could be more if I filled the whole place with ads, but, again, that is not my intention.
My advice, in case you still want to jump on the wagon:
1. Do not sign up for the Web Profit Club or similar services promising you the ultimate path to riches.
2. Open an account with a reputable Internet service provider such as GoDaddy.com, BlueHost.com, or others. Believe me, it’s easy. The costs will be around $120 a year, but it’s money well spent on a legitimate and honest business.
3. Create a website or, even better, a blog. My recommendation is to install WordPress on your website. This very website you are looking at was created with WordPress.
4. Sign up for a Google Adsense Account at adsense.google.com.
5. Don’t expect to get rich overnight.
Start out with a blog in a niche, about a topic you are knowledgeable and passionate about. The main rule is to create unique and valid content. The next rule is to create as much content as you can, and you need to do that on a regular basis. If your blog runs well, you can think about starting another one, and another one, applying the same principle. Nevertheless, the process will take time, and, still, there is no guarantee for success.
A No-Nonsense Guide to a Professional Blog
Last, but not least, if you want honest information on how to start a web site or blog and make money from it, check out my book, A No-Nonsense Guide to a Professional Blog (There is also a preview of the book). Honestly, I wrote it after learning about the so-called “Google Profit Library” and reading the book “New Path to Riches” by Nick Usborne (Don’t buy it. It’s a huge waste of time!). I deemed it was time to stop the nonsense. The book shows you step by step how to set up a professional blog with some advice on how to run it, and maybe even make some money from it. The difference is, you don’t pay me at all (I would appreciate that you buy the book, paperback or PDF), and the required investment of roughly $120 per year goes to your Internet service provider for running your web site. Also, check out myprofessionalblog.com. This is the web site I created to write the book, meaning I created the web site, made screen-shots and included them into the document.
Well, wonder woman Kelly Richards, while being spotted all over the United States at the same time, has undergone another miraculous transformation! Today I received another comment from a reader of my blog pointing to the website shown here to the left. It turns out, Kelly Richards a.k.a. Michelle Richardson, is now Melissa Johnson.
Kelly Richards a.k.a. Melissa Johnson - Click to Enlarge
Well, wonder woman Kelly Richards, while being spotted all over the United States at the same time, has undergone another miraculous transformation!
Today I received another comment from a reader of my blog pointing to the website shown here to the left. It turns out, Kelly Richards a.k.a. Michelle Richardson, is now Melissa Johnson (For more info on the scam see my posts on this blog).
The text on the website reads (Needless to say, but, as usual, it’s a scam.):
“JOB REPORT
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Recession Buster
Working online provides great jobs in stale marketWork At Home Mum Makes £4,397/Month Part-Time
Online News 6 Investigates Online Work at Home Programs…
Have You Ever Thought About Working Online?
Melissa Johnson never thought she would have a job working at home until one day she filled out a simple form online. Before she knew it, she discovered her secret to beating the recession, and being able to provide for her family while at home with her two children.
I read Melissa’s blog last month and decided to feature her story in our local job report. In our phone interview she she told me her amazing story. “I actually make about £3,000-£5,000 a month using the internet. It is enough to comfortably replace my old jobs income, especially considering I only work about 10-15 hours a week from home.
Working online has been a financial windfall for Melissa, who struggled for months to find a decent job during the struggling economy. “I was afraid of losing my job after the recession hit, I needed reliable income, I was not interested in the “get rich quick” scams you see all over the internet. Those are all pyramid scams or stuff where you have to sell to your friends and family. I just needed a legitimate way to earn a living for me and my family. The best part of working online is that I am always home with the kids, I save a lot of money.”
I asked her about how she started her remarkable journey. “It was pretty easy, I filled out a short form and applied for a work at home kit. I got the Kit and within four weeks I was making over £4,000 a month. It’s really simple, I am not a computer whiz, but I can use the internet. I post links that are given to me, I don’t even have to sell anything and nobody has to buy anything. They are constantly recruiting people to post links, you should try it.”
Working online has changed peoples lives overnight. These great companies have been helping people to work from home and give them new jobs. There are plenty of scams on the internet claiming you can make £50,000 a month, but that is exactly what they are scams. From my conversation with Melissa, “I am making a good salary from home, which is amazing, under a year ago I was jobless in a horrible economy. I thank god every day that I filled out that form.”
Quickly, Melissa Johnson was able to use a simple kit to make it out of the recession.
Melissa had never shared her story before, and with her permission, we are putting it public
Step 1
Go to this link, fill out a basic online form and hit submit at The Online Business (click link for automatic reduced price)
Step 2
Follow the directions at The Online Business and set up an account. Then they will give you the website links to post. Start posting those links. They track everything.
Step 3
Get Paid. You can choose to receive checks or have them deposited directly into your checking account.
Melissa made her first payment after her second week. She continued to learn and get more training from coaches and mentors. We found that the average a typical person that takes action will make to be about £400. With time and dedication anything is possible, there are more than 200 reported millionaires using the same Robert Allen strategies.
Associated Links:
The Online Business
Read Responses For This Article
“Work At Home Mum Makes £4,397/Month Part-Time.”
Mark
April 22, 2010 @ 2:53pm
The timing of this couldn’t be better, my wife and I are struggling too and this could be our answer.
Deb
April 22, 2010 @ 7:24pm
Thanks for the info, just started this 3 weeks ago. I’ve gotten 2 checks for a total of £1900, pretty cooll.!
Thomas
April 23, 2010 @ 2:58am
Has anyone tried this yet? Looks promising.
Dennis
April 23, 2010 @ 8:00am
@Thomas, I’m using it now and it’s working pretty well actually! I paid a dollar for shipping, got it in a few days, signed up for my account and have been cranking along ever since. My first week I made a whopping £288 and the second week I doubled that then it kinda snowballed to £500 a day! I’m gonna grow this puppy as big as I can. Here’s a screen shot of my stats, my wife is in shock.
Stephen
April 23, 2010 @ 12:47pm
Is this for real? I tried one thing and it didn’t pan out. I made about £500 a month but that was 2 years ago. I’m going to give this a shot.
Wendy
April 23, 2010 @ 5:36pm
I think this is great and will come in really handy right now. I’m not the best computer user but I think I can post links!!! 
Wes
April 24, 2010 @ 1:39am
Just a quick notice about this thing. It does work but you have to be able to use a computer at least somewhat. If you can use email, etc. then you’ll be fine.
Wanda
April 24, 2010 @ 2:47am
I just got my first check for £2800.00! How cool is that it took about 2 weeks for me to get the first check.
Michael
April 24, 2010 @ 10:03am
this is a pretty cool article. I like that fact that it uses the internet!
James
April 24, 2010 @ 3:31pm
I don’t know. Im still kind of worried about the entire thing. Ive never worked from home
Dan
April 24, 2010 @ 7:50pm
Does anyone know if you have to have any programs or a certain computer to make this work?
Justin
April 25, 2010 @ 2:02am
Hey Dan, the answer is No. Any computer you have will work, I currently use this system on an old laptop and it works great. You just need the kit that the author named in the article.
Mark
April 25, 2010 @ 6:54am
Holy cow Dennis! Thanks for posting that screen shot, you just gave me the inspiration I needed. Wow!
Justin
April 25, 2010 @ 12:19pm
I hope this works because i really hate my boss!!!!!
Mike
April 25, 2010 @ 6:41pm
The timing of this couldn’t be better, my wife and I are struggling too and this could be our answer.
Diane
April 26, 2010 @ 2:01am
saw it and i’m gonna try it tomorrow
Mary
April 26, 2010 @ 5:20am
I wonder how well this will work if I only do it a couple hours at night? I still have my day job( which I would love to quit, lol ), but right now I only have time for a couple hours a night. Ill reply back and let you guys know!
Davis
April 26, 2010 @ 12:47pm
This is amazing! I wish I knew about this 5 years ago.
Thomas
April 26, 2010 @ 4:37pm
I’d just like to add my story; I think others would like to hear it. I too was always leery about work at home offers because they always seemed to be scams. But after the recession hit, I was a little frightened. I wanted to have a backup plan just in case. So, I took your advice and got my free kit. It worked like a charm – I was earning money right away! I eventually did get laid off, just as I had feared, but since I had been using the online kit, I had money to fall back on. Now I’m doing better than I had at my job!
Melissa Johnson is a regular mom who was afraid of losing her job. After searching for stable income she started working online. I interviewed her about her amazing story and she revealed her steps for success.
Step 1
Go to this link, fill out a basic online form and hit submit at The Online Business (click link for automatic reduced price)
Step 2
Follow the directions at The Online Business and set up an account. Then they will give you the website links to post. Start posting those links. They track everything.”
It is a well-known fact that today’s traditional newspapers are struggling financially due to decreasing subscriptions caused by freely available information on the Internet. One of these newspapers is The Washington Post with their online version at washingtonpost.com.
Blessed be the reader of the Washington Post, for they will be scammed.
- Wilfried F. Voss
Click Image to Enlarge
It is a well-known fact that today’s traditional newspapers are struggling financially due to decreasing subscriptions caused by freely available information on the Internet. One of these newspapers is The Washington Post with their online version at washingtonpost.com.
There are many ways of creating additional revenues through the Internet and the most obvious one is online advertisement. I personally believe that the hype regarding online advertisement, made so famous by Google, is reaching the point of exhaustion, meaning less people feel inclined following ads on their browser windows. The reasons may that they are getting tired of the ads plus the increasing number of scams. Add to this the current economically fragile situation. To make things worse, many businesses discover they spent too much money without noticing any sufficient impact on their sales. After all, everybody does the same thing, and competition is tough, which increases the costs per click – That’s just how Google works.
So, what is a reputable publication like The Washington Post to do to attract more advertisers? The answer is easy: You lower your standards of what you allow as advertisement, even if it means supporting the greatest online scam these days, the Google Profit Library, which has now transformed into the Web Profit Club.
In the past I had posted articles such as The Scam: Work At Home Mom Makes $6,397/Month Part-Time, WashingtonPost.Com – Unwillingly Supporting A Scam?, and washingtonpost.com – Structure Of The Misleading Ads. Until then I was convinced the online version of The Washington Post at washingtonpost.com was an unwilling supporter of scam advertisement. After all, the ads were placed through a third party, pulse360, in my personal opinion the largest provider of fake content links in the online business. Striking a deal between The Washington Post and pulse360 seemed to be a smart business move at the time, but it seems that deal is off now. At least lately I hadn’t seen any more ads by pulse360 on washingtonpost.com.
Maybe, I thought, The Washington Post had come to its senses and realized these ads defrauded a great number of unsuspecting Americans. Well, I was wrong. It is worse than it was before. The Washington Post is now placing scam advertisement through their own advertising service. As they say, sometimes what’s right is not as important than what’s profitable.
The screen shot as shown in the upper left corner, was taken today from an article in the Washington Post‘s online version (Just in case I violated copyrights, and you are an official representative of the Washington Post, let me know, and I will remove any references that violate your copyright). The three advertisements in the box above seem valid at first look, and I believe that two of them are. The second ad, though, is definitely a scam (See also my post Work At Home: Make $7,300 to $9,500 a Month which explains the scam).
Out of curiosity I clicked on the Buy a link here hyperlink to see who The Washington Post was using as an advertisement service. My browser opened a new window displaying the following content:
Click on Image to Enlarge
Supplement April 21, 2010
Today’s online version of The Washington Post revealed the miraculous reappearance of Kelly Richards. According to the “LA Sentinel” (yet another fake newspaper/website) she now creates her phantastic income in Los Angeles.
And yet another miracle occurred! Kelly Richards can change appearances – look at the two photos in the “LA Sentinel” below. On a side note: Michelle Richardson in turn now looks like the original Kelly Richards. Are we now sufficiently confused? I am yet again flabbergasted that people still fall for this, and don’t realize that this is a scam.
Kelly Richards Ad in the Washington Post online version - Click to Enlarge
LA Sentinel - Fake Newspaper/Website - Click to Enlarge
As always, please feel free to leave a comment (see bottom of this post), whether you agree with me or not.
The scheme is the same: Michelle’s story is posted on fake websites, this time on usdreamjobs.com instead of Online6News.com or similar domains. Instead of Google Profit Library they are now promoting the “WEB PROFIT CLUB.” (Maybe Google took some legal actions to protect their name.) The design and the photo’s of Michelle, formerly known as Kelly, are exactly the same. The article’s wording has been changed a bit, but the basic message is the same.
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The scam continues, and Kelly Richards has undergone a miraculous transformation into a new personality: Michelle Richardson!
Let’s quote:
“Michelle Richardson is your average American. Recently married, she lost her job as a secretary a few months back. Instead of hunting for jobs and going back to corporate environment, she chose to take matters into her own hands. Michelle is one of many Americans working from home seeking out new business opportunities from the internet. Read his story in our feature article to the left.”
(Note: The his typo above is not mine; it is taken 1:1 from the scammer’s website.)
The scheme is the same: Michelle’s story is posted on fake websites, this time on usdreamjobs.com instead of Online6News.com or similar domains. Instead of Google Profit Library they are now promoting the “WEB PROFIT CLUB.” (Maybe Google took some legal actions to protect their name.) The design and the photo’s of Michelle, formerly known as Kelly, are exactly the same. The article’s wording has been changed a bit, but the basic message is the same: “Everyday people like you to earn cash from home based jobs. Just last week, over $10,000,000 was paid out to people like you.” (Note the atypical reporting style – No professional reporter would write like this.)
Not surprising, Michelle lives in Greenfield, Massachusetts, my home town, but you can bet, she also has homes in virtually every town all over the United States of America. That’s part of the scam.
For those who are still not convinced let me give you a quick rundown on how the scam works: You, the future incredibly-rich person, sign up at their website – See next screen shot.
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They’ll ask you about the desired monthly income (I chose $10,000) and the daily hours you would like to work (I chose 5 hours – Is that too much?). I entered my zip code and pretended to be born in 1970 (I wish…). The online program runs through a calculation process to determine whether or not your requirements are feasible, and, no surprise here, they are!
Next step: Entering name and address information, phone and e-mail. I chose Forrest Gump, living in Springfield, Hawaii, 123 Elm Street. I entered a random zip code, phone number, and fake e-mail address (Believe me, the last thing they’re interested in is your personal information; they want your credit card information!).
Yet again, the online program goes through another calculation (Really, you can see the progress bar moving quickly from left to right). Surprisingly, the program does not recognize that the zip code I entered in the first run does not match with the second one (Again, they’re not interested in where you live).
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Well, here we go. Please pay only $1.97 – Even if it’s a scam you lose only $1.97… Right?
Think again, and have a look at the bottom of the screen: “Sign me up for a subscription to Web Profit Club, and bill me $69.99 every 30 days until I cancel. By acting today, I will get my first 7 days for just $1.97. I agree to theTerms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. I may cancel any time by calling 1-877-669-2970, or by emailing support@webprofitclub.com.”
The way it worked in the previous scheme (the one with the original Kelly Richards), people who fell for the scam had a hard time canceling the service, because nobody picked up the phone when they tried to call.
Interview with Michelle Richardson
Greenfield, MA – When Michelle Richardson filled out a simple online form, working online was the perfect way to get a new job. From Michelle Richardson’s personal website: “On average I make around $5,000 to $7,000 a month from a kit I found online. Not a ton of money. But, my earnings are very solid, and consistent month after month. I was able to replace my previous job’s income in less than one month. Now I’m working about 8-10 hours a week on my computer at home, the coffee shop or anywhere that has internet. My life has never been better!”
Michelle was not alone. Many americans have recently been laid off. From her personal site: “I was not interested in some fly by night get rich quick business opportunity, pyramid scheme or anything to do with network marketing. You know the ones that want you to try to sell stuff to your friends and family members. I just wanted a legitimate honest way for me to earn extra income from home. I am here to spread this word. Hopefully my story can inspire you to try what I discovered.”
She realized that after the first three days, posting links on the internet was easy. “I never realized how this worked, otherwise I’d have started this years ago,” she says. It turns out that most of the links you click on while surfing is making someone, somewhere, money.
Search Engines have been making people rich overnight. These great things have been helping people to work from home and give them new jobs. From Michelle Richardson’s own words: “Now, I have seen scams out on the Internet that talk about making $50,000 a month online. But that is exactly what they are – scams. This is my story of my real life where I am now generating a legitimate income from home that easily replaced my previous job’s income. It’s not a lot of money, but I earn $5000 to $7000 a month from home.”
In a short time Michelle Richardson was able to make it with an easy system to post links online that saved her financially. She was able to share her story with us, which we’re finally revealing to the public for the first time:
Q: Michelle thanks for speaking with us today. What made you search for an online job?
A: Hi, thanks for interviewing me. I am excited to give something back to the people. I know its tough out there, and it’s really hard to find a job. So that’s why I’m doing this interview. I wanted to let other people know there is hope, and that you really can make a living working online.
Q: Did you ever work online before? I’m kind of skeptical that it’s really as easy as you say it is.
A: I’ve had a home computer for about 5 years. I was one of the last people I knew to get one. (Laughs). So it really is pretty easy. I would say if you have basic typing skills, and you can send an email, then you can get your links posted on Search Engines.
Q: How long did it take for you to start earning money?
A: It was really simple, and they laid everything out in front of me. This isn’t a get rich quick scheme, you do have to do some reading. Then the second day, I started posting links. I made my first money within about 4 hours.
Q: OK, Great. I bet a lot of our readers want to make the same money as you do. How do they get started? What is the key to your success?
A: Again, it’s really easy to do. People think I’m crazy for sharing this information. Let’s just there’s enough money and traffic for everyone to make a decent living. Just follow these steps:
A few months ago, the web information company Alexa redesigned their website and since then I’ve been noticing these incredibly distasteful advertisements pitching weight loss products, wrinkle removers and suspicious get rich quick schemes.
This article is part of a series on Online fraud. Read more…
pulse360 – in their own words “The Leader in Content Targeted Sponsored Links on the Web’s Best Sites – is a leading provider of links that lead to web sites with blatantly fabricated content. See below a few references I found on the Internet.
For the love of god, I don’t want whiter teeth
Note: Interesting article, especially since msnbc.com and pulse360 are business partners… The same ads, the reporter is complaining about, appear on the same web page as his article.
And so we come to the networks, the most irresponsible and hypocritical of our cast. Let’s take Pulse360, the ad network that serves up many of TBM’s scam ads, as another case study. I talked to Jaan Janes, the CEO of Pulse360, for an infuriating 45 minutes. My objective: figure out whether these kinds of ads comply with Pulse360’s ad guidelines. Janes repeatedly said that every ad and its corresponding site is hand-screened at Pulse360, primarily to ensure that contact information is visible on the site. But they do not call every phone number to see whether anybody actually picks up the line. (They say they do spot checks.) Logic implies that if the ads are personally screened and then end up in the network, they comply with the guidelines.
Q: How do you stop a pulse 360 ad from popping up?
A: Some Pulse ads are downright fake. There’s a weight loss one that lists the woman as from my home town “Susi from xxx lost 40 pounds!!”, but when I was out of state, I noticed the same ad listing the woman from the town I was now in..
It just gets the city your IP is from and inserts that into the ad. Deception makes me want to buy!!!
I clicked the ad and it’s totally bogus. They even use Rachael Ray’s likeness but spell her name wrong.
In the about us page, it even say’s “We know we mis-spelled Rachael’s name, but it was too late to fix it.” To late to fix it, but not too late to write text right underneath it saying it was too late to fix it????!!!!
Nice integrity!
Are Alexa.com Ads by Pulse360-Kanoodle Violating FTC Truth in Advertising?
A few months ago, the web information company Alexa redesigned their website and since then I’ve been noticing these incredibly distasteful advertisements pitching weight loss products, wrinkle removers and suspicious get rich quick schemes. While these type of advertisments are nothing new on the internet, what stood out to me was each advertisement appears to be placed by a person who is located in the same city as myself.
If you look up any of these blogs in Google, there are numerous bloggers warning that these flogs (as Jay Weintraub calls them)are blatant by scum of the earth affiliate marketers (Lincoln Adams’s affectionate term for the unethical blackhat set) scams.
Pulse360 – how to get rid off it?
Note: The following is a forum inquiry. I, personally, suspect that pulse360 is (or has been) actively using some kind of malware to promote their ads. Many references I found on the Internet point into that direction.
Recently, I started to get Pulse360 pop up window. My pop-up blocker is on, I removed Pulse360 from the Registry, deleted cookie, but the next day it was back… How to get rid of Pulse360?
Ads by Pulse 360
Does Pulse 360 do anything other than advertise for a miracle substance that “gets you ripped” in 4 weeks? The only other thing I have EVER seen there is a very disreputable looking “miracle” teeth whitener. It seems like this “ad network” is composed of nothing but disreputable crap. I guess this is nothing new, just the second (or 3rd, 4th, 5th…) coming of the Thighmaster style product.
I’m actually seeing this advertising on major sites like NBC sports. Everyone but the most gullible of us knows you can’t “get ripped” in 4 weeks unless you are already very low % body fat. If you click the ad and go to the landing page it is your typical “scammy” web site, it even brings up a pop-up window that asks if you are sure you want to leave when you try to navigate away. I actually read the page and this stuff is flat out GARBAGE. It literally tells people not to “waste time” working out.
How can I stop Pulse360 (sponsored listings) from popping up when I open up msnbc.com – I have Adblock Plus installed but no luck
Note: The following confirms my suspicion that pulse360 is in some way promoted by malware.
Q: Pulse360 only “pops up” when I open an article on the msnbc.com website while in Firefox. I use AdBlock Plus and I have searched the “blockable items” list to try to block it but nothing shows up for Pulse360. When it opens it shows it is “sponsored listings” for the site. Please help – this keeps me from going to msnbc when I really would like to view some of their articles. Thanks.
A: Your list of installed plugins shows that you have the My Web Search Plugininstalled, well-known malware which you should remove.
Inactivity charges Pulse360?
One of the smaller PPC services we have tested is called Pulse360. (Purposely not linking to them). We made a small $100 deposit to do some testing, and ended up pausing the campaigns after so so results. Like every other service I have ever used, I expected the balance to remain there until I was ready for more testing. Imagine my surprise when I got an email from them stating that they had removed $10 from my account for “inactivity charges”. I have to say this is a totally lame and cheap way to squeeze money from an already paying customer. You could have gotten tons of money from me by just serving up good traffic, but this little stunt has sealed it for me. I’ll be closing my account before the rest of the balance is charged away by you guys.
Pulse360
Pulse 360 is bad ad source to use. They irritate me more than anything. I see popunders all the time when I visit websites that use them and have received warnigns of spyware and adware from their ads. They are a horrible source for ads and lack security to protect anyone who carries their ads for them. My antivirus program gave warnings of spyware when their ads popped up.
The ads as posted by pulse360 onto the Online version of the Washington Post (washingtonpost.com) lead to misleading web sites that have a very similar structure and some identical features.
This article is part of a series on Online fraud. Read more…
The ads as posted by pulse360 onto the Online version of the Washington Post lead to misleading web sites that have a very similar structure and some identical features. Note: I live in Greenfield, Massachusetts, and all screen shots have been made from my office in Greenfield.
As shown in the picture above, this is how the ads are placed into the Online version of the Washington Post (washingtonpost.com).
This web page gives the false impression that it is posted by “News 6 Boston”, which doesn’t exist. The page’s content is most probably modified according to the user’s IP address location.
There are multiple references to Google, giving the false impression the user is dealing with Google directly.
The navigation links on top of the screen give the false impression that this page is from a real news source. As a matter of fact the links all lead to the same page where the user is asked to sign up and submit credit card information.
This page, leading to the same scam, is disguised as a “Massachusetts Job Report.” Needless to say, all this is a fake. The content is modified according to the viewer’s physical location.
This time the theme is “Whiter Teeth” posted by the “Consumer News Reporter”. And, of course, there is “Amy, a Boston school teacher.” Needless to say, but all links point to the same location. Do I detect a pattern here?
Note: This ad is not only provided by pulse360, the scam-supporting Online advertisement business, but also by the Washington Post’s own advertising business line.
They even add local weather. Note the expiration date, which will change with every new day you log on.
This is yet another feature these web pages have in common. You are encouraged to leave a comment, but “Comments will appear after approval by our editorial team.” You can bet, all comments are fake, and your comment, if negative, will not appear. In other cases they don’t allow any further comments due to “extensive spamming.”
Here we go! This time it’s weight loss. And there is “News Report 6″…
And when you try to leave they pop up a nasty window, meaning you can’t close the window unless you specifically click on the OK button.
Okay, just in case somebody needs more evidence that these ads are based on lies, here is the official confirmation found on the “White Teeth” web page:
Please also recognize that the story and comments depicted on this site and the person depicted in the story are not real. Rather, the story is based on what some people have achieved with these and other similar products. The results portrayed in the story and in the comments are illustrative, and may not necessarily be the results that you achieve with these products. This page does receive compensation for purchase of products featured on this site.
Last, but not least, if you want honest information on how to start a web site or blog and make money from it, check out my book, A No-Nonsense Guide to a Professional Blog (There is also a preview of the book). Honestly, I wrote it after learning about the so-called “Google Profit Library.” I deemed it was time to stop the nonsense. The book shows you step by step how to set up a professional blog with some advice on how to run it, and maybe even make some money from it. The difference is, you don’t pay me at all (I would appreciate that you buy the book, paperback or PDF), and the required investment of roughly $120…200 per year goes to your Internet service provider for running your web site. Also, check out myprofessionalblog.com. This is the web site I created to write the book, meaning I created the web site, made screen-shots and included them into the document.
Recently I noticed that The Washington Post has found another clever way of increasing their revenues by offering local ads. These ads are designed to read the viewer’s IP address and determine the physical location. All this could be interpreted as a clever marketing trick, but my admiration for the Washington Post’s new ways to create Online revenues faded quickly as soon as I found out that the location information was not used to provide real local ads, but to modify the ad’s message in a very misleading way.
This article is part of a series on Online fraud. Read more…
As I had written in a previous post, reading the New York Times and The Washington Post, both Online, on a regular basis has become my regular morning habit. Recently I noticed that The Washington Post has found another clever way of increasing their revenues by offering local ads. These ads are designed to read the viewer’s IP address and determine the physical location. All this could be interpreted as a clever marketing trick, but my admiration for the Washington Post’s new ways to create Online revenues faded quickly as soon as I found out that the location information was not used to provide real local ads, but to modify the ad’s message in a very misleading way. To make things worse, these ads are, in my very personal opinion, designed to defraud unsuspecting viewers.
Today I wrote an e-mail to the washingtonpost.com:
From: Wilfried Voss
Date: January 8, 2010 9:59:25 AM EST
To: letters@washpost.com
Subject: Fraudulent ads on washingtonpost.com
To whom it may concern;
I would be interested in your position regarding the posting of fraudulent ads on washingtonpost.com, especially those posted through pulse360. I have seen ads promoting the “Google Profit Library” which is a proven scam. And it doesn’t stop there. There are more ads such as “[Your Hometown Here] Local Mom Tricks To Whiter Teeth” and “[Your Hometown Here] Warning!” Replace “[Your Hometown Here]” with the location of your IP address.
The ads posted by pulse360 give the impression they have been posted by local businesses. As a matter of fact, the ads are modified according to the viewer’s IP address, and thus displaying false information that cannot be explained as being special marketing features.
I, personally, am disturbed that the Washington Post acts as an accomplice in a scheme that is designed to defraud hundreds of thousand of Americans.
I am awaiting your response. I also reserve the right to post this e-mail and any further communication on my blog.
Regards,
Wilfried Voss
http://www.frogenyozurt.com
We will see whether or not I receive a response, and if yes, I will post it/them here.
Kelly Richards of Conway, MA never thought she would have a job working at home until one day she filled out a simple form online. Before she knew it, she discovered her secret to beating the recession, and being able to provide for her family while at home with her two children.
This article is part of a series on Online fraud. Read more…
Well apparently Kelly Richards has moved from Greenfield, MA to Conway, MA. Since I am logging in from a different IP location, the web page changes the town name…;-) Wherever you are, the town will change when you log on to the Google Profit Library web site. Well, here is an excerpt/copy of the “Massachusetts Job Report” by “Online 6 News” (Note: The Massachusetts Job Report as well as Online 6 News are a fake.)
Work At Home Mom Makes $6,397/Month Part-Time
Online News 6 Investigates Google Work at Home Programs…
Have You Ever Thought About Working Online?
Kelly Richards of Conway, MA never thought she would have a job working at home until one day she filled out a simple form online. Before she knew it, she discovered her secret to beating the recession, and being able to provide for her family while at home with her two children.
I read Kelly’s blog last month and decided to feature her story in our local job report. In our phone interview she she told me her amazing story. “I actually make about $5,000-$7,000 a month using Google. It is enough to comfortably replace my old jobs income, especially considering I only work about 10-15 hours a week from home.
Working with Google has been a financial windfall for Kelly, who struggled for months to find a decent job during the struggling economy. “I lost my job shortly after the recession hit, I needed reliable income, I was not interested in the “get rich quick” scams you see all over the internet. Those are all pyramid scams or stuff where you have to sell to your friends and family. I just needed a legitimate way to earn a living for me and my family. The best part of working online is that I am always home with the kids, I save a lot of money.”
I asked her about how she started her remarkable journey. “It was pretty easy, I filled out a short form and applied for a work at home kit. There is a small shipping and handling fee, its not really free but it was under $5. I got the Kit and within four weeks I was making over $5,000 a month. It’s really simple, I am not a computer whiz, but I can use the internet. I post links that are given to me, I don’t even have to sell anything and nobody has to buy anything. They are constantly recruiting people to post links, you should try it.”
Online giant Google, worth over 100 billion dollars is the most used search engine and internet market place. Google is the #1 internet site in the world, over 50 percent of all internet traffic flows through them everyday. It’s a great company and they have been helping people work at home for over 10 years. Why not get in with the internets best and biggest company? there are plenty of scams on the internet claiming you can make $50,000 a month, but that is exactly what they are scams. From my conversation with Kelly, “I am making a good salary from home, which is amazing, under a year ago I was jobless in a horrible economy. I thank god every day that I filled out that form.”
Quickly, Kelly Richards was able to use the simple Google Profit Library kit with the Google Home Income kit to make it out of the recession.
Kelly had never shared her story before, and with her permission, we are putting it public.
Note: The grammatical errors/flaws are not mine. This was a simple copy and paste. Needless to say that a professional Online report would not be as flawed as this one. Also, to my knowledge, Google does not hire people to put hyperlinks on their blogs.
While these types of fraudulent jobs don’t really exist, there are plenty of jobs arising from online medical billing and coding courses.
Last, but not least, if you want honest information on how to start a web site or blog and make money from it, check out my book, A No-Nonsense Guide to a Professional Blog (There is also a preview of the book). Honestly, I wrote it after learning about the so-called “Google Profit Library.” I deemed it was time to stop the nonsense. The book shows you step by step how to set up a professional blog with some advice on how to run it, and maybe even make some money from it. The difference is, you don’t pay me at all (I would appreciate that you buy the book, paperback or PDF), and the required investment of roughly $120…200 per year goes to your Internet service provider for running your web site. Also, check out myprofessionalblog.com. This is the web site I created to write the book, meaning I created the web site, made screen-shots and included them into the document.
