BBB Warns Against Twitter Money-Making Schemes
___________________________
Arlington, VA 7/7/2009 http://tinyurl.com/mlsncn
Read the fine print or risk getting burned with Twitter work-at-home offers
Through Tweets, e-mail and Web sites, job hunters are being told that they can make lots of money from the comfort of home using Twitter and Better Business Bureau warns that the large print for such offers may promise big returns but the fine print can cost them every month.
Currently 14.7 million Americans are out of work and looking for a way to bring home a paycheck according to the most recent jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Work-at-home schemes have often preyed on unsuspecting job hunters and now Twitter is being used as a way to convince cash-strapped individuals that they can make quick and easy money.
“Twitter is the newest bright shiny object online and a perfect hook for yet another work-at-home scheme,” said Steve Cox, BBB spokesperson. “The pitch used to be about making money by sending e-mails or by placing ads on Google but now cash-strapped job hunters need to be wary of shelling out money for a dubious scheme that revolves around Twitter.”
Unfortunately, such “Make Money With Twitter” schemes may sound risk-free but bear many red flags prompting BBB to advise job hunters to be extremely cautious.
One e-mail picked up by BBB stated: “Twitter Workers Needed ASAP, You're Hired! Make Extra Cash with Twitter; As seen on USA Today, CNN, and ABC... Apply Now!”
The e-mail links to EasyTweetProfits.com, a company out of Surrey, England. EasyTweetProfits.com claims you can make $250-$873 a day working at home with Twitter. The Web site offers a seven-day free trial of their instructional CD-ROM for $1.95 to cover shipping. Buried in the lengthy terms and conditions are the details that the trial begins on the day the CD is ordered—not when it is received—and if the consumer doesn’t cancel within seven days of signing up, they’ll be charged $47 every month.
Similar to other work-from-home schemes, phony blogs by made-up individuals have been created as testimonials to the success of Twitter-money-making programs. Make-money-on-twitter.com is one such phony blog—supposedly by a Derrick Clark of Virginia—where the author brags about making up to $5,000 a month posting links to Twitter. The blog also includes an image of the supposed check Derrick received for posting links on Twitter, but the exact same photo of the check has been used countless times on other phony blogs for various suspect work-at-home jobs.
The blog links to TwitterProfitHouse.com which, similar to EasyTweetProfits.com, claims you can make $250-$873 a day working at home and offers a seven-day free trial of their instructional CD-ROM, for $1.99 shipping. Again, however, reading the fine print shows that the trial period starts once the CD has been ordered and the consumer will be billed $99.99 every month if they don’t call the company to cancel.
“These Web sites have not been up for very long so, if experience has taught us anything, we know that it’s only a matter of time before the complaints start coming in,” added Cox. “Work-at-home schemes are like a game of whack-a-mole and new Web sites crop up practically every day.”
BBB wants job hunters to be aware of the following red flags when searching for a work-at-home job online:
• The “job” is actually a money-making scheme and doesn’t provide actual employment.
• The work-at-home scheme claims that you can make lots of money with little effort and no experience.
• You have to pay money upfront in order to be considered for the job or receive more information.
• The exact same tweet touting the program is posted by many different Twitterers. The links in such tweets could lead you to scam sites or install malware onto your computer.
BEWARE of these Traps!
Mike Cunningham
Watch for My New Internet Presence for 2009.
See my page for it now!
2009 The Biggest and Best Ever!
http://twitter.com/mike1mb
Also follow me, I'll follow you back.
___________________________
Arlington, VA 7/7/2009 http://tinyurl.com/mlsncn
Read the fine print or risk getting burned with Twitter work-at-home offers
Through Tweets, e-mail and Web sites, job hunters are being told that they can make lots of money from the comfort of home using Twitter and Better Business Bureau warns that the large print for such offers may promise big returns but the fine print can cost them every month.
Currently 14.7 million Americans are out of work and looking for a way to bring home a paycheck according to the most recent jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Work-at-home schemes have often preyed on unsuspecting job hunters and now Twitter is being used as a way to convince cash-strapped individuals that they can make quick and easy money.
“Twitter is the newest bright shiny object online and a perfect hook for yet another work-at-home scheme,” said Steve Cox, BBB spokesperson. “The pitch used to be about making money by sending e-mails or by placing ads on Google but now cash-strapped job hunters need to be wary of shelling out money for a dubious scheme that revolves around Twitter.”
Unfortunately, such “Make Money With Twitter” schemes may sound risk-free but bear many red flags prompting BBB to advise job hunters to be extremely cautious.
One e-mail picked up by BBB stated: “Twitter Workers Needed ASAP, You're Hired! Make Extra Cash with Twitter; As seen on USA Today, CNN, and ABC... Apply Now!”
The e-mail links to EasyTweetProfits.com, a company out of Surrey, England. EasyTweetProfits.com claims you can make $250-$873 a day working at home with Twitter. The Web site offers a seven-day free trial of their instructional CD-ROM for $1.95 to cover shipping. Buried in the lengthy terms and conditions are the details that the trial begins on the day the CD is ordered—not when it is received—and if the consumer doesn’t cancel within seven days of signing up, they’ll be charged $47 every month.
Similar to other work-from-home schemes, phony blogs by made-up individuals have been created as testimonials to the success of Twitter-money-making programs. Make-money-on-twitter.com is one such phony blog—supposedly by a Derrick Clark of Virginia—where the author brags about making up to $5,000 a month posting links to Twitter. The blog also includes an image of the supposed check Derrick received for posting links on Twitter, but the exact same photo of the check has been used countless times on other phony blogs for various suspect work-at-home jobs.
The blog links to TwitterProfitHouse.com which, similar to EasyTweetProfits.com, claims you can make $250-$873 a day working at home and offers a seven-day free trial of their instructional CD-ROM, for $1.99 shipping. Again, however, reading the fine print shows that the trial period starts once the CD has been ordered and the consumer will be billed $99.99 every month if they don’t call the company to cancel.
“These Web sites have not been up for very long so, if experience has taught us anything, we know that it’s only a matter of time before the complaints start coming in,” added Cox. “Work-at-home schemes are like a game of whack-a-mole and new Web sites crop up practically every day.”
BBB wants job hunters to be aware of the following red flags when searching for a work-at-home job online:
• The “job” is actually a money-making scheme and doesn’t provide actual employment.
• The work-at-home scheme claims that you can make lots of money with little effort and no experience.
• You have to pay money upfront in order to be considered for the job or receive more information.
• The exact same tweet touting the program is posted by many different Twitterers. The links in such tweets could lead you to scam sites or install malware onto your computer.
BEWARE of these Traps!
Mike Cunningham
Watch for My New Internet Presence for 2009.
See my page for it now!
2009 The Biggest and Best Ever!
http://twitter.com/mike1mb
Also follow me, I'll follow you back.
___________________________
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mari Ann Lisenbe on -
People really should learn to read the fine print when they order ANY kind of "free" trial. NONE of these are really free, and you can end up being out some big bucks if you aren't careful.
http://www.twitter.com/MariAnnLisenbe
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Permalink Reply by beerlandt willy on
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hello,
thanks for the great info. i am new here, looking around and already learned a lot
http://twitter.com/willybeer
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Permalink Reply by Paul Kyriazi on -
A good article Mike. Too bad the out of work people have dodge these traps that offer false hope.
Paul
http://twitter.com/bondlife
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Permalink Reply by Jerry Pritchard on -
Free Trial is often a trap. I have fallen for this more than once. I have learned that when they say "JUst pay small shipping charge" they get your credit card number so they can bill you for more money later. Read the fine print. Now if I am really interested in the free trial I call or email them and tell them I would like to pay the shipping charge by check in the mail. They usually refuse.
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Permalink Reply by Dan Auito on -
Thanks for posting Mike. It's rampant on the web, as always if it sounds to good to be true it -------- --!
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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Bennett on -
Thanks for sharing this information. These people know others are desperate because of our economy so they use it to their advantage. I have seen them on twitter myself and just ignore them. Eventually twitter does away with them. Again, I thank you and have a good day....
Take Care,
Elizabeth
http://www.twitter.com/PeerAbuse
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Permalink Reply by Clint Steiner on
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