FTC To Shut Down Shady "Work From Home" Sites
"They scammed me too." says a comment from a user posted on an online message board. "All I wanted to do was check it out. I never even received the FREE KIT. I'm a single mom who can't afford this."
"They scammed me too." says another. "I should have known better. I am on a retirement income and cannot afford to give them $72.21. I was shocked to see it on my account as I was not aware that they were going to be taking this money out of my account."
On message boards, blogs and other websites all across the internet, thousands of angry customers are sharing their experiences with a company known as Google Money Tree, which is now being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission along with more than a dozen other companies promising big paychecks for little work. Mixed in with the anger, a common theme running through the online discussions about these work from home sites is "I should have known better."
You've probably seen the ads yourself while browsing websites or even using Google's own search engine (Note that Google is not affiliated with Google Money Tree, and as stated by Google representative Jason Morrison, "Google is definitely not hiring people to post links, click things or fill out forms from home."). The ads typically feature enticing ad copy such as "Make $200 Per Day Using Google". Once you click on the ad, you're taken to a website where you can request a "Free" kit on making money using Google. You only pay a small shipping and handling fee to have the kit shipped to you on a CD. While this sounds like a low-risk offer, customers who've ordered the free kit have made the following complaints:
1. The money making kit is slow to arrive, or doesn't arrive at all.
2. Not long after ordering the kit, surprised customers found that they had been charged $72 by Google Money Tree. They claim that this automatic rebill was hidden in the small print of the offer in a way that was intentionally deceptive or misleading.
3. Cancelling their subscription to Google Money Tree or obtaining a refund is difficult, and some people claim that they were told by Google Money Tree representatives that they would not be issued a refund at all.
Perhaps most distressing in our current stressed economic climate is that many of the people who purchased Google Money Tree did so out of desperation rather than a desire to become filthy rich. Single working mothers, retirees on a fixed income and men and women recently laid off from jobs are a common demographic among angry Google Money Tree customers. Fortunately, after numerous complaints, the Federal Trade Commission is getting involved.
According to an official FTC news release:
The Federal Trade Commission today announced a law enforcement crackdown on scammers trying to take advantage of the economic downturn to bilk vulnerable consumers through a variety of schemes, such as promising non-existent jobs; promoting overhyped get-rich-quick plans, bogus government grants, and phony debt-reduction services; or putting unauthorized charges on consumers' credit or debit cards.
You can read the full text of the release here: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/shortchange.shtm
So in an online world of scams, empty promises and deceit, are there any legitimate ways to make money from home? Yes. But it won't happen without hard work and focus. One thing to understand is that there's a difference between a job that you do from home, and a business opportunity. A job is performing a specific task in exchange for payment. One way to do this online is to go to sites like Elance.com, Getafreelancer.com and Guru.com and look for freelance jobs (you can also do a Google search for "list of freelance websites"). Some of these sites require a monthly fee to bid on freelance projects, and others are free, but if you have a skill like website design, graphic design, writing articles or you have administrative experience, you can find jobs posted where people will hire you on a per-project basis and pay you for your services. There are people who make full time incomes online doing freelance work, but keep in mind that you'll be competing with other freelancers for the same projects, and so you'll still need to "sell" your services so that people choose you. And always do your due diligence and arrange payment terms and expectations before you take on a job, so that you make sure you're paid for your work.
Business opportunities, on the other hand, involve selling a product or service to someone else. You have to keep in mind that an online business is no different from a business in the real world. Just as not everyone has the skills, knowledge or attitude to run a business in the real world, not everyone is cut out to run a business online. Although there are legitimate online business opportunities out there, and many people do make impressive incomes with them, it takes a lot of work to reach that point, and if you're strapped for cash as it is, starting a business might not be the best approach for you. And if an online business is something that you want to consider, remember that you have to treat it like a real business if you expect to make money.
"They scammed me too." says another. "I should have known better. I am on a retirement income and cannot afford to give them $72.21. I was shocked to see it on my account as I was not aware that they were going to be taking this money out of my account."
On message boards, blogs and other websites all across the internet, thousands of angry customers are sharing their experiences with a company known as Google Money Tree, which is now being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission along with more than a dozen other companies promising big paychecks for little work. Mixed in with the anger, a common theme running through the online discussions about these work from home sites is "I should have known better."
You've probably seen the ads yourself while browsing websites or even using Google's own search engine (Note that Google is not affiliated with Google Money Tree, and as stated by Google representative Jason Morrison, "Google is definitely not hiring people to post links, click things or fill out forms from home."). The ads typically feature enticing ad copy such as "Make $200 Per Day Using Google". Once you click on the ad, you're taken to a website where you can request a "Free" kit on making money using Google. You only pay a small shipping and handling fee to have the kit shipped to you on a CD. While this sounds like a low-risk offer, customers who've ordered the free kit have made the following complaints:
1. The money making kit is slow to arrive, or doesn't arrive at all.
2. Not long after ordering the kit, surprised customers found that they had been charged $72 by Google Money Tree. They claim that this automatic rebill was hidden in the small print of the offer in a way that was intentionally deceptive or misleading.
3. Cancelling their subscription to Google Money Tree or obtaining a refund is difficult, and some people claim that they were told by Google Money Tree representatives that they would not be issued a refund at all.
Perhaps most distressing in our current stressed economic climate is that many of the people who purchased Google Money Tree did so out of desperation rather than a desire to become filthy rich. Single working mothers, retirees on a fixed income and men and women recently laid off from jobs are a common demographic among angry Google Money Tree customers. Fortunately, after numerous complaints, the Federal Trade Commission is getting involved.
According to an official FTC news release:
The Federal Trade Commission today announced a law enforcement crackdown on scammers trying to take advantage of the economic downturn to bilk vulnerable consumers through a variety of schemes, such as promising non-existent jobs; promoting overhyped get-rich-quick plans, bogus government grants, and phony debt-reduction services; or putting unauthorized charges on consumers' credit or debit cards.
You can read the full text of the release here: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/shortchange.shtm
So in an online world of scams, empty promises and deceit, are there any legitimate ways to make money from home? Yes. But it won't happen without hard work and focus. One thing to understand is that there's a difference between a job that you do from home, and a business opportunity. A job is performing a specific task in exchange for payment. One way to do this online is to go to sites like Elance.com, Getafreelancer.com and Guru.com and look for freelance jobs (you can also do a Google search for "list of freelance websites"). Some of these sites require a monthly fee to bid on freelance projects, and others are free, but if you have a skill like website design, graphic design, writing articles or you have administrative experience, you can find jobs posted where people will hire you on a per-project basis and pay you for your services. There are people who make full time incomes online doing freelance work, but keep in mind that you'll be competing with other freelancers for the same projects, and so you'll still need to "sell" your services so that people choose you. And always do your due diligence and arrange payment terms and expectations before you take on a job, so that you make sure you're paid for your work.
Business opportunities, on the other hand, involve selling a product or service to someone else. You have to keep in mind that an online business is no different from a business in the real world. Just as not everyone has the skills, knowledge or attitude to run a business in the real world, not everyone is cut out to run a business online. Although there are legitimate online business opportunities out there, and many people do make impressive incomes with them, it takes a lot of work to reach that point, and if you're strapped for cash as it is, starting a business might not be the best approach for you. And if an online business is something that you want to consider, remember that you have to treat it like a real business if you expect to make money.
