More and more scammers are using Web sites with a news-look to look legit. They even put logos and names of big news coorporations on the site.
One article says " Breaking News! Google now hiring people to work from home."
The article claims anyone can make big bucks just by posting links for Google. The Web site might look legit at first glance, but there are several suspicious errors.
First of all, the names used for these newspapers are made up. "The Time Insider," for example, is not an existing news organization.
Secondly, all the links in the toolbar on top of the page do not work.
And the links that do work, all direct to the same website: telling users to buy a starter kit costing less than $3. However, anyone buying it, is signing up for much more.
On the Complaints Board, one victim says after getting the kit, about $70 was taken from his bank account.
The site's terms of service say users automatically enroll in a continuing program, costing $79.90 a month.
Users can cancel in the trial period, the first 7 days after siging up, but many people are complaining that the phone number simply doesn't work, their emails are unanswered, and they can't get a hold of the company.
In the end, the only option left is cancelling the credit card. A victim says on the Complaints Board, " These are awful people and I hope they get caught and brought to justice."
To avoid online scams, experts advice to:
- Ignore unsolicited emails
- Never pay a company to hire you
- Check your bank account statements every month for unauthorized charges
- If you have questions about the legitimacy of a job posting, contact the Better Business Bureau
Google says it is fighting back against the perception that it's involved with work-from-home scams.
One article says " Breaking News! Google now hiring people to work from home."
The article claims anyone can make big bucks just by posting links for Google. The Web site might look legit at first glance, but there are several suspicious errors.
First of all, the names used for these newspapers are made up. "The Time Insider," for example, is not an existing news organization.
Secondly, all the links in the toolbar on top of the page do not work.
And the links that do work, all direct to the same website: telling users to buy a starter kit costing less than $3. However, anyone buying it, is signing up for much more.
On the Complaints Board, one victim says after getting the kit, about $70 was taken from his bank account.
The site's terms of service say users automatically enroll in a continuing program, costing $79.90 a month.
Users can cancel in the trial period, the first 7 days after siging up, but many people are complaining that the phone number simply doesn't work, their emails are unanswered, and they can't get a hold of the company.
In the end, the only option left is cancelling the credit card. A victim says on the Complaints Board, " These are awful people and I hope they get caught and brought to justice."
To avoid online scams, experts advice to:
- Ignore unsolicited emails
- Never pay a company to hire you
- Check your bank account statements every month for unauthorized charges
- If you have questions about the legitimacy of a job posting, contact the Better Business Bureau
Google says it is fighting back against the perception that it's involved with work-from-home scams.
