Better
Business Bureau has received more than 1,500 complaints about several dozen Web
sites that are trading on the Google name to scam people who want to learn
about making money from home. Because the sites often use the Google name and prominently
display its iconic logo, consumers often assume they are getting a job with
Google when in fact they were getting taken in by yet another work-at-home
scheme.
“Many
families are looking for ways to earn extra money for the holidays and Web sites
touting the huge money-making potential of working from home often seem like an
answer to prayer,” said Frank Whitney, CEO of the MidCal BBB. “Unfortunately,
most work-at-home opportunities don’t deliver on what they promise and victims
find that instead of making a few extra dollars, they lose hundreds.”
Two
Web sites, Google
Treasure Chest and Google
Money Tree, quickly racked up 523 and 782 BBB complaints respectively before
being called out by the Federal Trade Commission and state Attorneys General
for misleading consumers. The Web sites have been taken down, however, BBB has
received complaints about many other work-at-home schemes using similar tactics,
including Google
Biz Kit, Google
Cash, Google
Money Profits, and Google
Success Kit.
While
the schemes go by many different names and are found on many different Web sites,
the complaints to BBB tell a similar story. Complainants state that they signed
up online to receive a free trial of a CD or access to information that would
show them how to make money from home using Google. Consumers had to provide a
credit or debit card number to cover shipping — which is typically only a few
dollars.
Complainants
to BBB state that they were billed before their trial ended — or never even
received the CD — and continued to be billed after they had cancelled their
order. Complainants also found mystery charges from several other businesses
for services they didn’t realize they were signing up for with their “free”
trial. One Georgia
complainant’s bank account was debited $433 by various entities including Grant
Finder, Web Training, Powersale, Safelock, Google Chest, Search Chest, A1Member
and Auction Support.
Before
signing up for any work-at-home opportunity, BBB advises job hunters to:
- Review the business’s
BBB Reliability Report® at bbb.org to see if BBB reports
complaints or other concerns you need to consider.
- Beware of any
offer that guarantees a lot of money for little effort and no experience.
- Thoroughly read
the Web site’s terms and conditions, keeping in mind that a free trial
could cost you in the end.
- Be wary of
work-at-home offers that use logos from Google, Twitter or other prominent
online businesses. Just because Google is in the name, it doesn’t mean the
business is affiliated with Google.
- Research the
Web site with Whois.net or a similar site for determining domain name
ownership. If the site is anonymous or individually registered, beware.
For
more advice on evaluating work-at-home companies and schemes, visit www.bbb.org.