Just wanted to give you guys another tip to protect yourself online. These "Unique Matrix Systems" are popping up all over the internet. The most popular one seems to cost only $3, and claims that it will pay you around $20,000.
Now, hopefully you already know that paying for any money making program isn't a good idea, with the number of scams out there. But these low-priced ones might tempt you to take the chance - after all, if it's a scam you're only out $3 and if it's not you'll aparently make thousands. So it seems like it might be worth the risk.
However, be aware that there might be a bigger risk involved - the risk of being arrested.
I don't know which of these programs are scams and which aren't - I'm sure a couple of them must be legitimate - but if you look into the details, you'll find that most of them are pyramid schemes. This means that they are illegal, both for the owner and the people that join - and besides that, even the scam-free ones are generally fairly short-lived. So it's hardly worth the risk.
So, what is a pyramid scheme?
A lot of people seem to think that a pyramid scheme is any program that asks you to pay money and then refer people. If that was true, then there'd be a lot of illegal PTC sites out there.
A pyramid scheme is quite different. You pay a one-time amount, and then refer people. The idea is that you will get a percentage of the fee payed by the people you refer, and the people they refer, and the people those people refer... and so on, indefinitely. If there is a limit to this downline building (i.e. the sites that let you collect a percentage of the profits from the people you refer, or the people your referals refer, but it ends there), then it is still legal. However, if you're indefinitely earning money from everyone that gets referred down the line, it is likely illegal.
Some of these sites even illustrate the pyramid that gives pyramid schemes their name. I'm sure you've seen it tons of times. The diagram that shows a little stick figure - presumably you - at the top, then two people under you, then two people under each of those people... and so on to infinity.
It seems to make sense when you first join. But I promise you, the site will eventually run out of money and the owners will likely run off with whatever bit of cash they still have left - leaving you waiting for a payout that will never come. Besides that, you run the risk of having police show up at your door if they ever look into the illegal site, because it is just as illegal for the owners to make the site as it is for you to join it.
Showing posts with label scam. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scam. Show all posts
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Big Dollars PTC
So I had something interesting happen to me today. The $500 payout I was waiting for from this site has magically disappeared.
http://www.bigdollarsptc.com/index.php?ref=Ocean
I joined the site, and was well aware at the time that it was likely a scam. They're not totally unbelieveable - $1-5 per ad is a little over the top, but still plausible - but how many sites let you make $500 in a couple weeks just from clicking ads?
Anyways, I got to my $500 payout and requested it, and I have been checking back every day to see if it's gone through yet. The last few days it listed the $500 in the "pending" slot, as is to be expected. I submitted a help ticket to see how long I could expect the payout to take and have not yet recieved a response.
Today, however, I logged on and that $500 is nowhere to be found! It's not in the pending section, it's not in the cancelled section, it's not in the paid section, and it didn't get put back into my earnings... it's just gone!
So I submitted another help ticket, which I don't really expect to get a response from... and I'm recommending that no one join the site until further notice. I'll let you know if anything actually comes of my help tickets.
http://www.bigdollarsptc.com/index.php?ref=Ocean
I joined the site, and was well aware at the time that it was likely a scam. They're not totally unbelieveable - $1-5 per ad is a little over the top, but still plausible - but how many sites let you make $500 in a couple weeks just from clicking ads?
Anyways, I got to my $500 payout and requested it, and I have been checking back every day to see if it's gone through yet. The last few days it listed the $500 in the "pending" slot, as is to be expected. I submitted a help ticket to see how long I could expect the payout to take and have not yet recieved a response.
Today, however, I logged on and that $500 is nowhere to be found! It's not in the pending section, it's not in the cancelled section, it's not in the paid section, and it didn't get put back into my earnings... it's just gone!
So I submitted another help ticket, which I don't really expect to get a response from... and I'm recommending that no one join the site until further notice. I'll let you know if anything actually comes of my help tickets.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
The Scam Equation
You've all seen zillions of scam sites, I'm sure... they all have a few things in common, and present all their information in exactly the same order, it seems.
1. This is an unbelievable offer and totally not a scam! (insert annoying flashy image here)
Just to catch your attention - and it usually does prompt you to scroll down, even if it is just to check for the paypal link before closing the window.
2. "Ten years ago, I was exactly where you are now... laid off, two kids to feed, my wife couldn't support us all... I fell for a whole bunch of scams before I found the one thing that actually works, and I'm about to share it with you."
They always start with a big long anecdote. They want you to know that they understand your situation, they have been there, and they are here to help you get out of that rut.
3. A long-winded explanation filled with more anecdotes explaining just how easy this oportunity is and how you can make money in your sleep or earn hundreds with just a couple hours of work.
Everyone wants easy money. So of course the offer they're giving you is something so simple a child could figure it out, and of course it will make you a millionaire overnight. This is usually accompanied by a few pictures of fancy cars and such that they apparently own.
Sometimes this section will be slightly different and tell you that this is not a get-rich-quick scheme and will require real work, but it can still bring you a decent salary from home. This probably appeals to more people today (it certainly tends to catch my eye) - but they still neglect to tell you what the actual job is.
4. Proof of payment.
At this point, they want to try and drag you in with big numbers. So they show you a series of screen shots of paypal or scanned cheques. These are all very easy to manipulate, and therefore completely un-trustworthy.
5. A quick reminder.
Now they take all the information that has just taken you an hour to read (because you have to find the actual "facts" in the muddle of anecdotes and bragging) and break it down into a few short bullets just to make sure you're still with them and still realise what an amazing oportunity this is.
6. Testimonials.
"I made $10,000 in just a week after joining this program! Thanks so much!" There are programs available these days that will generate fake testimonials for people to use on their website. That's why they all sound the same. All the website owner has to do is copy/paste the text into the website and add a picture of someone holding a big cheque.
7. This is what I'm willing to give you.
They want to let you know everything you're going to get from them before they let you know that it will cost you money. This is normally a picture and explanation of some amazing e-book or software that is supposed to change your life.
8. Guaranteed satisfaction.
"This is, of course, a no-risk offer. I need to ask for a fee to cover the cost of the software; or to pay my small staff for all their hard work; or to make up for the time (and money) I am losing at work in order to help you out - but if it doesn't work, I'll give you your money back."
9. An incredible deal!
It seems like every one of these sites has a perpetual sale going on that will only be available today. Apparently they all usually charge around $200 for you to join their program, but for today only it will only cost $95! They want to pressure you into buying right now, while they have your attention. Most of us can't afford to throw away $95, but we definitely can't afford $200 either - so we'd better sign up now!
But I can almost guarantee that if you check the site again in a week, a month, a year, they'll still have the same "sale" advertised.
10. Pay me!
The last thing on the page is always the credit card and paypal links. They want to make sure they have you totally convinced before you see the price or even know that it will cost you money. For that reason, I usually scroll down and find the cost before even reading the site.
If you are going to risk signing up with one of these programs (but why would you?), watch out for paypal scams. Make sure you're on paypal's website and not a copycat site before entering your username and password - otherwise you might find some money missing.
Remember: Any real job will explain what the job is up front. They will not ask you to pay a membership fee or buy a book or spend money on anything before you know exactly what it is you are going to be expected to do. In fact, if they are a legitimate job, and they have real expenses (like some jobs offline making you pay for your uniform), they will be nice and take those expenses out of your pay instead of your pocket.
Oh! And I've found the solution to my days without posts... I'm going to start post-dating things so that there's only one post a day even when I might write 5 a day and then be lazy for a week, lol.
1. This is an unbelievable offer and totally not a scam! (insert annoying flashy image here)
Just to catch your attention - and it usually does prompt you to scroll down, even if it is just to check for the paypal link before closing the window.
2. "Ten years ago, I was exactly where you are now... laid off, two kids to feed, my wife couldn't support us all... I fell for a whole bunch of scams before I found the one thing that actually works, and I'm about to share it with you."
They always start with a big long anecdote. They want you to know that they understand your situation, they have been there, and they are here to help you get out of that rut.
3. A long-winded explanation filled with more anecdotes explaining just how easy this oportunity is and how you can make money in your sleep or earn hundreds with just a couple hours of work.
Everyone wants easy money. So of course the offer they're giving you is something so simple a child could figure it out, and of course it will make you a millionaire overnight. This is usually accompanied by a few pictures of fancy cars and such that they apparently own.
Sometimes this section will be slightly different and tell you that this is not a get-rich-quick scheme and will require real work, but it can still bring you a decent salary from home. This probably appeals to more people today (it certainly tends to catch my eye) - but they still neglect to tell you what the actual job is.
4. Proof of payment.
At this point, they want to try and drag you in with big numbers. So they show you a series of screen shots of paypal or scanned cheques. These are all very easy to manipulate, and therefore completely un-trustworthy.
5. A quick reminder.
Now they take all the information that has just taken you an hour to read (because you have to find the actual "facts" in the muddle of anecdotes and bragging) and break it down into a few short bullets just to make sure you're still with them and still realise what an amazing oportunity this is.
6. Testimonials.
"I made $10,000 in just a week after joining this program! Thanks so much!" There are programs available these days that will generate fake testimonials for people to use on their website. That's why they all sound the same. All the website owner has to do is copy/paste the text into the website and add a picture of someone holding a big cheque.
7. This is what I'm willing to give you.
They want to let you know everything you're going to get from them before they let you know that it will cost you money. This is normally a picture and explanation of some amazing e-book or software that is supposed to change your life.
8. Guaranteed satisfaction.
"This is, of course, a no-risk offer. I need to ask for a fee to cover the cost of the software; or to pay my small staff for all their hard work; or to make up for the time (and money) I am losing at work in order to help you out - but if it doesn't work, I'll give you your money back."
9. An incredible deal!
It seems like every one of these sites has a perpetual sale going on that will only be available today. Apparently they all usually charge around $200 for you to join their program, but for today only it will only cost $95! They want to pressure you into buying right now, while they have your attention. Most of us can't afford to throw away $95, but we definitely can't afford $200 either - so we'd better sign up now!
But I can almost guarantee that if you check the site again in a week, a month, a year, they'll still have the same "sale" advertised.
10. Pay me!
The last thing on the page is always the credit card and paypal links. They want to make sure they have you totally convinced before you see the price or even know that it will cost you money. For that reason, I usually scroll down and find the cost before even reading the site.
If you are going to risk signing up with one of these programs (but why would you?), watch out for paypal scams. Make sure you're on paypal's website and not a copycat site before entering your username and password - otherwise you might find some money missing.
Remember: Any real job will explain what the job is up front. They will not ask you to pay a membership fee or buy a book or spend money on anything before you know exactly what it is you are going to be expected to do. In fact, if they are a legitimate job, and they have real expenses (like some jobs offline making you pay for your uniform), they will be nice and take those expenses out of your pay instead of your pocket.
Oh! And I've found the solution to my days without posts... I'm going to start post-dating things so that there's only one post a day even when I might write 5 a day and then be lazy for a week, lol.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Almost certainly a scam
I found this site called promails and I'm almost certain it's a scam. It has a $10,000 payout, and sends me 4-5 e-mails a day claiming to pay $50 each for simply viewing a website for 60 seconds. I'm trying it out anyways, since it's not costing me anything and clicking on links in my e-mail isn't really going out of my way at all... so I'll be able to tell you fairly soon if it's a scam or not from my own experience. As I said, though, I'll be extremely surprised if it's legit.
However, I wanted to write about it and use it as an example of exactly how smart the people who make these sites can be. I was a graphic design student at one point, so I do know a bit about targeting your audience, and one look at this site lets me know exactly who they're targeting.
Most paid e-mail or paid to click sites are obviously targeting teenagers and young adults who want a little extra pocket change to make it through college. The sites are colourful, fun and interactive.
This site is extremely professional looking. It looks like a legitimate business, and therefore people are more likely to trust it no matter what they might read about it - and, in fact, their target audience is less likely to do their research because they will be fairly new to the online world. They are targeting older people than most of these sites do. People in their 30s, 40s, 50s who don't have jobs (especially with the number of layoffs going around these days) and are desperately trying to come up with the income they were used to having when they had well-paying jobs. They will jump at the opportunity to make $10,000 with just a couple of months of clicking on e-mails, and then likely ask for a payout and not get it.
The reason I am so absolutely certain this is a scam is that I just don't see how they could finance it. Advertisers won't really pay that much for e-mail advertising, and there's no way people are using their paid referral program enough to make them able to pay so much per e-mail.
But we'll see. I'm giving them a chance to prove me wrong, if only because it's not costing me anything other than 5 minutes a day.
However, I wanted to write about it and use it as an example of exactly how smart the people who make these sites can be. I was a graphic design student at one point, so I do know a bit about targeting your audience, and one look at this site lets me know exactly who they're targeting.
Most paid e-mail or paid to click sites are obviously targeting teenagers and young adults who want a little extra pocket change to make it through college. The sites are colourful, fun and interactive.
This site is extremely professional looking. It looks like a legitimate business, and therefore people are more likely to trust it no matter what they might read about it - and, in fact, their target audience is less likely to do their research because they will be fairly new to the online world. They are targeting older people than most of these sites do. People in their 30s, 40s, 50s who don't have jobs (especially with the number of layoffs going around these days) and are desperately trying to come up with the income they were used to having when they had well-paying jobs. They will jump at the opportunity to make $10,000 with just a couple of months of clicking on e-mails, and then likely ask for a payout and not get it.
The reason I am so absolutely certain this is a scam is that I just don't see how they could finance it. Advertisers won't really pay that much for e-mail advertising, and there's no way people are using their paid referral program enough to make them able to pay so much per e-mail.
But we'll see. I'm giving them a chance to prove me wrong, if only because it's not costing me anything other than 5 minutes a day.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Defeating Scams Through Common Sense
A friend on MyLot made a comment that reminded me I had been planning on making this post... so here it is.
It's true that there are a lot of scams out there, and therefore I wanted to post some tips to help you guys detect a scam before wasting your time on it. To be sure, nothing here is fool proof, but knowing which offers are more likely to be scams can save you a lot of time. If anyone has anything to ad, feel free to comment, e-mail or contact me on twitter and I'll add them to this list.
The site might be a scam if:
1. You have to pay to get paid. There are countless sites out there that want you to pay for membership or a one time starter fee. There are others that will make you pay for "training" and will claim to have a low price for a limited time (though somehow this limited time seems to be endless). Bottom line - if you have to pay to make money, you most likely will never see that money again. You're better off trying the free sites. If they turn out to be scams, you've lost a bit of time, but you haven't lost any money.
2. The site claims you can make hundreds of dollars a day. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Getting money from paid-to-anything sites can be a slow process, and most sites have a minimum payout requirement. If the minimum payout is over $50 (I generally say $30 to be safe), it's likely the site is making a lot of money from advertisers and not having to pay their members, simply because there aren't that many people reaching that minimum.
3. Other people say it's a scam. I don't go crazy with research when I find a new site, but I will check on forums to see if anyone else has experience with it. I also generally go to google and search "[site name] scam" to see if anything comes up. If you do google searches like I do, make sure you actually read the articles that come up. Some people will say a site is a scam, when others say the same site is legit and has paid them. This is usually just because the first person didn't put enough time into it, or didn't read the rules and got booted for some reason (and then got angry and complained in their blog). Read over whatever you find and make your own educated decision. This is another area where sites like myLot can help. Because it's a paid-to-post site, a lot of people on there are looking for the same oportunites you are. So many of them will have heard of and/or tried out whatever site you're looking at, and can therefore give you their opinion on it.
4. The "testimonials" sound fake. There are now programs out that will make fake testimonials for you, because people have figured out how valuable testimonials are to their business. Sites like PrizeRebel (sorry, it's my favourite, if you haven't guessed) have realistic, believeable testimonials... many others have crazy, over the top success stories. Again, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
I'm sure I'll come up with more later, but these are the main ones.
It's true that there are a lot of scams out there, and therefore I wanted to post some tips to help you guys detect a scam before wasting your time on it. To be sure, nothing here is fool proof, but knowing which offers are more likely to be scams can save you a lot of time. If anyone has anything to ad, feel free to comment, e-mail or contact me on twitter and I'll add them to this list.
The site might be a scam if:
1. You have to pay to get paid. There are countless sites out there that want you to pay for membership or a one time starter fee. There are others that will make you pay for "training" and will claim to have a low price for a limited time (though somehow this limited time seems to be endless). Bottom line - if you have to pay to make money, you most likely will never see that money again. You're better off trying the free sites. If they turn out to be scams, you've lost a bit of time, but you haven't lost any money.
2. The site claims you can make hundreds of dollars a day. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Getting money from paid-to-anything sites can be a slow process, and most sites have a minimum payout requirement. If the minimum payout is over $50 (I generally say $30 to be safe), it's likely the site is making a lot of money from advertisers and not having to pay their members, simply because there aren't that many people reaching that minimum.
3. Other people say it's a scam. I don't go crazy with research when I find a new site, but I will check on forums to see if anyone else has experience with it. I also generally go to google and search "[site name] scam" to see if anything comes up. If you do google searches like I do, make sure you actually read the articles that come up. Some people will say a site is a scam, when others say the same site is legit and has paid them. This is usually just because the first person didn't put enough time into it, or didn't read the rules and got booted for some reason (and then got angry and complained in their blog). Read over whatever you find and make your own educated decision. This is another area where sites like myLot can help. Because it's a paid-to-post site, a lot of people on there are looking for the same oportunites you are. So many of them will have heard of and/or tried out whatever site you're looking at, and can therefore give you their opinion on it.
4. The "testimonials" sound fake. There are now programs out that will make fake testimonials for you, because people have figured out how valuable testimonials are to their business. Sites like PrizeRebel (sorry, it's my favourite, if you haven't guessed) have realistic, believeable testimonials... many others have crazy, over the top success stories. Again, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
I'm sure I'll come up with more later, but these are the main ones.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
