Grifters punt 'get rich quick' scams at Facebook users Grifters are using Facebook to lend credibility to an elaborate get rich quick scam designed to trick punters into handing over credit card details. The ruse begins with an ad on Facebook touting an offer to "get paid for posting links – Google will pay you great money for doing this". Users who respond to the come-on by …
And out of curiosity to see what slant they were putting on this scam this time.
The landing page which said about people making money from Google made me laugh heartily.
There have been similar get rich quick scams and schemes on the internet since day one.
Mostly the 'make money' bit relates to fleecing other saps.
This type of scam should be given its own name like the 419 scams. However any muppet who gave card details has no sympathy from me. Social networking has helped keep people in the ignorance they love by allowing them to post everything online...
A fool and his money are easily parted!!!
It's hard to feel sorry for the greedy. You feel a little sorry for those that send money for love, and considerably more sorry for those that think they're donating to charity.
One of the earliest lessons I got from my parents was that you don't get something for nothing.
One of the earliest lessons I picked up from the internet (by applying Common Sense, I might add, not falling for them) was that ANY "job" that starts off by wanting money *FROM* you is a scam.
Who'd send credit card details to someone they don't know, PAYING to earn money? That doesn't even make sense!
So yeah. I'll save my pity for the deserving.
Are all a load of fucking shite. These have been running on the site since I first signed up to it nearly 2 months ago.
The site initially takes that payment, but if you read the small print you're agreeing for them to take a load more after 14 days or something.. The fact they let this go on is sickening. All this on top of the Privacy policy tosh...
Are annoying in the least.
If anyone had an ounce (or should that be 28.3495231 grams?) of sense would notice that this is a scam.
Notice that somewhere along the site chain there appears to be a smarmy slick-haired white middle class Merkin with a wide smile proclaiming how he makes $50k a month posting links.
Riiiiiiiiight.
Fools and money!
Lab icon for the ounce conversion.
It's inexcusable that Facebook has not removed these ads.
HOWEVER, this is yet another example of an important difference between the online and offline worlds. History has shown that trying to track down and prosecute online criminals is usually futile, thanks to the huge scale and anonymous and global nature of the 'net. The same factors allow us the freedom we all enjoy online. So instead, the onus must be on the user to educate themselves, protect themselves, and use common sense. If users were to stop clicking bad links, falling for scams, and trying to grab bargains from spam e-mails, the criminals would be bled dry. Let's start laying more blame on users, no?
Facebook advertising can be paid for in two ways - per impression or per clickthrough. I don't think there's a way of telling if an advert is one or the other, but I suspect these are per clickthrough with a high click bid, to try to get in front of as many eyeballs as possible at minimum cost.
So - simple answer - click on as many of them as you can. When the advertisers behind them realise that they are losing money on the ads, they'll stop paying for them.
Technically you could say this is click fraud, but it's certainly no worse than what the advertisers are doing, illegal or not.
@jeremy and all
"This type of scam should be given its own name like the 419 scams. However any muppet who gave card details has no sympathy from me. Social networking has helped keep people in the ignorance they love by allowing them to post everything online..."
I agree. There's a lot of people out there desperate for any form of human contact or recognition, hence these anti-social networking sites that prey on these children. I don't understand what's the appeal. Oh wait it's probably something like
"I don't have many friends in real life but I have 1,000 MySpace friends!! Goody-goody gumdrops! I'm so popular!!"
And @AC 03:54
"User + Facebook account = numpty"
That's a universal formula. Facebook could be a variable replaceable by MySpace, IM, IRC, etc.
Turn off the computer and get a life. Maybe you'll actually get some much needed sun and excercise to help your pasty complexion and that planet-like waistline.
I signed up for this EMillionaire program but clicking on this Facebook ad and then followed through to pay the membership fees of $197 for the program.
I DID get a user name and password for their member site which DOES have some useful information on how to use Google Ad Words with "landing pages" to earn marketing click through monies and CPA monies online.
So... it is not really a ruse as some may think. However, saying that, the program is NOT worth the money they are charging and they still charge $39.95 per month. The fellow that is running this business is named Brock Felt. I am not totally sure it is not "somewhat fraudulent" as I have asked for a full refund of all monies paid and they have promised same within 5-7 days. It has been 6 days so I will wait one more to be certain.
They are using a 1-800-309-6980 number for a company calling themselves, "productcustomersupport.com" - this company is really dodgey to work with so far but I do think, after receiving emails from Brock Felt and shannon@emillionaire.com, they may be a real company who just are not very organized.
I will try to update you all asap.
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