Job security
When the US tightened internet gambling laws back in 2006, this spelled bad news not only for the millions of casino-loving people who lived nowhere near the bright lights of Las Vegas, but online gaming houses and credit card companies too.
So, cyber casinos started looking elsewhere to generate income, given that a significant proportion of their revenue was tied-up in the US market.
In this case, the global translation industry did exceptionally well as online casinos began looking for non-English speaking cash to make up the shortfall.
And a similar situation looks set to arise with the credit crunch too, with many companies now forced to look for opportunities elsewhere in the non-English speaking world.
The upshot of this, if you hadn’t guessed it already, is that many more companies will need to invest in translation services as they seek to build business relationships in new and emerging markets.
In the open-all-hours age of the internet, language is one of the few remaining barriers left in creating a true global village. And unless everybody agrees to speak a single international language, it’s fair to say that translation is one of the safer professions to be in.
How to become a translator
Assuming you’ve studied a language and are ‘fluent’ in a foreign tongue, you are in a fairly strong starting position to become a translator.
Contrary to what many people think, however, this – in itself – isn’t enough. To provide convincing translations, you need first-hand knowledge of the culture of that language which is why most translators will only ever translate INTO their native language from a language in which they are fluent.
Language fluency is a necessary but not sufficient condition for successful employment as a translator. There are a number of courses available for those who wish to become qualified translators, and the American Translators Association (ATA) is a good starting point for those seeking accreditation in translating or interpreting.
On top of this, specializing in another subject area will give you a distinct advantage. Many professional translators are also graduates in law, mathematics, engineering or any number of other subjects. Their subject-specific experience will put them in a strong position with translation companies that carry out a lot of work for those particular industries.
The life of a translator
Having done all the hard work, and passed your exams, you need to know what to expect from a career as a professional translator.
Given the fluctuating demands for language combinations, many translation companies only have a handful of in-house translators, covering the more common languages such as French, Italian, German and Spanish (FIGS). This means that the vast majority of translators work on a freelance basis.
From a lifestyle point of view, this is great as you have the freedom to work where you want, when you want and for whom you want. All you really need is a networked computer, email address and you’re good to go.
Many translation companies work with freelance translators on a collaborative basis, which is a win-win situation for both parties; the freelancer gets work, while the translation company can work with a number of translators, having a wider selection to choose from, enabling them to match the right translator with the job in hand.
The one major downside to life as a freelance translator – and this is true for every self-employed person working from home – is that there is no cast-iron guarantee of work. The onus is very much on you to proactively seek the work.
But freelance translators usually work with several translation agencies simultaneously, meaning work can come in thick and fast from multiple directions, so it is important to register with as many companies as possible to ensure you have a regular influx of work.
Furthermore, freelance translation can be a lonely profession, involving sitting at a computer all day with little physical interaction with the outside world. But this is ideal for some people and if you like nothing more than to put your favorite music on and get ‘lost in translation’, then it can be a very good career move.
So, if you like being your own boss and having the freedom to pick and choose who you work for, how much work you do and how often, then freelance translation is the way to go.
© Lingo24
About Lingo24
Lingo24 is a global translation company with operations in four continents covering every industry sector. They have an international network of over 4,000 freelance translators.
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My latest investigation is on a popular craft assembly program, Disciple’s Cross™. I had seen their ads all over the Internet and since I get so many questions about craft assembly companies, I thought it a perfect fit for an investigation.
Overview…
For me, craft assembly is one of those things that I lump in with “data entry” and “envelope stuffing”. When I get an email from someone wanting to know if there are any legitimate ones, I usually discourage them from pursuing it. Typically, you pay for a kit, assemble the products and then send them back for approval and payment. What happens most of the time is that your work is rejected because they do not meet their impossibly high standards. BUT, I’d seen a lot of posts on bulletin boards about Disciple’s Cross™ and that people were actually making money with this.
So, I responded to one of the ads that I saw and ordered a kit. Here’s what’s happened so far..
Make Disciple’s Crosses™
Work from home. Make up to $2000
a month. No Selling Required!
I could sure use an extra $2000 a month. I wonder how many crosses I have to make to earn that much. Let’s see what the website says….
At the top of the page it says, “Who else wants to make $2000 a month?” yet further down on the main page it says:
“By becoming a Disciple’s Cross™ Producer, you could earn up to $500 or more each week when you follow my simple instructions.”
and
“Our Guaranteed Buy Back Program ensures that you never have to leave the comfort of your home to earn a healthy income. When you send in your finished crosses, I will pay you $1.25 for each cross that meets our quality standards, plus an additional $1.00 each for material reimbursement. I will also send you up to $5.00 per unit of 50 as reimbursement for your mailing expenses. In order to control my inventory and avoid unethical sweat-shop operations, I limit the number of units to eight units of 50 per week, per producer (400 crosses). This gives you the ability to earn up to $500 in pure profit.”
Full 30-Day Money Back Guarantee – We’ve taken out all the risk. If for any reason you decide Disciples Cross™ isn’t for you, just send your starter kit back within 30 days and I’ll buy it back from you at the full purchase price.
This does not include the shipping fees.There is a telephone number given at the website, which is a good sign. What I didn’t find was a legal terms page. This could also be a good thing if they don’t feel the need to cover themselves with lots of legal mumbo-jumbo.
So I read their FAQ’s. Here are some of the highlights:
Q. Is there a money-back guarantee? A. Yes, we have a generous 30 day money-back guarantee. If you decide within 30 days of receiving your Starter Kit that this ministry & business isn’t for you, you are welcome to return it for any reason prior to the submission of your test unit and I will buy it back from you for the purchase price.
Q. Will you reimburse the cost of the starter kit to me in full?
A. Yes! Once you have had eight units of crosses accepted (400 total crosses that pass inspection – about one week’s worth of work, if you do this full-time), you will be reimbursed the full cost of your starter kit.
Q. What if I want to keep them and sell them myself?
A. Go for it. You are not required to send any of your Disciple’s Cross™ necklaces to us. You are welcome to sell some or all of them yourself for a higher profit. You are still required to purchase your materials from Disciple’s Cross™ and take advantage of our volume purchases and our multitude of colors.
Q. Are your specifications unrealistically high or do you accept most of the crosses that are sent in?
A. Great question. There are scams out there where it is almost impossible to meet the given quality standards, and therefore it is difficult to get paid. That is not the case with Disciple’s Cross™. Your starter kit includes a professionally produced instructional video tape that shows you, step by step, exactly what you need to do to pass our inspection. Just follow our instructions and you will be paid for your work.
If, for some reason, we must return some of your crosses, we will also send you a quality control checklist with a detailed explanation so that you can easily adjust your technique to avoid the same mistakes in the future. We accept and pay for the majority of the crosses that are sent in to us.
Q. Is this a shady business or a scam?
A. I don’t mind addressing this question directly because it is only natural to be cautious. Actually, this is the most honest and up front home-based business that you will probably find out there. We pay you well to make a quality product that people want. Unfortunately, no one is able to prove their honesty before you get involved with them. But what I can do is tell you exactly who I am, why I am offering this opportunity, and then give you my phone number so you can do your due diligence. I am the senior pastor of New Horizon Christian Fellowship in Slidell, Louisiana and certainly cannot afford to jeopardize my reputation by running a scam. This is much more than a business to us, it is first and foremost a ministry. Take a look at some of the testimonies that come in on a regular basis.
Q. What’s the down side if I decide this opportunity isn’t for me?
A. It is important to me that you have absolutely no down side. That’s why we’ve made it completely risk free. Think about it this way: I’m giving you a 30-day money back guarantee plus I will reimburse you the cost of the starter kit after you turn in your eighth unit for payment. So what it boils down to is that you get your money back if you like it or you get your money back if you don’t like it. Either way you are getting a refund of the price of your starter kit. I would love to send you the starter kit free to begin with but people would take unfair advantage of me.
There are some testimonials at the site…
Every one of these are from people who sell the crosses that they make rather than sending them in. Hmmm….It makes my wonder why there are no testimonials from people who send in their crosses for payment.
Ok, so on May 26th, I placed my order. The cost was $69.95. I received my kit on June 5th- just over a week, not too bad.
In my kit is the following:
- An instructional DVD.
- 3 sets of colored wire (3 different lengths).
- A bundle of what is called simulated leather neck cord.
- A box of nails.
- A box of little ziplock bags, paperclips, tags and the little plastic loops to tie them on with.
- A square of wood.
- A finished necklace, tagged and bagged (as an example).
- An autographed picture of John Raymond? Um….ok.
Not included is the clear-coat polyurethane that I’ll need (this was made pretty clear at the site). So, I head into town to pick that up.
I pop in the DVD, spread out my materials and get ready to make some crosses!
First is an intro by John Raymond. He goes into the history of the crosses and the significance of the various parts. He tells me that he can make 12 crosses in an hour.
He explains that I can send my crosses in through the buy back program, but he really makes it sound better to sell them on my own.
He tells me the tools I’m going to need, so I stop the video and head into the garage to raid my husband’s toolbox. I’m going to need a pair of 10″ vicegrip pliers and a pair of 5″ needle nose pliers. Not a problem. He also suggests 3 other tools, but I don’t have those but I do have the first 2 so I’ll work with those. These are the 2 types you must have, the others are recommended, but not required.
Now we’re getting to the good stuff. John’s going to make one of the crosses himself so we can time how long it takes him. He talks while he’s making it and it looks fairly easy. It ends up taking him 4 minutes and 17 seconds. That means that he can make about 14 of them per hour. He explains that next he will make another one while explaining each step. Then, he’ll do it again with the camera zoomed in.
After John’s demo, he makes another one while explaining each step. Since I’m pretty impatient, I make one along with him. Right away, I see that I’m going to need a measuring tape, so I stop the DVD and go get that.
You have to use the pliers to bend the nails. You use the wooden board to press down on. The first 2 are bent at a 90 degree angle and it’s not that hard. The next set was bent at 90 degrees first and then you have to bend the tops to make little loops. It was a bit of a challenge to get the nails into the pliers so that they are perfectly lined up and so that you have a good grip. Still, it wasn’t that hard. It was hard to see what he was doing and I had to keep getting up to look closely at the screen. Remember, he said that he was going to make another one with close-up shots, so this bit was my own fault. I should have waited to make mine with the next one.
Now comes the wire wrapping. This was the hardest part. You have to wrap the wire really, really tight and there can’t be any spaces in between the rows of wire. This was the hardest part for me. I had to unwrap it and start over. You also have to cut the wire and use the pliers to rub out the rough end without scarring the wire on the front. This is hard! I wondered if I couldn’t use a dab of nail polish to disguise my scratches….
Now I had a finished cross and just needed to attach the cord and the tag and bag my necklace. While I thought this would be the easiest part, it wasn’t. I couldn’t see how to make the knot at all, no matter how close I got so I just fast forwarded to the closeup part for this. Also, I think that John is left handed, so everything he was doing looked backwards to me.
Ok, I’ve got my neckace completely done, tagged and bagged. I had started the DVD at 9am. With watching the intro and everything, it was now 10:40. I decided to make another cross with the closeups and see how long it took.
It was definitely easier following along with this part of the DVD. I could see a lot better. My second cross came out quite a bit better than the first one, but I know it wouldn’t have met the requirements if I had sent it in for payment. It took me about 12 minutes.
There is another step to making the crosses that we didn’t do in the first 2 examples. You have to dip the crosses in the clear coat and allow them to dry for 15-20 minutes before putting the cord on. Actually, you have to put 2 coats on and after the second coat you let them dry for a couple of hours. You dip them and then use the paper clips to hang them up to dry. You have to wipe away any drips that accumulate at the bottom.
After I made my first 2 crosses, my hands were pretty sore. I think that I would get used to it after a while, but I can’t imagine someone with arthritis being able to do this.
I’ll be working on more crosses and sending them in to see if they get accepted. I’m also going to try selling them locally to see if it’s as easy as the testimonials say… In my next issue I’ll have an update on how this worked out. In the meantime, I found a fascinating thread at a discussion board that I want you to read. Make sure you read the whole thread, it’s very informative. Click Here To Read It.
Ok, I gave up on making the crosses myself. I gave them to a friend who said that she and some friends from her church would finish them for me. Well, they never did because they were just too hard to make with good enough quality. I’d love to get my money back for the kit but here’s the problem with that…the return policy states that they will be happy to refund my money when I’ve made “400 total crosses that pass inspection – about one week’s worth of work, if you do this full-time”. I think we both know that it would be impossible for me to do this within 30 days– and I’m sure they know it too.
In the meantime, I’ve spent a lot of time researching others’ experiences with them. They all say pretty much one of two things:
- Either they sent them in and few to none were accepted by the company due to “failure to meet quality standards”. The company then suggests that they try to sell them locally. They gave up because they didn’t want to have to find places to sell them.
- Or, they learned that it was better to focus on making and selling the crosses themselves at local craft fairs or on consignment. This seems to be the only way that you can really make any money with them. I did meet a few people who were making decent money by taking this route.
I fee that while this is not an outright scam, the company’s advertising is very misleading. They lure you in with the idea that you can make the crosses, send them in and get paid.
Let’s take another look at the ad:
Make Disciple’s Crosses™
Work from home. Make up to $2000
a month. No Selling Required!
It becomes clear later (after your crosses have been rejected) that the company really only wants to sell the kits. They actually encourage you to sell the crosses on your own. So, in reality it’s all about selling.
If you’re interested in starting a business where you’re making the crosses and then you sell them at craft fairs, etc. then it may be a way to make some extra money. I think that until you got really good at making the crosses though, it would hardly be worth the time and effort it would take.
Personally, I find it reprehensible that someone who is supposed to be a “man of God” is operating in this underhanded way to make money. Did I mention that he was on Survivor? I guess that explains the autographed picture that is included with the starter kit…
Remember in the FAQ’s at the website he says, “This is much more than a business to us, it is first and foremost a ministry.” I don’t see it that way. He’s out to make money, period.
Tags: investigations, Scams, work at home, work at home jobs
Often, in the course of researching, I visit some of the main job posting sites. Recently I came across a very interesting ad posted on one of them. It interested me because it was an administrative position and I know that type of job is rare indeed. So, I thought I’d check it out. The ad was for an “Applications Processor”. The job duties sounded pretty simple (which is one of the reasons that I chose to investigate it, employers don’t typically hire people to perform the most basic of tasks).
Admin Jobs US Inc. currently seeking applicants for a variety of administrative positions. Several positions open for application/ new account associates to assist with processing applications/reviewing resumes for new clients. All positions offer flexible hours and great pay. Qualified candidates should have
strong clerical and computer skills, good references, and ability to work with minimal supervision. Serious applicants should send resume or cover letter.
Ability to telecommute.
This clearly sounds like a job, where you are required to send a resume and compete with other applicants for the position. It was also listed in an Admin/Office Jobs category, again implying that it is an actual job.
I sent a response and intentionally did not follow the instructions in the listing.
I sent no resume or cover letter and my response was vague and unprofessional. Here is what I sent:
From: sharon davis
Sent: August 02, 2009 7:52 PM
To: apply@thisisnottherealdomain.net
Subject: Admin Jobs NowI’m very interested in this position. Please send details.
I believe I am fully qualified.
By responding in such an unprofessional way, I knew if I received a response that either:
A. This was not a job at all and I was about to be asked to pay a fee. Or…
B. These people were not only desperate, but complete idiots.
Two days later, I received a response!!
Hi,
Thank you for contacting Admin Jobs US regarding our positions.
We are currently seeking individuals for the position of application
processors to assist with opening new accounts. This position
requires the ability to screen applicants, resumes, and process
their enrollment applications.To become an application processor for our clerical and marketing
group, it is important that you be an individual who is self-
motivated and who can work well with minimal supervision. You
would need internet access and a valid e-mail address where you
will receive the applications to process from your home office.You can work full or part time, however; it is recommended that
you be willing to process applications for at least 10 hours a
week. If you are looking for a job with flexibility, and a good
income, this is the opportunity for you.WHAT OTHERS HAD TO SAY:
“This is the best job I’ve ever had, I earned over $120 in my
first day working!”
- Jen, NM“I just wanted a part time job while I stayed home to raise my
kids. This offered the hours I needed, and has provided far more
of an income than I ever anticipated!”
- Samantha, MECOMPENSATION:
You will be compensated $20 for every completed application you
process. For example; if you process 30 applications in a week,
you will make $600.00 weekly. The amount of money that you earn
is entirely up to you, it depends on the amount of time and effort
you choose to put forth. The average person makes $200.00-$400.00
per week.TRAINING:
The e-book you will receive will give you step-by-step instructions
on how to get started and we are always available to help when
you have questions. When you receive your training materials, you
may begin working the very same day. Your e-book to get you started
will arrive via your e-mail within the next business day. This is
an outstanding opportunity to work from your home office while
bringing in a nice income, setting your own hours, and most of all
–being your own boss.METHOD OF PAYMENT:
You will receive your pay through Paypal, which can be then trans-
ferred into your own checking or savings account. Instead of weekly
or bi-weekly payments, you will be paid each time you completely
process an application.There is a one-time non-refundable fee to purchase the e-book to
get you started in this position and to ensure that only serious
individuals accept this position– not just those who desire to
satisfy their own curiosity. However, you will make back this fee
after processing your first application and most people recoup this
initial fee within their first day of working. There will be no
other charges to you, ever. Our e-book will also connect you with a
variety of other job opportunities that can be accomplished from
your home office on flex time. This is an excellent position with
huge potential for motivated and reliable individuals.RISK FREE MONEY BACK GUARANTEE: If you follow the training we
provide you and do not recoup the registration fee within 7 days
we will refund to you the registration fee.If you’re serious about this position and want to get started
earning money from home today, you can complete your registration
fee of $19.99 by clicking below, and your login information will
be e-mailed to you by the next business day. Don’t miss out on
this outstanding opportunity to accept this position and start
processing requests today! Just click the paypal logo to get started!Thanks again for contacting us, we look forward to working with you!
Thanks for contacting us,
Barbara Whiles-Barnett
Employment Consultant
Admin Jobs US, LLC
Oh my…where should I begin? There are so many red flags here. Let’s start with the compensation. It is now clear to me that the “applications” that they are talking about are the inquiries to the very same ad that I responded to. In other words, it looks like I will be placing the same ad and then sending this same response out.
The next major problem is the “registration fee”. I shouldn’t have to tell you that there shouldn’t ever be a fee to apply for a job and they even use the old, “we need to make sure that you are serious about the job” but aside from that there are several contradictions on the refund policy. First they state that there is “a one-time non-refundable fee to purchase the e-book”. In the very next paragraph it says, “RISK FREE MONEY BACK GUARANTEE: If you follow the training we provide you and do not recoup the registration fee within 7 days we will refund to you the registration fee.”
Well, which is it? Non-refundable or RISK FREE MONEY BACK GUARANTEE? I’m just sure I’ll be finding that out.
Ok, I’ll be really dense here and go ahead and pay the “registration fee”.
Yep, just as I suspected. It turns out that it was option A: This is an ad placing scheme. The entire training package is basically a manual for how to place the same ad that I responded to and then to sell the “training package” to them. There is no job, just a self-perpetuating scam to earn $20 bucks a pop.
Honestly, I don’t know how these people sleep at night.
Whenever I see an ad for “typing”, “administrative work” or “data entry” this is what I assume it is. While there are companies out there that offer legitimate data entry jobs, they generally don’t advertise their openings online. Hopefully this report will help you to spot them so that you won’t waste your time or your money. Oh, and by the way I was of course unable to get a refund and will have to pursue it through PayPal. Big surprise!
Tags: home based jobs, investigations, Scams, telecommute jobs, work at home jobs
I’ve been offered a dream job as an Account Rep for a reputable charity foundation! And for at least $4000 a month to boot! Sounds great, huh? Well, I thought I’d better do some checking and here’s what I found…
I received a job offer via email (always a bad sign, have you ever gotten a job that way?) and it looked too good to be true so I decided it should be the subject of my next investigation.
From: DR.RICHARD MILLER To: support@2work-at-home.com Sent: July 18, 2009 12:05 PM Subject: lucrative job offer Hello , Hope this message meets you in great spirit. Firstly,i would like to congratulate you on this offer.I viewed your profile and hereby decided to offer you a job of an Account Rep of our firm in which you will earn at least $4000 per month. This is a very limited offer in which I will require your immediate response.I will be hoping to hear from You soon,since its a job that can enable you to work from home. You'll also stand the chances of being a part of our future and the excellence of a CHARITY FOUNDATION in which you will be highly appreciated. Thanks and God bless. Hope to hear from you soon. Dr.Richard Miller Medical Director ActionAid International www.actionaid.org.uk
As you can see, the message was from a “Dr. Richard Miller”. Very impressive. Even more impressive was what jumped out at once from the email: I says that I will earn “at least $4000 per month”. I will earn, not I could earn or I may make up to... Wow! That sounds great! It also sounds like I’ve already got the job 
Another thing I noticed was that I would be working for a charity. That makes them seem legitimate doesn’t it? Unfortunately I also noticed the many errors throughout the email such as the improper capitalization, incorrect spacing and the use of the word “firstly”. These are mistakes that I would not expect to see from a doctor.
Since there was a website given in the email I took at look at that first. It definitely appears to be a legitimate charity foundation. I decided to contact the company to verify the job offer. Here is what I sent:
From: Sharon Davis [mailto:support@2work-at-home.com] Sent: 18 July 2009 20:16 To: Supporter Services Subject: Job Offer email from your organization Hello, I received an email from someone claiming to be with your organization. It was a job offer. I've pasted a copy of the email below. Can you please verify the identity of this person. Thank you, -- Sharon Davis, Editor 2 W O R K - A T - H O M E .com
While I waited for a response I decided to see whether this “job” was posted on their job offers section. Take a look at the notice posted there. This is what is posted there:
HOAX JOB OFFER EMAIL WARNING
ActionAid is issuing a warning over poorly-written hoax emails claiming to offer the recipient a job with ActionAid. The emails request personal information and discuss wire transfers and working as an ‘Account Representative’ and ask the recipient to reply to a Yahoo, AOL or Gmail email address.
The next day, I received this email from ActionAid:
From: Supporter Services To: Sharon Davis Cc: report-phishing-email Sent: July 19, 2009 3:00 AM Subject: RE: Job Offer email from your organization Dear Ms Davis, Unfortunately as suspected this is indeed a scam email. I have forwarded it to our IT department in order that they can investigate further. Kind regards Debbie Baker Development Team Administrator ActionAid
So, as it turn out this is yet another way that unethical people are using real organizations to make them appear legitimate. Their goal is to obtain your personal information for identity theft and/or use you to help them do illegal wire transfers.
Remember: If you participate in illegal wire transfering or money laundering, even if you don’t know it’s illegal, you can still be sent to jail and held responsible for the stolen money.
Tags: home based jobs, investigations, Scams, work at home jobs
There seems to be no end to the shady job offers for me to delve into. This time, I received a job offer via email that was ambiguously described as “transaction operations and customer service”. I responded and here’s what happened…
I decided to research this job offer because I have been receiving more and more of them lately and they are all very similar. In fact, I received two of these in the same day. Interestingly, one was addressed to and from a Sharon with a different last name and the other was addressed to and from a Roy with a different last name (Roy is my husband’s name). It certainly looked suspicious (how often do you get legitimate job offers via email out of the blue from total strangers?). I had some ideas about what this was really about. Let’s see if I was right.
From: sharon.c.someone To: sharon.someoneelse Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 1:34 AM Subject: part time position for USA resident Hello! Our company is looking for dynamic individuals to be responsible for the area of transaction operations, customer service. This job requires punctuality, good organizational skills and some computer skills with microsoft office programs. We have started recruitment of new sales represetatives whose work includes distribution of funds received for sold items and paying fees to the suppliers. many customers prefer to receive money for the product we purchase from them through fast payment systems using their empowered person's assistance so our represetative's work requires receiving and sending send such payments. When we sell something sales represetative receives the payment from our customer and the main task for agent is to forward the funds to our representative via bank transfer. These procedures let us to gain the main advantage over our competitors. Our financial manager will be able to handle the payments in many states all over the USA significantly accelerating the whole payment process. This work is rather simple but sales representative should be very honest and responsible person. It will take just few hours per day several times per week. The salary is calculated on percent basis. Sales representative receives transaction fee, that commonly is 5% of each successfully forwarded payment. The salary can be retrieved immediately after the payment has been sent agent's account. Average sales represetative's salary is $1500-2500. This job would take 10-15 hours a week. If you wish to join our team you should just let us know sending an email to: support@bagolution.info and you will be sent an application form shortly. You should fill the form and send back to us. Your application form will be examined within few business days and you will receive our decision after that. Usually we do not decline and give a chance to everyone to try this occupation with the only exclusion if we find unsettled debts in your credit history or criminal records. we highlight security questions because big amount are usually sent. if you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to: employment@bagolution.info with word 'vacancy' specified in subject field.
One thing I noticed is something that is common to many scams: Awkward grammar. This is always a bad sign. Also, the whole thing just doesn’t make any sense. With international banking being what it is, there should be no reason for a third party to have to get involved to take a company’s payments for them. It looks like this is a money laundering scheme or an identity theft scam. Only one way to find out…
I sent an inquiry and within 12 hours received a response:
Hello! please fill out an application form attached to this email, scan it and email it back. Application processing usually takes one business day and, after positive decision, you will receive an employment agreement to sign. Have a great day! Truly Yours, Deputy Director Oleg
Click here to see the “application”.
This is a pretty lengthy application and at first glance it looks like this might be a real job. But then I notice that it asks for your Social Security number as well as your driver’s license number. Once they have that, they have your identity.
Just kidding. Of course I won’t. I may as well include my bank account information if I did that. I wonder how many people fall for this though. At least I know that you won’t be one of them.
Tags: home based jobs, investigations, Scams, work at home jobs
Have you ever received a job offer from a complete stranger, right in your email box? I did!
I received an email saying that I could become an Email Processor for $500 per week. I didn’t want to miss out on this blatant scam great job, so I responded right away. Here’s what it was all about….
The subject line of the message was “Earn $500 per week working as an E-Mail Processor!”
Here’s what was in the message:
Earn $300.00 – $500.00 per week working at home processing E-mails. We are seeking only honest, self-motivated people with a desire to work in the home typing and data entry field, from the comfort of their own homes. The preferred applicants should be at least 18 years old with Internet access. No experience is needed.
However the following skills are desirable
Basic computer and typing skills
Ability to follow instructionsRequirements:
Computer with Internet access
Valid email address
Basic typing skills
Basic Internet knowledgeIf you fit the above description and meet the requirements please apply at:
Please only SERIOUS applicants.
There was an email address, so I sent a letter of interest.
An hour or so later, I was delighted to get a response. I was hopeful that I had been hired because after all, it said no experience required. I work online for a living, so let’s face it I am overqualified for this job!
Here was the response:
Hi Sharon,
Nice to see your mail. The job you enquired about is a legitimate work which can be done sitting at your home, and is offered World Wide. It is very simple and easy job where you will be processing the e-mails which are sent to your account and the payment is done directly to your online account (like Pay pal, Storm pay or E-gold) or to your local bank account. You will be paid $15 – $20 per each assignment. You can easily make around $300 – $500 per week depending upon the amount of time you spend .There are only few positions available for this job as we are selecting people who come on first come basis. The training materials are sent to you directly to your account and you can start the work the same day once you receive the materials. And the amount of time you work is entirely up to you. The most interesting thing about this program is you need not wait for the companies to pay you till the end of the month as you receive the payment for each application you process. If you are serious about the job we request you to visit the site below: http://www.nottherealwebsite.com/folder/index.html
Please copy the address given above and paste it in a new page in order to view it. And if you have any further queries please write to us at companyxyz@somesite.com
Thanking You,
XYZ Associates.
The first thing I noticed was the title of the website: Type at home, make money through data entry
I thought this was a job as an Email Processor? The email said nothing about data entry or typing. As you all know based on my previous investigations, data entry/typing jobs are one of the biggest scams around. If this weren’t an investigation, I would run fast right now. But for posterity, I will continue.
The first paragraph is:
DEDICATED MEMBERS REQUIRED FOR A HOME BASED DATA ENTRY WORK ABOUT THE DATA ENTRY WORK
Home Based Data Entry Position is a great opportunity for stay at home moms, dads or anyone who wants to work in the comfort of your own home. Work at home online at your comfortable time and With this you can generate enormous income for your needs. There’s no calling stranger or stuffing envelopes as in other home based jobs. No taking surveys or anything like that, just a legit way to make money using your computer at home.
These Home Data Entry Positions should earn *$300.00 – $500.00 per week depending on your hard work. We are seeking only honest, self-motivated people with a desire to work in the home typing and data entry field, from the comfort of their own homes.
There are spelling and grammatical errors (this from someone who is supposed to be hiring you to type accurately for them). The next part is a repeat of the “requirements”.
Training: The training materials will be sent to you once you fix up your mind and decide to work which will give you step by step instructions on how to get started. After you receive your training materials you may begin working the very same day. YOU WILL RECEIVE YOUR TRAINING MATERIALS VIA YOUR E-MAIL. This work from home opportunity is totally legitimate and how successful you are once again only depends on the time and effort you put forth on your end. There is no special software required for this position.
Payments:
You will be paid *$10 – $20 for each application you process. For example; if you process 30 applications in a week you will make *$300.00 – $600.00 weekly. The amount of money that you earn is entirely up to you, it depends on the amount of time and effort you choose to put forth. The average person makes $300 – $500 per week. You will be responsible for keeping track of your earnings for tax time, as we do NOT take out any taxes and that is entirely your responsibility.Method of Payment:
You will receive your pay through Paypal, Strompay or E-gold depending on your choice. You are not going to be paid on a weekly basis, you will be paid for each application that you process.
There is a “One Time Non-Refundable Fee” of $ 17.00 only. This cost will cover the training materials sent to you. Once you process your very first order you will have made back this fee “GUARANTEED”!
Please understand that as much as we would like not to charge this small processing fee, we must protect ourselves from those who are not serious about this work at home opportunity.
No business can afford to cover administrative costs, wasted time or provide costly materials to everyone who inquires about this position. This small fee assures us that you are serious about working from home and covers the Training Materials charge as well.
Once you have processed your first application you will have already made back the cost of the Training Materials. When you receive your Training Materials, you may begin working the very same day.Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ)
1) How long is the training?
Most applicants typically complete the training within 24 hours or less. However you can do this at your leisure; take as long or as little time as you would need.2) I don’t live in the USA can I still do the work?
Yes! You can do the work from any part of the World. The only countries we do not offer our services to be: Cuba, and Afghanistan.3) What kind of orders am I processing?
They will vary depending on the type of client you will work with (to be covered in the training materials, but do NOT involve anything illegal or pornographic in nature). Also to process just one order usually takes about 15-20 minutes per order submitted.
Once you have accepted the orders you want to process you will need to respond to process them promptly, so before you accept a task be sure you will follow through as there are deadlines to meet.4) Why is there a Fee?
We have to cover our expenses in recruiting individuals, processing their applications and training you. Compare us to other staffing firms, they take a percentage of your pay for the duration of your employment with their clients. That’s a lot of money! We require a low one time non-refundable fee of $17.00 and no other fees are incurred upon you.
The position for Home Typist requires you to have a computer with email access. You will need this to keep in touch with clients. Printers are not at all required but can be helpful for you to print out important documents and cash revenue. You can begin working full time or part time, the choice is up to you. To work full time simply put more hours into your work and you will have a greater income. You will need minimal typing skills for this position. You will be processing orders from your own computer via your email.The Training Materials give you the step-by-step instructions on how YOU get started. When you receive your Training Materials you may begin working that very same day. Once you have processed your first order you will have already made back the cost of your Training Materials. “YOU WILL BE RECEIVING YOUR TRAINING MATERIALS THROUGH YOUR E-MAIL.”
This work from home opportunity is legitimate and how successful you are only depends on the time and effort you put in. We are here to help you get started and answer any questions that you may have. If you are serious, and are willing to put forth some time and effort, then we look forward to hear from you.
Thank you,
Home Based Data Entry Team
XYZ Associates
I love how they use the classic excuse for why they would charge a fee for something that’s supposed to be a job, “Please understand that as much as we would like not to charge this small processing fee, we must protect ourselves from those who are not serious about this work at home opportunity.”
Let’s see what this “Data Entry Job” really is. I clicked on the PayPal button and was taken to an error page at PayPal saying, “You have requested an outdated version of PayPal”. Not a good sign, but for the purposes of this investigation, I’ll just go to the PayPal main page and make a payment. I paid the $17, and now I wait.
I paid the $17 fee through PayPal. The thing is, my PayPal account is through my work email address, which includes the domain name, 2work-at-home.com. No sooner had I sent the payment, than it was refunded along with this response:
Hi,
Once the vacancies are available we will inform you.
Thank You.
I had the sneaking suspicion that it was because the person saw the email it was from and worried that I was investigating them.
But as clever as it was to immediately refund my money, they don’t know who they’re dealing with! I signed up for a new PayPal account using my personal email address and sent another payment. This one was not refunded (big surprise), however I didn’t receive the “Training Materials” that the website had promised. You may recall this from the website:
“YOU WILL BE RECEIVING YOUR TRAINING MATERIALS THROUGH YOUR E-MAIL.”
The payment was sent on July 9th. On July 15th I emailed them asking for the training materials to be sent. No response. On July 26th I emailed them again. No response. Hmmm…I think I just got scammed!
Companies do not hire people as “Email Processors”. If you see these ads, run. Run far and run fast.
Tags: home based jobs, investigations, Scams, work at home jobs
I recently purchased a work at home directory that said that it had “over 150 businesses hiring home employees”. I downloaded it, looked it over thoroughly and wanted to report my findings.
I saw an ad for a work at home directory that promised that I could make up to $500.00 per week from home. I’ve seen a lot of these on the web, but I’d never purchased one before. My impression has always been that they are just outdated lists of companies that may or may not hire homeworkers.
Here are some highlights from the site:
Discover over 150 businesses hiring home employees. The most comprehensive list of home employment opportunities.
Learn which companies are hiring home employees, what they are looking for, and how much they pay.Yes! It is possible to earn up to $500.00 per week–or more–working right from your home at the pace you choose.
Many companies offer assembly type jobs. Each company is different, but most will send you the required materials along with simple, easy-to-understand directions. You simply do the work at your own pace and return the completed items for payment. Some may require that you supply your own simple tools like a sharp pair of scissors, a glue gun or a screwdriver. If other special tools are needed they are often included in the startup materials you receive from the company. Other companies need both men and women to handle clerical type duties, do computer related work, schedule temporary employees, review medical records, take incoming telephone calls, perform background checks, write reports, process insurance claims, create graphic designs, translate documents and more. The list of things you can do from home to make money goes on and on. Remember many of the jobs require no previous experience.
Examples Of The Type Of Work Available:
Assembly Work: the digest lists products that would appeal to both men and women, such as assembly of:
- Circuit Boards – Many Toys – Artificial Flowers
- Wood Products – Duffel Bags – Baby Bonnets
- Towel Holders – Fishing Lures – Costume Jewelry
- Holiday Decorations – Doll Dresses – Stuffed Animals
Clerical Work: work in this area consist of the following:
- Background Checks – Computer Work – Surveys
- Home Typing – Telephone Polls – Marketing Research
A Sample Of Listings:
- Stencil and Handpaint wooden items and earn up to $238 per week.
- Word processing pays $9 to $13 an hour.
- Earn about $7 an hour to create hand-crafted miniature Southern Belle like hats.
- Make baby burping pads and earn up to $460 weekly.
- Up to $369 weekly making artificial flowers.
- Earn as much as $40 for an opinion survey.
You will find a company that you can work for from home. If not, I will refund you money no questions asked. You’ll have 60 days to look over the directory. If you are not satisfied I will refund your money. You will not be disappointed. Order your copy of The Guide To Home Business and Home Employment Opportunities!
I bought the book and the first page talked not about home employment, but how I can build wealth by brokering the author’s books. I just wanted to do clerical work from home….
The book is 97 pages long.
There are typos and grammatical errors throughout. “If you don’t tell people you have a business they want know you have a business” and “If you can’t find a business in this list then you probably want find one”.
Next there is the table of contents and then an introduction from the author. It explains that there are 3 categories of work at home employment. The first is described as a home business. He explains that this is a business that is based from the home, but the work is done outside of the home such as pest control, appraiser, home inspector, etc. The second he calls a “work at home type business”. These are businesses that are run and conducted completely from the home. The third he says is the individual who works from their home for a company that hires employees. He says that this includes companies that hire for medical transcription, assembly work, clerical and “the list goes on”. He goes on to say that “they are actually paid by the company they perform services for”.
Next he states that if you are looking to start a business, you fall into one of these three categories. That seems to contradict the third description. If a company hires you, that is not a business. He clearly says here and on the sales page at the website that his list contains companies that are hiring clerical workers as employees. That is not starting a business, that is working for a company.
There is an envelope stuffing listing. The website leads to a myspace-like website that has nothing to do with envelope stuffing. Maybe they figured out that there’s no future in it….
A company was listed as hiring home based operators to provide required data input. There is no position like this listed on their career page and telecommuting is not mentioned as a company benefit.
The bulk of the listings are for craft assembly.
The next section is the home business section. Here the author has listed many home business ideas, many with contact information for companies that offer the business opportunity.
Chapter 3 is Businesses for your spare time and a limited budget. Listed are a bed and breakfast and adult day care. While those are both good ideas for a business, they don’t seem like spare time businesses.
Chapter 4 is The Home Business Possibilities are unlimited. This section gives you different categories of businesses and some examples of businesses for each category.
Chapter 5: Home-Based Businesses that Require Nothing But Your Time. This section is about service businesses, where you’re not selling products but getting paid for your time and labor.
Chapter 6: The Number One Spare Room Work From Home Business. This chapter is all about publishing. It ends with the author sellling you his how-to book on how to start a publishing business.
Other chapters are Quick Start Businesses and Computer Businesses.
My first impression is that the advertisement for this directory is misleading. It really doesn’t have listings of companies that actually hire you as an employee. It’s more of a guide to contract work and home businesses. There are many companies listed, however I would question whether or not they are ever updated. It looks like it was slapped together, but there are a lot of companies listed that may be worth looking into. This is all information that would be available to anyone willing to spend the time, but to some it may be worth the $25 to not have to do that.
Tags: Home Business, investigations, work at home, work at home jobs
This month I’ve decided to focus on investigations into work at home ads. I hope my posts will help you to avoid some of the more prevalent scams.
I received an email this morning and I immediately knew what it was. It’s one of those “we’re a financial company and we need you to receive money into your bank account and then transfer it to someone else.” They claim that they will pay you some percentage as a commission. The email was from “Viking Finance, ltd.” and the subject was “Work With Us”. Here’s the email:
If I hadn’t been familiar with this scam, I could see how a person could fall for it. When you go to the website, it appears to be a real company’s website. It’s packed with words like, “equity markets” and “international remittances”. The job title is “Financial manager for cooperation with private individuals”. Sounds pretty official.
Upon closer inspection though, some things are peculiar…
The situation on equity markets changes rapidly these days. Due to this fact many investors, willing to buy stocks and bonds of one or another company simply do not have time to do that at the wishful cost. First of all this is connected with the functioning of a banking system, that cannot guarantee high-speed transactions, especially when we talk about international remittances. Apart from that, recently we have been receiving a great number of applications for our services from executives in the USA, the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Australia, etc. As we are strongly interested to grant the best services and in the shortest dates to overcome all the difficulties that are likely to appear, we decided to establish a vacancy of the financial manager for cooperation with private individuals to deal with the transactions of relatively small amounts of 2000-5000 Euro.
The grammar is really awkward, not what you’d expect from a large financial company.
Here’s the rest of the job description:
Requirements:
- being under 75 years old
- availability of a bank account (or ability to open a new one, especially for the company’s needs)
- E-mail availability
- 2-3 free hours a day
- skills of a PC user
- skills of an Internet user
- self-dependency, responsibility, initiative
- dedication, sociability
The responsibilities of the financial manager for cooperation with private individuals are:
Receiving the payments from the clients (private individuals) to his/her bank account. Withdrawing the funds and transferring the money further to our brokers in one of the countries, where the wanted stocks or bonds should be bought. The transfer should be done by the means of Western Union or Money Gram services. The company covers all the charges for the bank or Western Union/Money Gram transfers.
Such a scheme allows us to shorten payments’ due dates, since the client receives ordered stocks and bonds as soon as You confirm the fact of funds being shown on Your bank account.
One of the main benefits of this vacancy is that it is positioned as a part time job and You are not obliged to spend all the working day dealing with the clients’ transactions. This means that You are not obviously loosing Your main line of business.
To start
In order to apply for the position of a financial manager for cooperation with private individuals, You should fill in an application form available on this web site. After checking Your personal data our personnel department will get in touch with You to discuss the start dates. After several trial transactions, when the management of the company has made sure that You really meet all the requirements above, You will have to e-mail of fax the copy of Your ID, so that the lawyers of the company could draw up a working contract for a suitable for You period of time (approximately 3-12 months) and send it via post to Your place. After You have received the contract and made sure that You are satisfied with all the conditions offered, You should sign that and send the copy back to us.
Salary:
Average salary of a Viking Finance ltd employee on a position of a Financial manager for cooperation with private individuals is 9% out of the amount of every deposit on his/her bank account.
One of the advantages of a position offered is that an employee fixes his earnings himself. This means that the more transactions You accept on Your bank account, the more money You get.
Note the age requirement, which is illegal. Also, if the job is simply to receive money and then transfer it, why do you need to have “dedication and sociability”? Note that they actually use the word “scheme” to describe this job. Freudian slip?
I clicked on the little American flag which takes me to the US application form.
Ms. Ulrika Jaresund, the Manager, on behalf of Viking Finance, ltd, hereinafter referred to as the Employer, on the one hand, and Ms. Ulrika Jaresund, the Manager, on behalf of Viking Finance, ltd, hereinafter referred to as the Employer, on the one hand, and __________ hereinafter referred to as the Employee, on the other hand, have concluded the present Contract on the following: SUBJECT OF THE CONTRACT
The Employee is hired by the Employer as a Financial Manager for cooperation with the private clients of Viking Finance, ltd. and the Employee is obliged to perform the services set forth by the present Contract. In the scope of the present Contract the Employee shall put his efforts to accelerating financial operations and supporting prompt delivery of orders, while the Employer shall pay a certain sum of money for the rendered service and cover all related fees and charges.
The rest of the contract is asking for my name, address, phone number, telephone and then we get to the good stuff…. Next is my social security number and then my bank account information. They want the name of my bank, the type of account and the account number. Guess what they’ll do with my information? You got it, identity theft.
This person probably spent a day putting together the website and creating the email and now all they have to do is blast out their email and wait for the ones who don’t know any better to fill out their “contract”.
The good news for you is that you will never have to fall for this scam because now you know better!
Tags: Scams, work at home
As you recall in my last post, I had questions about their refund policy and wanted some clarification before paying the $97. I never heard back from them. Now, if I weren’t investigating this company I would certainly not pursue it. But, since I want to complete my investigation I will go ahead and register.
July 18th: Tried to register and got this message:
“I’m afraid your registration was not successful. Please click here to try again”
I emailed the site owner. He responded, “I am not sure why are you unable to register. …I do accept Money Orders or Cash.”
I finally got it to go through. On the receipt page (which is usually all about thanking you for your business), there was this weird bit:
This transaction is being logged with your unique IP address and this page is confirmation you have received this product. We work closely with your bank and various agencies involved with the prevention and investigation of online credit card fraud. To date we have prosecuted 9 individuals.
Customer authentication (all network access is logged).
I just don’t understand this at all. I just paid them $97 and became a customer and the first thing they do is make vague threatening statements to me? Weird.
On that page it said that my credit card would be billed by “ABCMedia”. Now that I’ve logged into the member’s area, it says I will be billed by “SOMEOTHERCOMPANY.com”. The company name and logo is different here. It’s a completely different name.
This is from the member’s area. It’s really strange.
First thing I want you to realize is that you can make as much money as you want on the internet or any other venture you put your mind to. If you have the drive inside of you to stop messing around and put your mind to this, you will be pulling in profits in no time. But I want you to know that you cannot sit back and expect someone else to do it for you.
You must stick to your guns and make wise decisions at all times. If and when you make a mistake, you must learn from it and never make the same mistake again. If you don’t, and quit after your first mistake you will never get anywhere and you will blame everyone else but yourself for your situation.
I really don’t know what the point of that is. This is supposed to be an easy typing job, so why do I have to “stick to my guns” and “stop messing around”. Why do I need “drive” in order to do this job? Remember, on the main sales page it said that I would be paid for “simply filling in the blanks”.
Next are the instructions for this job. Wait a minute….I’m supposed to sign up with ClickBank. ClickBank is an affiliate marketplace where you can find products to promote and they pay you a commission on any sales you make. It’s free. I already have a ClickBank account. I see now that I’ve paid $97 to be shown how to sign up for a free ClickBank account. The beautiful thing is that this guy will also earn commissions on any sales you make because you sign up under his affiliate link.
There are all kinds of links to resources to teach you how to place classified ads, use Google Adsense, etc. These are also all affiliate links and will earn him a commission. All of this information is freely available on the Internet.
The sales page said nothing about placing ads. I would not have been interested in that at all.
I just received two emails from them. One was a confirmation of my transaction and the other is an earnings disclaimer. That’s odd that they would email that to their customers. Here’s part of the message:
“Every effort has been made to accurately represent this product and it’s potential. ABC offers a money making opportunity, NOT an offer of employment. Each registered member is not an employee of ABC and is classed as an INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR under the licensing and franchising of ABC.”
Yet, on the main page it says “I am offering a REAL JOB opportunity that could change your life forever!” and “(The Company) is the only program that pays you TWO ways. Unlike other programs that APPEAR to be similar, (The Company) actually pays you for each form you submit!”
That’s not at all true. They don’t pay you for each form you submit. I would be placing classified ads and would be paid a commission by whatever ClickBank merchant I was advertising for each sale. You don’t get paid to fill in a form.
I’m going to request a refund. There is a form on the site that you fill out to request a refund claim form. I filled it out and was taken to a page saying:
YOUR REQUEST FOR A REFUND HAS FAILED! I’m afraid your request for a refund was not successful. Unfortunately you do not qualify for a refund in accordance with our Refund Policy as outlined in our Terms & Conditions.
You are still entitled to an automatic 100% Refund after you generate 10 Clickbank sales according to our instructions.
The sales page said nothing at all about generating 10 ClickBank sales in order to get a refund. I sent the following email to the site owner:
James,
I am requesting a refund. The form on your site just directs people to a page that says that the request failed. Your sales page states the following with regard to refunds:
If at any time during the first 60 days you’re NOT completely convinced Data Entry is worth the price of your registration many times over, I’ll immediately give you $97.00 in exchange for the trust you showed in me. I’ll refund you the registration fee you paid during registration, on the spot. Simple as that. And, by the way, we’ll still remain friends
Fair enough? Truth is, you NEVER have to worry about a refund.
I understand that this offer has a 100% money back guarantee. If it does not deliver what it promised, I can return it for a prompt and courteous refund.
and
No other work at home program offers so much and backs it up with an unconditional money back guarantee.
This is not what I am looking for and would like a refund immediately.
Thank you.
–
Sharon Davis
I just received an automatically generated email telling me again that my refund request has failed. At the bottom there is this:
Note:
Do not attempt to fraudulently seek reimbursement through your banking institution as this is illegal. All requests to negate charges are investigated by our technical department and legal department. If you make a fraudulent claim of unauthorized card usage, we will report this to the credit card services. This report may result in cancellation of your card services, put negative information on your credit report, and create possible criminal charges that may be filed against you.
That sounds like a threat to me. People have a right to request a chargeback if a company refuses to honor their refund policy. Although they’re threatening those who make fraudulent claims of unauthorized card use, the way it’s worded would certainly make anyone think twice about requesting a chargeback.
Well this was a lesson learned. This was not at all what the sales page said it would be and I just got ripped off. Since I am obviously not going to get a refund, I will be calling my bank to request a chargeback. Even with that threat of criminal prosecution hanging over my head for requesting a chargeback, I’ll take my chances.
Tags: Scams, work at home jobs
I decided to investigate a data entry ad because I’ve looked into them in the past myself and have found them to all be extremely similar. While there are companies that hire people to do data entry work from their homes, most of them don’t post ads on the Internet. Hopefully, this post will make you think twice before clicking on them!
EARN $3,500 WEEKLY!
Data Entry Workers Needed Online Immediately! Work from Home!
Guaranteed Income! No Experience Necessary.
Register Online Today!
www.imnotlistingtherealwebsite.com/
If I can earn $3,500 weekly doing data entry, I’m sorry to say that this will be my last blog post. Who needs to work this hard when you can earn that kind of money typing?
So, this sounds too good to be true. Let’s take a look at what the website says.
Here are the highlights from the website:
Attention – Looking for the perfect work at home job? Look no further! This is it!
“Worldwide DATA ENTRY NEEDED! $250-$1,000 Per Day!”Start Earning In Under 30 Minutes By Simply Filling In The Blanks!
Oh and did I mention it’s easy to do?
Next there is a glowing testimonial that claims, “I made over $7,000 in the first two weeks!”. Yep, that’s $3,500 per week alright. We’ll see when I sign up how much I make.
Under the glowing testimonial is a note from the site owner. The headline claims:
START EARNING $1,000 EVERY SINGLE DAY – STARTING TODAY!!!
Now, wait a minute. I thought I could earn up to $3,500 per week. I can’t claim that math is my strongest subject, but I do know that $1,000 per day would add up to $7,000 per week. Then, two sentences later it says
“I own and operate SomeDataEntryCompany, a business where you could make $250-$1,000 or more per day, just by typing at home for Internet companies!.
I found myself wondering which it was, $250 per day? $1,000 per day? Or the $500 per day that was claimed in the ad? I’m really confused now. Well, even $250 a day would certainly pay some bills, right?
I was glad to find the next bit which explained exactly what it was I would be doing:
I can’t stress enough how easy (this business) is to run. I mean it’s A-B-C easy. Anyone can do it. Just follow my simple instructions and you will quickly and easily make thousands of dollars per week.
1. Login to your account.
2. Enter the data I provide you with.
3. Submit data.
4. REPEAT steps 2 to 3!
One of the fishiest marketing ploys on this website was this:
This is a limited offer. Due to the overwhelming response I have very few spots left. When the remaining spots are all filled, I may no longer be able to accept new DATA ENTRY POSITIONS. I apologize in advance to anyone who cannot participate.
DATA ENTRY POSITIONS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE!
“Urgent Update: I will only accept the next 3 Participants that register online by Midnight, August 29th, 2006″
– this is done using a script that automatically inserts today’s date. Look, I can do it too…
Read this report quick, because this issue will disappear from the web by Midnight July 29, 2009!
Now, come back tomorrow and it will have tomorrow’s date on it. Nifty, huh?
So I read their FAQ’s. Here are some of the highlights:
Q. WHY MUST I PAY A REGISTRAION FEE? (Note the spelling error, seems like this site was thrown up in a hurry.) A. I receive hundreds of inquiries for home data entry positions every single day. Poistions (Another spelling error) are very limited so I must be certain you are serious about working from home. Anyone serious enough to register now is guaranteed to make the cost of their registration fee back immediately.
Please. Positions are limited? I’ll bet that if this company is still in business 3 years from now, it will still say that “positions are limited”.
This is from the disclaimer and I found it to be of particular interest:
[Company Name] offers a money making opportunity, NOT an offer of employment. Business opportunity/Employment advertising regulations permits charging advance fees to cover the cost of registration, applications, screening and processing.
Yet, on the very top of the main page of the website, in big bold letters is:
Attention – Looking for the perfect work at home job? Look no further! This is it!
Further on in the disclaimer is this:
Examples in these materials are not to be interpreted as a promise or guarantee of earnings. Earning potential is entirely dependent on the person using our product, ideas, techniques and the effort put forth. We do not purport this as a “get rich scheme.”
Now, looking again at the main page they are telling me that I can make $1,000 per day. $30,000 per month sounds like getting rich quick to me.
Well, before I sign up and pay my *gulp* $97 fee I want to make sure I understand their refund policy. At first glance, it’s pretty confusing:
60 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!!!
I want you to be as confident as I am. But in case you have any lingering doubts whatsoever, I want to make it foolproof for you.You see, I completely guarantee your satisfaction — not for 30 days… Not for 60 days… But for an entire 3 months!
Note that the big, bold headline says 60 days, but then right below it says 90 days. Now in the next paragraph it says,
You see, I completely guarantee your satisfaction — not for 30 days… But for an entire 60 days!
So, now we’re back to 60 days. Oh, I just saw this in the P.S.S. at the bottom of the page:
Even if you cancel and ask for a refund… even if it’s the very last day of the 3 months following registration…
Now we’re back to 90 days. Hmmm..I wonder which it is. Lets take another look at the disclaimer:
1.1) Products purchased that are downloadable or include downloadable products are NOT refundable. Products purchased that are not downloadable (CD, Diskette, or Hard Printed Versions) may be returned for a full credit, minus shipping and handling charges of $10.00. However, before any product may be returned, the customer must return to (The Company) a “Refund Claim Form”. The “Return Claim Form” will be provided to the customer after the customer informs (The Company) that they need such form. To obtain a refund, you must notify (The Company) within 7 days of your original purchase date, that you desire a refund for the product purchased. 1.2) The “Refund Claim Form” provided to you must be returned to DLG by regular mail only (no e-mail), within 7 days, in order to obtain a refund.
Not knowing whether I’m about to order a “downloadable” product or a “non-downloadable” product, I have no idea which one of these applies to me. I do know one thing: In order to get a refund, I have to submit my claim form within 7 days of my purchase. Not 60 days, not 90 days, 7 DAYS. Here’s the other really interesting thing about this. Read this part again:
To obtain a refund, you must notify (The Company) within 7 days of your original purchase date, that you desire a refund for the product purchased.
So, have to request the form, wait for it to arrive (in the mail presumably), fill it out and then be sure it’s received in the mail by the company all before 7 days are up?? That seems almost impossible to accomplish, especially for anyone living outside of the U.S.
My goodness, look at this:
1.5) Fraudulent Credit Card Charges or Fraudulent Claims – All requests to negate charges are investigated by our technical department and legal department. If you make a fraudulent claim of unauthorized card usage, we will report this to the credit card services. This report may result in cancellation of your card services, put negative information on your credit report, and create possible criminal charges that may be filed against you.
That sounds like a threat to me. People have a right to request a chargeback if a company refuses to honor their refund policy. Although they’re threatening those who make fraudulent claims of unauthorized card use, the way it’s worded would certainly make anyone think twice about requesting a chargeback.
I submitted my questions regarding their refund policy through their contact form at the website (there’s no phone number). Wow! I’ve already received a response! Big surprise, it’s an automatically generated response. There is a link where I can go for further assistance. Ok, we’ll see how long it takes. The first message said it would be up to 48 hours before I get a response.
Well, I’m going to have to wait until I get some clarification on that refund policy before I plunk down the $97. That money could buy a lot of groceries! My next post will reveal the company response and my experience as a data entry operator.
Tags: Scams, work at home jobs
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