Google Cash Kit is a Scam
A reader wrote:
Good afternoon,
Are you able to tell if these two websites below are online home business scams? It sounds too good to be true. I am skeptical about these three websites.
- www.dailyjobstribune.com/jobs/?t202id=12539&t202kw=work%20at%20home
- dailytribunes.com/finance/?c1=12&c2=72&c3=132&c4=0
- rs971.speedypaycheck.com/?pubid=23829
Thank you in advance!
Right now I don’t have a job. Currently, I am looking for an online business opportunity so I can free up most of my time for my children.
These programs consist of a membership website with lessons. The lessons teach you how to place advertisements on Google Adwords for other online programs that you have an affiliate relationship with. These programs have an ongoing monthly membership fee, that can be as high as $70. They aren’t scams, per se, if they do provide you with training, but they aren’t very upfront about the monthly fees.
Also, from what I’ve heard, there are so many complaints about these programs, that they keep changing their name and URL. That’s a danger signal to me.
Can you make money online using Google Adwords to promote other affiliate programs? Sure, but is it worth $70 a month to find out? I don’t know.
I don’t know if they’re part of the program, or just something that someone is using to market them, but the websites you sent me strike me as scammy. The sites use an IP-based location service to figure out where the viewer is web surfing from and then they change the info on the page accordingly so that they look like they’re talking about people that are local to you.
For example, one of the sites mentions:
Mary, a mother from Oakhurst, California is thriving, in the middle of an economic recession working in the comfort of her own home.
The other one says:
For Mike Richardson, who lives in Mariposa , CA , who filled out a simple online form, working online was the way to get a new job.
Both Mariposa and Oakhurst, California are very close to me — I live between them. If you open the pages, you’ll see a different city listed. If I didn’t know better, I’d assume that they were really talking about local people doing this business, but they aren’t. It’s just marketing.
Thanks for the question. Hope I was able to help.
michael webster on June 22nd, 2009 8:15 pm
All of these buy a job schemes are covered by the California Seller’s Assisted Marketing Act: http://ag.ca.gov/consumers/general/samp.php
I have written about how to access and use “buy a job” laws before:
http://www.bizop.ca/blog2/due-diligence/how-to-identify-good-turnkey-b.html
phil North on June 22nd, 2009 8:44 pm
I was looking into these things and came across shoemoney. He has a 12 week course that will teach you most of what you want to know for free. Of course he probably hopes that you become an affiliate under him and use his tools but that’s not required and he’ll teach you all you need to know to try out internet marketing as a business. Just google shoemoney. I’m not affiliated and am not an affiliate. I just liked his style and the course.
Tannya blackwood on June 22nd, 2009 8:55 pm
This IS a scam! Be aware that you have to pay $75/mos for your subscription.
They usually advertise that will send you a FREE start-up kit and all you have to do is pay for the shipping. Then they immediatley call you and say if your serious about making money you have to invest at least $7k. They also taught that you can cancel with-in ten days. But here’s the kicker, the start-up kit doesn’t arrive until usaully 13-14 days. So you can’t cancel within the 10 day free trial because you have no kit and no ph#. (I always check Rip-Off Report . com before I do anything!)
RedHotFranchises on June 22nd, 2009 11:47 pm
There are many ways to tell that it’s a scam. If you try clicking on the links at the top and the bottom of the page, you’ll notice that there is no hyperlink, just that alone already smells fishy. Google would also officially announce this opportunity on their website if it were true.
The site has a good adcopy which makes it sound very convincing for amateurs, and many people may likely fall for it.
Nica on June 23rd, 2009 9:25 am
“Mike Richardson”, with 2 strangely different photos on 1 page, was from my town in MA. Since this article puts him in CA (a long, long commute), dailyjobstribune.com is a scam, no wiggle room there.
John Henry Carlson on June 23rd, 2009 2:17 pm
When I checked the links you provide, the sites were actually geared to the location of my IP address used. So mine showed Modesto, CA. I’m quite sure someone in Tampa, FL would find theirs showing Tampa, FL. I guess we should give them credit for innovation, but it really is under-handed.
Online Business Opportunities Reviewed on June 25th, 2009 7:34 am
I also fell for this trick. I was fortunate enough to be able to get a refund. I called them 3-way with my credit card company on the line. Others weren’t so lucky
However, I think everyone should be aware that it isn’t just Google Cash Kit that is doing this scam. There are others using the same trick for example “eBay Cash Kit” and I even found some ridiculous anti aging pill “free trial” which isn’t free at all when you read the small print at the bottom of the screen.
I have posted these links here if you are interested in seeing them (just scroll to the bottom of the page)
http://www.business-opportunities-reviewed.com/the-google-kit-and-other-kits-marketing-scam
This could be just the tip of the iceberg. We may quickly see other similar scams popup everywhere as they are having great success and are not illegal because at the bottom of the screen in very small writing is the info about the monthly fees. However, before getting to those screens you normally go through various other “brainwashing” pages about a kit, free kit, shipping etc. You see this SO many times that by the time you get to the payment page where you input your card details you think you already know enough about the “kit”.
It’s a great scam I must say, as it got me and I don’t normally get caught out with these things. I have been trying my best to do my part in warning the world, so it’s nice to see others doing the same. Thanks
Lauren on June 26th, 2009 3:38 pm
I signed up for this crap thinking it might be legitimate, it’s just another F’n scam!!! they make you think you only pay 2 dollars! They don’t tell you about the monthly fees!!! On top of that! There are different companies charging up the bazoo!! They charged over 80 dollars! they are thieves and scam artists!!! I’m soo angry right now b/c that was my hard earned money that went into their filthy lying hands! I hope they are punished! I pray they are!
Tricia on July 28th, 2009 12:33 pm
Are you telling me the $1.97 I put on my credit card is going to be charge a monthly fee even tthough it said that is all it would cost??
Online Business Opportunities Reviewed on July 29th, 2009 3:30 am
Yes thats exactly what we are saying. The website says that in small print at the bottom. Call up an cancel right away !!!
Tricia on July 29th, 2009 7:18 am
Thank you so much for the response I am calling today and cancelling right away, I have not reached that 10 day mark yet, so glad I decided to look into it further. I do have a few more questions I hope you can help me with… When I signed up I received 3 emails, 1 from my search cash, 1 from vcommunlimited and 1 from premier plus memberships, do you know if I have to cancel all three or just calling the one will take care of it? If not do you know the numbers where I can reach the others? Again thank you so much I can not affford any kind of extra charges at this time!!
abram on July 30th, 2009 8:30 am
Hi there,
is anybody knows how to cancel the membership from http://www.myseachcash.com?
Please help…thanks.
abram on July 30th, 2009 8:37 am
“Tricia on July 29th, 2009 7:18 am
Thank you so much for the response I am calling today and cancelling right away, I have not reached that 10 day mark yet, so glad I decided to look into it further. I do have a few more questions I hope you can help me with… When I signed up I received 3 emails, 1 from my search cash, 1 from vcommunlimited and 1 from premier plus memberships, do you know if I have to cancel all three or just calling the one will take care of it? If not do you know the numbers where I can reach the others? Again thank you so much I can not affford any kind of extra charges at this time!!
”
Hi Tricia,
do you be able to call the number 1-866-637-1390 to cancel?
Thanks for your help.
jonalynt on July 30th, 2009 4:03 pm
how can i cancel my membership?
adley on July 30th, 2009 8:13 pm
I tried calling their 800 number, however when I called it said their office was closed. They open 5 am to 9 pm PST. I called at around 3 pm CST, which is just 2 hours ahead of time. So there has to be another number to call.
brianna on July 30th, 2009 11:04 pm
HUGE SCAM! Got charged 49.95 without any sort of warning or email notification! Cancel this ASAP! My bank is disputing the charge! I hope they get to the bottom of this and shut them down!!!
Truc on July 31st, 2009 7:16 am
I’ve tried calling numerous time to cancel my subscription, but i can’t get through. I keep getting a voice recording saying that they are closed. When they said their hours were 5am-9pm 7 days a week. How do i get this to stop if i can’t get through to them? can someone help me please! PLEASE PLEASE HELP ME. im really scared.
brianna on July 31st, 2009 8:01 am
Cancel your card!!!! That one fee won’t be the only fee you get so there is no guarantee that all the fees will stop even if you do get through!!! If a fee already has gone through, dispute it.
Truc on July 31st, 2009 8:54 am
will canceling my card stop this?!
brianna on July 31st, 2009 9:40 am
It should. Call your bank or credit card company asap and tell them what happened. They will know what to do.
Truc on July 31st, 2009 10:47 am
Brianna, i called my credit card company and explained to them how i tried to call to cancel my subscription but all i get are voice recordings when i call..and the lady was so helpful! she said as long as they have documented that i have made an attempt to cancel with them and she assured that all the charges will be credited and she noted that everytime these scam sites tried to make any more charges they would be fined. but now all i really have to do is try to get through to them and officially cancel my subscription. thanks alot for your help! you’re an angel! god bless!
Online Business Opportunities Reviewed on August 11th, 2009 11:21 am
Yes this is a nightmare. You need to be sure you cancel all the subscriptions. Sometimes they set-up multiple ones.
My credit card company told me that cancelling the card won’t stop the fees as subscriptions are just passed onto the next card. That was in the UK so the laws may be different.
Andrew on September 17th, 2009 12:08 pm
Michael Richardson also lives in Woodland, WA, where I live. This is a scam for sure. Stay away from it. I’ve tried to contact Google about this but found there is just a maze of help sections and their phone recording tells you to go on the internet and email them.
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