DAYTON, OHIO, July 15, 2009 - Through Tweets, e-mail and Web sites, job hunters are being told they can make lots of money from the comfort of home using Twitter. Your Better Business Bureau warns the large print for these offers may promise big returns, but the fine print can cost them every month.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent jobs report, there are 14.5 million Americans out of work and looking for ways to bring home paychecks. Work-at-home schemes have often preyed on unsuspecting job hunters and now Twitter is being used as a way to convince cash-strapped individuals they can make quick and easy money.
"Twitter is the newest bright shiny object online and a perfect hook for yet another work-at-home scheme," said John North, BBB president and CEO. "The pitch used to be about making money by sending e-mails or placing ads on Google, but now cash-strapped job hunters need to be wary of shelling out money for a dubious Twitter scheme."
Unfortunately, "Make Money With Twitter" schemes may sound risk-free, but bear many red flags prompting your BBB to advise extreme caution. One e-mail stated: "Twitter Workers Needed ASAP, You’re Hired! Make Extra Cash with Twitter; As seen on USA Today, CNN, and ABC... Apply Now!"
The e-mail links to EasyTweetProfits.com, a company out of Surrey, England. EasyTweetProfits.com claims you can make $250-$873 a day working at home with Twitter. The Web site offers a seven-day free trial of its instructional CD-ROM for $1.95 to cover shipping. Buried in the lengthy terms and conditions are the details the trial begins on the day the CD is ordered—not when it’s received—and if you don’t cancel within seven days of signing up, you’ll be charged $47 every month.
Similar to other work-from-home schemes, phony blogs have been created as testimonials to the success of Twitter-money-making programs. Make-money-on-twitter.com is one such phony blog—supposedly by a Derrick Clark of Virginia—where the author brags about making up to $5,000 a month posting links to Twitter. The blog also includes an image of the supposed check Derrick received for posting links on Twitter, but the exact same photo of the check has been used countless times on other phony blogs for various suspect work-at-home jobs.
The blog links to TwitterProfitHouse.com, which claims you can make $250-$873 a day working at home and offers a seven-day free trial of its instructional CD-ROM for $1.99 shipping. Again, however, the fine print reveals the trial period starts once the CD has been ordered and you’ll be billed $99.99 every month if you don’t call the company to cancel.
"These Web sites haven’t been up for very long so, if experience has taught us anything, we know it’s only a matter of time before the complaints start coming in," John added. "Work-at-home schemes are like a game of wack-a-mole and new Web sites crop up practically everyday."
Your BBB wants you to be aware of the following red flags when searching for a work-at-home job online:
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The "job" is actually a money-making scheme and doesn’t provide actual employment.
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The work-at-home scheme claims you can make lots of money with little effort and no experience.
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You have to pay money upfront to be considered for the job or receive more information.
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The exact same tweet touting the program is posted by many different Twitterers. The links in these tweets could lead you to scam sites or install malware onto your computer.
Contact your BBB for more information on work-at-home scams. Visit www.bbb.org or call (937) 222-5825 or (800) 776-5301.
About Your BBB Serving Dayton and the Miami Valley
Your BBB is an unbiased nonprofit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses earning BBB Accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization’s high standards of ethical business behavior. Your BBB provides objective advice, free business BBB Reliability ReportsTM and charity BBB Wise Giving ReportsTM and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. To further promote trust, your BBB also offers complaint and dispute resolution support for consumers and businesses when there is difference in viewpoints. The first BBB was founded in 1912. Today, 126 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and monitoring nearly 4 million local and national businesses and charities. Your BBB serving Dayton and the Miami Valley serves Montgomery, Greene, Clark, Darke, Miami, Preble, Shelby and northern Warren counties. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information about your BBB.
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