Lately, a Google work at home scam has been plastering its way throughout the Internet. The scam site is designed to look like a convincing news paper article and is currently circulating heavily through social networks (hacked and spam accounts) and ad networks.
Example of the scam wall post on Facebook from a hacked account:
The scam site:
To “cash in on the opportunity” all you have to do is fork up a measly $1.95 for the “Easy Google Profit” kit. Unfortunately, if you fall for the scam, you’re going to be taken for more than what you bargained for. Ripoff Report shows one victims struggle with these scam artists. Aparently they automatically started charging the victim $39.98 per month on top of an additional $129.95 fee. On top of that, they enrolled him in a 14 day trial for another site, which charges $29.95 a month if not canceled in time.
A helpful tip for avoiding these types of scams would be to question all links before clicking on them, especially in Social Networks. Nothing should be outrightly trusted. Ask yourself, “Would my friend/parent/sibling really post this link?” The chances are that the link will stick out like a sore thumb and you’ll be able to avoid a nasty situation. I also advise the use of safe browsing technology, such as the community driven browser plugin, Web of Trust.