Scam: Google "work from home" scam.
Origins: Those searching for employment opportunities that will allow them to work from home are all too often the very people who can least afford to be defrauded. Although many folks daydream about earning livable incomes from the comfort of their dens rather than having to make the trek to their offices each day, they do not as a general rule of thumb search for such job openings with the same fervor as do the elderly, the physically challenged, or parents committed to remaining at home with their preschool children. Members of those groups hunt for work-at-home opportunities because laboring in more traditional job settings is impossible for them. Because genuine offers of work of this nature are few and far between, with the need to secure a steady income becoming more of a pressing issue with each passing non-employed day, those folks are at far greater risk of being victimized by such schemes; their desperation leads them to be gulled by pie-in-the-sky promises and mollified by the wild backstories that go with them, while the financially better off
are more likely to remain convinced something is very wrong with the offer of mucho bucks in exchange for only a few hours'
labor performed from home each week by persons possessed of no special training or skills.
In 2009 a proliferation of seeming newspaper articles touting "Google Job Opportunities," "Google Money Master," "Easy Google Profit," "Google Cash Kit," "Google Fortune Kit," and the like began popping up on the Internet. Such
come-ons are typically emblazoned with "As seen on" taglines followed by an impressive array of logos, including those of ABC, AOL, CNN, MSNBC, and
USA Today.
Often these
come-ons include what appear to be tearsheets from legitimate-looking publications, such as the
New York Tribune and
Los Angeles Tribune.
As for the publications supposedly reporting these stories, while there was a
New York Tribune long ago, in 1924 it merged with the
New York Herald to form the
New York Herald Tribune. (Even that newspaper is no longer around; it went out of business in 1967.) As for the ostensible
Los Angeles Tribune, that paper is wholly fictional; it existed only in the television show
Lou Grant.
Web pages purporting to be personal reports of riches reaped through these programs have also popped up, such as the now defunct
BryansMoneyBlog.com. They too were the same sort of
come-on.
While the promise of vast riches to be gained through working from home is held out to those seeking an answer to their financial problems, that promise is but the worm used to entice the fish into biting down on the hook. Those who sign up for such kits will not soon find themselves on Easy Street; instead, they will find their bank accounts tapped to the tune of approximately $80 a month.
While prospective job seekers are told they need to pay a $2 charge for kits that supposedly contain the step-by-step instructions on how to begin working from home (often explained as Google's way of sifting the serious from
non-serious candidates), a closer examination of the Terms and Conditions associated with the programs applicants are signing up for reveals they are instead authorizing monthly charges either to their bank accounts or credit cards, usually to the tune of about $80 a month. Those who attempt to cancel these charges find the task a difficult one, in that only rarely does anyone at the phone number supplied for that purpose actually come onto that line.
Those still not convinced they haven't just found the answer to their prayers are invited to closely examine the various web page
come-ons. Usually, buried at the bottom of the page in fine print is a statement to the effect that "Google is in no way associated with this website."
Barbara "web slight of hand" Mikkelson
How to Avoid Falling Victim to 'Work From Home' Scams:
- Don't pay a company to hire you, not even if such payment is presented as your buying necessary training materials, obtaining required certification, or registering with databases of available workers. Remember, if the process involves your sending your "employers" money, it's probably a scam.
- If you have questions about the legitimacy of a job listing, contact your Better Business Bureau, your state or local consumer agency, or the Federal Trade Commission.
- Examine your credit card and bank account statements every month, keeping an eye peeled for unauthorized charges. Immediately challenge items you did not approve.
Additional information:
 | Suspicious sites and what to look for
(Google) |
| | How to steer clear of money scams
(Official Google blog) |
Last updated: 26 July 2009
The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/fraud/employment/google.asp
Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2009 by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson.
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Sources:
- Buck, Claudia. "Employment Work-at-Home Deals Often Are Just Scams."
- The Houston Chronicle. 30 March 2009 (p. B8).
- Turner, Tracy. "Scammers Tweeting Their Way to Easy Prey."
- The Columbus Dispatch. 12 July 2009 (p. D1).
- Weeks, Carly. "As the Economy Tanks, Scams Thrive."
- The Globe and Mail. 9 March 2009 (p. L1).
