Google was used in a bogus work scheme
Blaggers must surrender $3.5 million
By Spencer Dalziel
Tue Oct 19 2010, 11:57
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1790829/google-bogus-scheme
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/flame_author/1790829/google-bogus-scheme
DODGY SCAMMERS have been busted by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for unsubstantiated links to Google and hidden fees rackets.
The nefarious ne'er-do-well operators set up dodgy work-at-home schemes, splattering Google's logo and name all over their literature. The racketeers then embedded automatic hidden charges into their work-at-home kits and took the $72.21 from their victims' bank accounts every month. The scam was set up so that the cash would continue to come out until the punters cancelled the automatic charges at the bank. Failure to cancel the charges was taken as a nod by the fraudsters to continue collecting their illicit fees.
Promising $100,000 in six months, the blaggers called their work-at-home kits "Google Money Tree", "Google Treasure Chest" and "Google Pro". The defrauded customers weren't told by the defendants that they would incur any hidden charges for signing up with the services. Punters were lured into signing up by the bad economic climate.
According to the FTC, the defendants will have to surrender $3.5 million in assets for falsely claiming they were linked with Google. The assets include a big Harley motorcycle and a gun collection. They were also done for dodging the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, which is in place to stop third parties from dipping into bank accounts without written permission.
The INQURIER reported in December last year that Google was dragged into another work from home scam. In that case Google sued a company called Pacific Webworks for having allegedly been involved in exactly the same type of scheme.
MY THOUGHTS
the internet world is full of crooks. careful.careful
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