wafflesatnoon.com » Consumers » Quick Cash on Craigslist Scam
Quick Cash on Craigslist Scam
They’re testing the waters again with a new one.
I ran across a new “make money” offer I hadn’t seen yet. Instead of making money on Google, this one promises “QuickCash from Craigslist.” Hmmm. Sure sounds familiar. It’s like they just took out “Google” and substituted it with “Craigslist.” Brilliant minds at work once again.
I was browsing helium.com and saw the usual low quality ad with the headline “Make $3500 Working From Home.”
It’s dangling there like a hook in the water, waiting for a bite. And I’m sure many had already bitten. I really didn’t have to read any further to know it was a scam. Yet I did, and the ad continued:
Read How I made $3500 from home with a simple 2-step plan.
Another 2-step plan? Can’t these guys come up with anything new? Anyway, I assumed it was the usual Google/Grants two-step plan. Or sometimes both steps are Google. This ad pointed to a deep subdirectory.
I’m not sure what phatguru’s role is here as it seems like a completely unrelated site with legit content.
Immediately I recognized the familiar template – the same as cathysteeth.com, which has been advertised everywhere. The funny thing… they have that over-used picture of Oprah with Dr. Oz. What does Dr. Oz have to do with making money on Craigslist? Nothing. They re-used this template from phony teeth/weight/wrinkle blogs where Dr. Oz’s picture might seem appropriate.
Clicking on the Craigslist offer, we’re taken to quickcashfromcraigslist.com… and they say it was “Seen on” Yahoo, Forbes, CNN, and several others. Do you know how they were seen on them? They advertised on those sites, most likely through a third party network. They weren’t “Featured on”… they were “Seen on” them. Clever, eh?
The terms and conditions are dated 8/7/2007, yet the site didn’t exist until 9/10/2008.
I can’t say this enough… Trust no one online. Read the terms. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. Not probably… it IS. And if you see a blog that is selling you something with free shipping, do some research. Most likely it’s a scam.
How do I know this is a scam?
- Fake blog
- Reused photos from other known blogs
- Advertised alongside known “Google” scam offer
- “Free Shipping” offer
- Terms predate site’s creation by a year
I’m still looking into this one, and will update this article as I find out more.
The information in this article is current as of 2/25/09. The websites can and probably will change at some point and may not reflect the information above.
Filed under: Consumers · Tags: online scams
I just got caught in the Cragslist scam as written about in the above article. I was promissed a trial period of 14 days. They sent me an email saying they had run out of the program and one would be sent asap. Also they stated they would extend the trail period so I would have plenty of time to review the material. Not so, I didn’t recieve the material until 12 days into the trial period, which they were suppose to extend. I called them on the 4 day after I recieved the material to cancel the membership, they had already charged and posted the charge to my credit account. They would not give me a refund.
Hey David, sorry to hear. Might still want to call your bank to see if they can reverse it or at least issue a new card. Might also consider filing a complaint with at FTC.gov.
Interesting read here of how these devious scammers use and abuse Craigslist:
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:Xd8YMbkvR2AJ:www.convert2media.com/forum/index.php%3Ftopic%3D63.0+earn+cash+from+grants&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us
I, too, ordered this kit. I haven’t received it yet, I should have read this before, but I said for $1.95 what the heck, God knows I’ve spent more online over the years with no results. It’s really a shame how people use and abuse Craigslist, which started out as a legitimate place to post and respond to ads.
It would appear that if the requirements are really easy, or cheap, that should fly a red flag.
Thanx for the web-site, waffles. another weapon in my arsenal.
The greatest scammers in the world. They were charging me $39.90 every month since December 2008 till May 2009. It took me 6 month and cost $240 to finally cancel it. I never used the web site or had anybody contact me. Please do not repeat my mistake! Any ideas how can I fight them and get my money back? I will greately appretiate any help.