BBB Warns Against Twitter Moneymaking Schemes

For Immediate Release                                               News Release
July 2, 2009

VICTORIA, BC - Through Tweets, e-mail and Web sites, job hunters are being told that they can make lots of money from the comfort of home using Twitter. Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns that the large print for such offers may promise big returns but the fine print can cost them every month.

“Twitter is the newest bright shiny object online and a perfect hook for yet another work-at-home scheme,” says Rosalind Scott, Executive Director of BBB Vancouver Island. “The pitch used to be about making money by sending e-mails or by placing ads on Google, but now cash-strapped job hunters need to be wary of shelling out money for a dubious scheme that revolves around Twitter.”

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 their instructional CD-ROM for $1.95 to cover shipping. Buried in the lengthy terms and conditions are the details that the trial begins on the day the CD is ordered — not when it is received — and if the consumer doesn’t cancel within seven days of signing up, they’ll be charged $47 every month.

Similar to other work-from-home schemes, phony blogs by made-up individuals 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.

BBB wants job hunters to be aware of the following red flags when searching for a work-at-home job online:

• The “job” is actually a moneymaking scheme and doesn’t provide actual employment.
• The work-at-home scheme claims that you can make lots of money with little effort and no experience.
• You have to pay money upfront in order to be considered for the job or receive more information.
• Many different Twitterers post the exact same tweet touting the program. The links in such tweets could lead you to scam sites or install malware onto your computer.

For more information on protecting yourself from scams and frauds visit vi.bbb.org.

To schedule an interview, please contact:
Rosalind Scott, Executive Director
Tel: (250) 386-6348 ext 106
Email: rosalindscott@vi.bbb.org               

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