# Incredibly Stupid Scam **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 6, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-stupid-scam/180087 "2003-06-06T14:42:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-stupid-scam/180087/1 "2003-06-06T14:42:18Z")
I was scanning through a whole bunch of random job listings, and I found this interesting webpage… [http://members.aol.com/workathomenetwrk/](http://members.aol.com/workathomenetwrk/) Wow: this apparently indepedant and respected organization has carefully reviewed one of those “work-at-home-for$$$” offers, and finds that you can make an average of $6450 a month! Sounds great: indepedently verified, with an actual study to make sure that it’s for real. I’m definately going to spend MY 32.65$ on the registration fee, which I’ll no doubt earn back in an hour, as this worker’s organization says! But wait… something’s not right. First of all, why is this organization hosted by… an free AOL member webpage? And how come none of the navigational buttons work? Is this the only webpage that the organization has on their “site”? And how come, not far into the review, the “reviewer” starts sounding like he IS the company making the offer? Most interestingly, why is the date in the “Openings Are Limited. We Can Guarantee Processing Of New Applicants Only Through Friday, June 6, 2003.” rather convieniently the next business day: was I really so lucky as to find this site just in time to come under the wire for eligibility? Must be… Anyways, it doesn’t get any sillier than this: setting up a phony worker’s association to shill for your scam (looking deeper into it, it appears that there’s no explicit contract with anyone before forking over your “registration” fee: they essentially agree to NOTHING for getting your money!) I found a couple other links for the name of this “organization” on google that lead to broken tripod webpages (another cheap-o webpage farm). That’s it. The “contact us” link for this highly reputable firm is a free yahoo email account. In other words, there’s nothing in this entire scam that a 13-year old couldn’t have put together. They didn’t even bother to register a phony domain name for their phony organization. They put so little time and effort into this scam that… I can only assume they snooker countless people with it. Or, they’re those same “Nigerian” guys. Here’s another choice quote: “What makes us feel the most comfortable about “Get Paid For Your Opinon” is that the entire transaction is processed by a company that has achieved the highest possible rating with the nation’s most recognized Business Bureau. That’s what we like to see whenever we investigate a company.” Ah: the “most recognized” Business Bureau! Wink wink, nudge nudge: no need to uh, actually tell anyone which Bureau that is! 🙂 Say no more! Anyway: how do I contact the REAL Better Bussiness Bureau about this little gem? Finally, the real (and much less funny) tipoff is the very tiny, very far down portion that reads: “!!! = Verification system: statistical study based on experience of 10 research affiliates. Guidelines developed in accordance with AHWA protocol. Income projections based on 10 hours a week spent participating in online focus groups earning advertised $150 per hour rate. Not meant to guarantee results. Each participant’s results may vary.” The link, of course, goes right to the scam’s website. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-stupid-scam/180087/2 "2003-06-06T14:51:07Z")
Damn I wanted in, but I couldn’t sign up. I could have really used that money too. ---
**Author:** ![carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrot)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-stupid-scam/180087/3 "2003-06-06T17:13:41Z")
I think my favorite quote is: > [@](#): > > …we strive to locate the best and most reliable ways to earn money in the comfort of your own home. Just like any consumer watchdog organization, our reputation is at stake. Comedy genius, there. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-stupid-scam/180087/4 "2003-06-06T17:27:20Z")
Yes, if their reputation isn’t maintained, what ever will become of their single page website?!!! How will they continue to afford their yahoo email address and AOL hosting payments? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-stupid-scam/180087/5 "2003-06-06T17:50:30Z")
How many people actually fall for stuff like this? I’m amazed that even a single sucker ever gets reeled in by stuff like this. ---
**Author:** ![smam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@smam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smam)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-stupid-scam/180087/6 "2003-06-06T18:44:49Z")
I’ll take two please, one for me and another one just in case I get fired from the first one. “guhuck” ---
**Author:** ![Greywolf73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d9b06d/32.png) [@Greywolf73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greywolf73)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-stupid-scam/180087/7 "2003-06-06T20:15:46Z")
This reminds me of the site I ran across not long ago (wish I could find the link). It was for online therapy and the “Doctor” offering his services encouraged people NOT to use Paypal to pay him, but instead _call his home answering machine and leave their credit card # and expiration date and he’d bill them_! Uh-huh. Riiight… Hey, at least this work-at-home site is honest–at the very bottom it says, “Not meant to guarantee results”. That’s one way to put it, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-stupid-scam/180087/8 "2003-06-06T20:23:23Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m amazed that even a single sucker ever gets reeled in by stuff like this. The tens of millions of dollars taken in by the Nigerian scam have blunted my amazement. Now, I don’t know: maybe this service is BOTH being shady with this “official study” crap AND actually does net you a fair amount of money from doing surveys. I wouldn’t mind making even as little as 3000$ a month just for filling out surveys 20 hours a week. But I’m not to bet 32.75 to find out. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-stupid-scam/180087/9 "2003-06-06T21:25:07Z")
An otherwise pretty sharp friend of mine fell for one of these “work at home” scams. Apparently, she just couldn’t believe that someone would have the audacity to actually lie in print. I mean, wouldn’t they be afraid of getting caught? To top it off, she’s also now on an untold number of “sucker” spam and mailing lists. “Work at home” scams are one of the most prevalent scams out there because they _are_ so prevalent. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-stupid-scam/180087/10 "2003-06-06T21:26:32Z")
Sorry: “… because they _are_ so **profitable**.” ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2003, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-stupid-scam/180087/11 "2003-06-06T21:28:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Apos \* > **Anyway: how do I contact the REAL Better Bussiness Bureau about this little gem?** [The Better Business Bureau](http://www.bbb.org/). ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-stupid-scam/180087/12 "2003-06-07T03:16:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Apos \* > **Most interestingly, why is the date in the “Openings Are Limited. We Can Guarantee Processing Of New Applicants Only Through Friday, June 6, 2003.” rather convieniently the next business day: was I really so lucky as to find this site just in time to come under the wire for eligibility? Must be…** Good news, **Apos**! They’ve extended the deadline to Monday, June 9! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2003, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/incredibly-stupid-scam/180087/13 "2003-06-07T05:19:05Z")
Now that’s incredible. They couldn’t be bothered to create even one extra page for their fake website, but they learned how to code an advancing date that skips weekends?