Online Jobs Journal and the Internet Biz Kit Scam

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Is working at home online the next gold rush? Well, yes and no. In this case, it’s the next gold rush for the heartless affiliate running the fake Online Jobs Journal.  I like their tag line that you see about.  “Trusted Sources” with Trusted in bold.  I trust them because they told me so…

Boy does that Mary Steadman get around! She appears to have been doing interviews for every single fake news site on the planet.  Today she’s on http://server2.mediajmp.com, which is an awfully odd URL for a newspaper huh? Wait! Now her name is suddenly Nicole Johnson, since if you search for Mary Steadman you find about 100 articles about how that name is associated with these kinds of Google Biz Kit scams.

This time she is talking about the Internet Biz Kit on the fictitious Online Jobs Journal. Needless to say YOU SHOULD NOT GIVE THESE PEOPLE YOU CREDIT CARD UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. If you already have, well, there is some advice for you at the bottom of the article here that might help a bit.

Want to know more about how these types of fake news scam sites that push work at home schemes work? Check out our article on the Easy Google Profit scam for how this all works.  Basically you will be tricked into giving up your credit card number to pay “ONLY $1 SHIPPING!” for a method to work at home for Google that very likely turns out to be a dried up old eBook about making a website and putting some Adsense ads on it.

Wait, The Online Jobs Journal Is A Scam?

In our opinion, yes, it is.  We’re going to go out on a limb and suggest that there is no Mary Steadman.  She did not work for a generic manufacturing firm.  And she did not start making $6000 a month in a few weeks by posting $25 links for Google.  Well, that is unless she uses the exact same technique this site does and tricks people out of their money.

So how does it work?  Go attempt to sign up for the “Google Biz Kit” on the secure.simplepaychecks.com website that every single link on the fake newspaper links to.  At no time during the order process do you think you’re paying more than $1.95 to rush your kit!  But scan the tiny tiny fine print down the bottom of the payment page and you’ll see this hidden in non-numeric language:

By submitting this form, I am activating the MyMoneyPlan three day trial. I also agree to the bonus trial of SearchProfitSystem for fourteen days. After the three day and fourteen day trial periods, I will be billed forty-nine dollars and eighty four cents for MyMoneyPlan and twenty eight dollars and seventy one cents for the SearchProfitSystem monthly thereafter until I choose to cancel either or both programs. I agree to the Terms and Conditions of this Web Site. Google does not sponsor or endorse, nor is it affiliated in any way with this site.

Woah, that $1.95 suddenly turns into 49.84 and 28.71 after my super long 3 day trial is up.  I can’t say for certain about this site, but many people have complained about similar sites continuing to charge their cards even after they called to cancel.

NOTE:  A reader pointed out that secure.simplepaychecks.com does now actually have that fine print you mentioned on the order page (it did NOT at the time this article was written).  HOWEVER the disclamer is written in 8 point font below the fold on my maximized browser window on an above average screen resolution, while the card entry form and giant RUSH MY KIT button are above the scroll line. The average user won’t see it or understand what they are signing up for, which in my opinion still goes against the FTC guidelines for clear disclosure.

I Didn’t Know I was Going To Be Charged Monthly By The Google Biz Kit People?  What Do I Do?!?

1. Don’t feel bad! Seems like hundreds if not thousands of people have been taken in by these sort of “negative option” offers that trick you by not clearly disclosing you are signing up for monthly charges. You were tricked, it happens to the best of us.
2. In our opinion you should call/write your credit card company, report your card stolen, and dispute the charges.  Basically you’ve just been internet mugged and getting these types of sites to stop charging your card is reported to be very difficult.  Reporting the card stolen gets you a new card number immediately and disables the old one so they can’t charge you again.
3. Monitor your credit accounts by clicking here for a free month of Experian ID Protection monitoring.  You just gave some  characters your name, address, phone number, credit card and secret 3 digit card number.  You think they’ll stop trying to take money from you just because you canceled your card number?  Experian is a respected company, one of the Big Three credit reporting agencies.  The ID Protection is free for 30 days and comes with a free credit report and free monitoring and a free fraud support hotline.  Then it’s only $9.95 a month if you don’t cancel before the 30 days are up. I’d strongly suggest signing up for the free month, call the hotline and ask for help, then check your credit report to make sure no one has tried to change your address or open a new card using your cards details.

Luckily I Didn’t Get Taken By These Guys, But What Can I Do To Help?

1. Click Here to Share this on Facebook! Hit “Post to Profile” to warn your friends.
2. Use the “Share This” links below to Digg or Twitter or Stumble or Reddit or Email or whatever service you use to share this so that other people might see it before they get scammed too!
3. Email this link to your friends.