"3HourProfits.com of Minnesota charged one Wilson consumer to begin applying their internet marketing concepts and claimed the consumer would start making a profit within the first three hours of work. After paying, the consumer was re-routed through PayDotCom.com to set up an account for the commissions she would make. The site would not let her log-in to set up, and after contacting 3HourProfits.com multiple times she has yet to receive a response or reimbursement for the $39 start up fee. 3HourProfits.com is also operating under the name of Force One Events, Inc. and they claim to be ‘ranked #1 on BBBReviews.org.’ BBBReviews.org is in no way associated with the Better Business Bureau. The name is misleading, but neither 3HourProfits.com nor Force One Events, Inc. is a BBB Accredited Business. Force One Events, Inc. has failed to respond to several complaints and has an “F” rating with BBB."

So, I decided I'd go check out the actual 3HourProfits site. And boy am I glad I did. I was treated to the funniest "As Seen On" claim I've ever seen. Tell me if you can figure out what it is in the image below:

Funniest "As Seen On" claim ever

"Beware of Bogus Emails coming from complaintsmajdivision@complaints.bbb.org

Better Business Bureau is alerting consumers and businesses about a new phishing attack that resembles an e-mail confirmation claiming the recipient has filed a complaint with BBB about a business. The malicious e-mails first came to the attention of BBB on Thursday, October 15.

When consumers file a complaint with BBB about a business, they may often receive a confirmation e-mail and subsequent follow-up e-mails from BBB on the status of their complaint. The malicious phishing e-mail attack is designed to mimic a confirmation e-mail from BBB and includes the full name of the recipient and the name of the company they supposedly filed a complaint about.

According to reports to BBB, individuals who have received this e-mail have not actually filed a complaint with BBB but are, instead, employed by the business the e-mail claims they have filed a complaint about."

I highly recommend you read the rest of the BBB information about this phishing e-mail scheme here which shows a sample of the letter and suggests what you should do about it.

It included information about risks involved and was pretty well laid out step by step.

However, immediately after that I remember getting bombarded with direct mail from M.O.R.E. Inc. that made some extremely outrageous claims. I'm going from memory here, but I think one had to do with making a bunch of money just by "mailing two letters" and another had to do with becoming a list broker (which requires a lot of specialized knowledge to do correctly).

Apparently the outrageous claims haven't stopped according to a recent BBB review of M.O.R.E. Inc.'s advertising practices:

"Advertising Review

The company has failed to substantiate advertising claims when requested by the BBB on December 21, 2007 and February 7, 2009.
The business claims the following through mailings and faxes:

• Average customers have earned between $20,000 and $100,000 per month
• $10,000 can be earned in the first week prior to "know(ing) anything;
  and
• the referenced bonous gifts are worth $97,760.

The business has also sent out mail and fax communications stating that their firm is having "big problems" and asking the recipient to assume an equity position in their firm. The BBB requested that the business clarify the nature of the problem and they failed to do so."

Before proceeding I should mention that I don't the procedures that the  BBB uses to verify that advertising pieces are actually from the company in question and haven't been modified or created by a third party.

Also, considering that that company has been in business for 15 years, the complaint history

If this BBB report is accurate, then obviously those are some pretty bizarre claims, not to mention that if M.O.R.E. Inc. was truly offering an equity position in their firm they would possibly be violating SEC regulations on private offerings:

"B. Private Offering Exemption

Section 4(2) of the Securities Act exempts from registration "transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering." To qualify for this exemption, the purchasers of the securities must:

• have enough knowledge and experience in finance and business matters to evaluate the risks and merits of the investment (the "sophisticated investor"), or be able to bear the investment's economic risk;
• have access to the type of information normally provided in a prospectus; and
• agree not to resell or distribute the securities to the public.

In addition, you may not use any form of public solicitation or general advertising in connection with the offering.

The precise limits of this private offering exemption are uncertain. As the number of purchasers increases and their relationship to the company and its management becomes more remote, it is more difficult to show that the transaction qualifies for the exemption. You should know that if you offer securities to even one person who does not meet the necessary conditions, the entire offering may be in violation of the Securities Act.

Rule 506, another "safe harbor" rule, provides objective standards that you can rely on to meet the requirements of this exemption. Rule 506 is a part of Regulation D, which we describe more fully on page 24."

You can read the full BBB report on M.O.R.E., Inc. here

Other sites hosted on the same IP address as MoreIncorporated.com (I have not verified ownership) are:

More Inc. Domains on IP 192.220.126.50

"BBB received a call from a Yakima customer reporting that he received a call from someone with a “thick accent” stating that they were trying to get him his tax return. They took his name and birth date and said they would send him a packet. Once he received his packet he should send them $495 so they can send him $4,000 as a refund for taxes he is owed.

When BBB looked up this number online, it gave further info about these calls coming from this number. Some callers are getting a group called the US Federal Grant Services Department, stating they are from Washington DC . The scam caller gave a fake name, employee number, and file number along with a made up number to call back.  Some consumers are getting calls stating their deceased relative overpaid taxes to be refunded.  The address being given is: 200 Independent Lane, HHH Building, WA DC 20201"

Click here for MORE of this weeks tips & warnings from the BBB and what to do if you're a victim of fraud. .

“SURVEY AGENT” JOB OFFER w/ HORIZON POLLS, LLC a SCAM

HORIZON POLLS, LLC
1009 N Washington Street, Spokane, WA 99201
785 Willamette Street, Eugene, OR 97401
and Tacoma, WA 98406

Ph: 866-379-6091 FAX (866) 653-7884

A job scam using a Spokane, WA address (and other addresses, too) has come onto your BBB’s radar. The scam randomly emails people who post their resumes online (at such places as CareerBuilder.com) the offer of a “Survey Agent” position with the promise of making $1500-$3000 weekly. This scam is:

1) Using bogus addresses in various places throughout the NW
2) Using an 866# that has connections to other Nigerian-type scams
3) Offering a too-good-to-be-true salary for little or no experience
4) Misrepresenting that it is affiliated with or endorsed by the BBB. It is not."

Click here to read the FULL report about Horizon Polls, LLC, a sample of the email being set out in response to "job applications" AND a listing of other warnings.

"www iSpeedWay com aka The Internet Speedway, Inc.
Work-at-Home Program Too Ramped Up?

iSpeedway.com
1201 S. Alma School Road #15500
Mesa, AZ 85210

This company’s offer? Work from home and collect payments from customers for everything from perfume to car stereos starting off with a CD for $9.95. You first sign up to receive a "free CD" but have to pay $9.95 for shipping.

You are enrolled in the program that sets up your Web page and membership to warehouses across the nation. You are told to keep an eye on your pages, and when a sale comes through, the products would be shipped directly from the warehouses owned by iSpeedway.

The original $9.95 turns into thousands when persuaded to upgrade services to include things such as "coaching sessions" on how to manage the site and a "traffic accelerator" that supposedly increases page views.

Complaints allege that after paying the initial fee of $9.95 for the software, the product is never received or is received several weeks later. Additionally, complaints allege that although the service is cancelled within the 30 day free trial period, the company either bills the consumers for 5 payments of $69.95 or the company drafts funds from the consumers bank account without authorization. The company's website states "You do not need to know anything about HTML, computers, shopping carts or even e-commerce to design your very own professional-looking Web site using Internet Speedway's SiteBuilder. Our user-friendly Express Set Up Wizard will take you through a very simple five step process to get your Web site up and running"; however, consumers experience technical difficulties and allege the website set up is confusing. 

BBB ADVICE
This company has the BBB’s lowest rating of F. Be aware that this company's money back guarantee and refund policy on its web site states 'You can cancel your Internet Speedway hosting subscription at anytime. If you signed up under any type of payment plan and you have exceeded the 30-day trial period you will still be obligated to fulfill your entire agreement.'"

Click here to view the complete list of tips at the BBB.

Complainants allege that the Regenesis System lures in prospects with guaranteed leads and promises of individuals or "recruits" working beneath them.  Regenesis 2X2 also advertises high income potential as part of its promotions; on www.regenesis2×2.com, this company refers to itself as a "proven money making machine." However, after collecting an initial payment of $325 from potential participants, the company has left many frustrated as they wait for promises to be fulfilled.

Due to concerns with the nature of business, Regenesis 2X2 holds an "F" rating."

8/7/2009 Update:

"BEST “CAN’T FOOL ME” CALL SCENARIO
from Federal Funds Administration aka NeverGiveItBack.com

Received a call from the # 202-280-2428. Caller ID reflected "out of area". This group stated that there is free money available to me. It quickly stated that money is being distributed to your area and anyone is entitled to receive $2,500 but it is on a first-come, first-served basis.

When BBB attempted to contact this number, it is a recorded message stating that this account is not accessible, and if you have an account, login to get further info.  It does not state who you are calling, and ends the message by disconnecting."

Click here for the BBB's advice on "Free Cash" Pitches

"3hourprofits.com is an email work-at-home scam that has been using the BBB name to boost its reputation. The website claimes employees can make over $10,000 a month. The website also claims the "BBB Review rated it the number one work from home opportunity." Sorry, but there is no such thing as the BBB Review. This is a scam!"

Of interest to me are the sites where the owners apparently BELIEVED that the BBB had ranked 3HourProfits #1. How is that even remotely possible that ANYONE believe it.

But believe it they did. And who believed it?

IMReviewKings – a site owned by Brian Garvin and Jeff West – states this in their write-up of the 3HourProfits.com opportunity:

"Mr. Miller definitely leaves a lot of intrigue to find out more. Things like their sixty day program guarantee, the $2,500 bonus pay, and then of course the BBB review ranking them #1 really leaves a good taste in your mouth. "

Looks to me like these "IM Review Kings" are about to be dethroned!

Click here for the original BBB Hot Topic Alert on 3HourProfits (bottom of page)

Read the fine print or risk getting burned with Twitter work-at-home offers

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. The Better Business Bureau of the Southland warns that the large print for such offers may promise big returns but the fine print can cost them every month. BBB of the Southland serves Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties in California.

Currently millions of Americans are out of work and looking for a way to bring home a paycheck according to the most recent jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Work-at-home schemes have often preyed on unsuspecting job hunters and now Twitter is being used as a way to convince cash-strapped individuals that they can make quick and easy money.

“Twitter is the newest bright shiny object online and a perfect hook for yet another work-at-home scheme,” said Bill Mitchell, President/CEO of the Better Business Bureau of the Southland. “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.”

Unfortunately, such “Make Money With Twitter” schemes may sound risk-free but bear many red flags prompting BBB to advise job hunters to be extremely cautious.

One e-mail picked up by BBB stated: “Twitter Workers Needed ASAP, You're Hired! Make Extra Cash with Twitter; As seen on USA Today, CNN, and ABC… Apply Now!”

The e-mail links to EasyTweetProfits.com, 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. The blog also includes an image of the supposed check Derrick received for posting links on Twitter, but the exact same photo of the check has been used countless times on other phony blogs for various suspect work-at-home jobs.

The blog links to TwitterProfitHouse.com which, similar to EasyTweetProfits.com, claims you can make $250-$873 a day working at home and offers a seven-day free trial of their instructional CD-ROM, for $1.99 shipping. Again, however, reading the fine print shows that the trial period starts once the CD has been ordered and the consumer will be billed $99.99 every month if they don’t call the company to cancel.

“These Web sites have not been up for very long so, if experience has taught us anything, we know that it’s only a matter of time before the complaints start coming in,” added Mitchell. “Work-at-home schemes are like a game of whack-a-mole and new Web sites crop up practically every day.”

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 money-making 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.
• The exact same tweet touting the program is posted by many different Twitterers. The links in such tweets could lead you to scam sites or install malware onto your computer.

Click here to view the BBB warning against Twitter money-making schemes at the BBB website.