I am really, really confused now…and on so many different levels.

Let me explain…

First of all MyHomeWealth.com claims to be run by a man named Scott Davenport. However, the picture used is the same picture used as "Lanty Paul" on the AutoCashSystem site – which was discussed in the write up AutomatedWealthSystem here.

But what's more astounding is that TWO of the testimonials use images from the fake Make Money Posting Links On Google blogs discussed here. And ONE of the testimonials for MyHomeWealth uses the everpresent "editor" image from the Fake News Sites discussed here.

Stock Photo testimonial photos on MyHomeWealthSystem.com

1. Lee and Rachel Walker's testimonial: "You saved us from remortgaging"
   Click here to see "Lee and Rachel's" photo at iStockPhoto
2. Evin Hewitt's testimonial: "Thank you Scott, it has been a pleasure working with you".
   Click here to see "Evin Hewitt's" photo at iStockPhoto
3. David Cranberry's testiminial: "WOW! It really works!"
   Click here to see "David Cranberry's" photo at iStockPhoto
4. Grant & Cassie Brook's testimonial: "I handed in my resignation last week!"
   Click here to see "Grant & Cassie Brook" at iStockPhoto
5. Bill Josephs testimonial: "You will never regret this!"
   Click here to see "Bill Joseph" at iStockPhoto
6. Annie Thomas makes the amazingly prophetic statement: "Better than the real thing".
   Click here to see "Annie Thomas" at iStockPhoto
7. John Shepard: "I’ve never seen anything like this before".
   Click here to see "John Shepard" at iStockPhoto
8. Sandeep Jahred: "Unbelievable. Tripled my wages overnight".
   Click here to see "Sandee Jahred" at iStockPhoto
9. Thomas Anderson: "Not like any other programme I have ever seen".
   Click here to see Thomas at iStockPhoto
10. Brad and Shirley Scott: "Great results!"
    Click here to see "Brad and Shirley" at iStockPhoto
11. James Carter: "Wow! This site totally blew me away!"
    Click here to see "James Carter" at iStockPhoto
12. Pete and Sarah Thompson: "An absolutely amazing programme."
    Click here to see "Pete and Sarah" Thompson at iStockPhoto
13. John and Anna: "Excellent websystem."
    Click here to see John and Anna at iStockPhoto

Kevin Hoeffer and friends invade MyHomeWealthSystem!

3 of the "Testimonial photos" at MyHomeWealthSystem really stand out because they are the same stock photos used on several Kevin Hoeffer and "Make Money Posting Links On Google" sites.

1. The "John Shepard" photo was used in a full page magazine display ad to promote KevinBlogSite.org
2. The Lee and Rachel Walker photo has been seen on many "Kevin Hoeffer/Make Money Posting Links On Google" type sites
3. And "Bill Joseph" is somewhat of a fake celebrity on the Fake News Sites

Red Ferrari photo file meta-information

I'm not ready to jump to any conclusions on this yet, but I do find it interesting that the photo of the Red Ferrari was apparently edited using the Adobe ImageReady bitmap graphics editor according to analysis of it's internal meta-information at ServerSniff:

Red Ferrari Meta Info

MyHomeWealthSystem CLAIMS that leading magazines have voted it the number 1 work from home opportunity

MyHomeWealthSystem Voted Number 1?

Yes, you are reading that right. MyHomeWealthSystem claims that Fortune, BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur, Forbes, and Home Business Magazine have voted it the "number 1 work from home opportunity".

LOL!!!

Are tons of people refunding MyHomeWealthSystem?

According to MyHomeWealthSystem's own "Positions Left" counter MyHomeWealthSystem must get refunded at an alarming rate.

Check out the "Positions Left" history at MyHomeWealthSystem today…

Positions left at 6:38 PM today according to MyHomeWealthSystem:

MyHomeWealthSystem - Positions left at 6:38 PM Today

Positions left at 6:45 PM today according to MyHomeWealthSystem:

MyHomeWealthSystem - positions left 6:46

Positions left at 6:48 PM today according to MyHomeWealthSystem:

MyHomeWealthSystem - positions left at 6:48

So according to MyHomeWealthSystem's own "Positions Remaining" counter, 10 people refunded the product in 10 minutes – or 1 refund/minute. If that were a consistent rate it would be 1,440 refunds per day, 10,080 refunds a week, and 524,160 refunds a year!

I mean…unless it's a fake counter or something crazy like that….nah…it has to be real…right?

Get My Home Wealth System for $9.95 – if for some bizarre reason you actually want it

To prove to you how valuable My Home Wealth System is they offer it at various discounts. I got the following page that offered it to me for a $40.00 discount:

My Home Wealth System 40 Dollar Discount

Don't ask me how you get the $40.00 discount on MyHomeWealthSystem. You just have to poke around for a while. Also, don't ask me why in the world you would even want the $40.00 discount.

If anyone would like to report their experience with the product, please be sure to include an iStockPhoto picture of yourself in your comment.

Thank you.

As CMLP notes:

"Today, it's settled law that website operators are protected even if they change the content of users' postings. The leading case interpreting Section 230, Zeran v. America Online, Inc., 129 F.3d 327, 330 (4th Cir. 1997), held that “lawsuits seeking to hold a service provider liable for its exercise of a publisher's traditional editorial functions — such as deciding whether to publish, withdraw, postpone or alter content — are barred” (emphasis added). Since Zeran, numerous courts have reaffirmed the principle. The Ninth Circuit, in Batzel v. Smith, 333 F.3d 1018 (9th Cir. 2003), held that “minor alterations” did not cost a website operator his immunity when posting another's email message."

So what about the limits?

CMLP notes: "Section 230's broad grant of immunity does have its limits. Most critically, it won't help you if you change a comment in a way that creates defamatory meaning that wasn't there before."

So what about sites like The Salty Droid? What's going on there?

My guess is one of three things – after all the owner does claim to be a lawyer, so is likely relying on:

1) Truth As An Absolute Defense to Defamation – visit Electronic Frontier Foundation's guide on defamation here for details.

Of note is the following from their Blogger's Legal Guide:

"Is there a difference between reporting on public and private figures?

2) The "Acorn Blunder Effect"

OK. I don't know if there's a real name for this, but it is used by law enforcement at times…it has to do with the consequences of filing lawsuits that will lead to virtually unlimited discovery that  was discussed in CMLP's commentary on the lawsuit called "I Can Clearly See You're Nuts: Acorn's Insane Civil Suite" in which CMLP points out…

"The American system allows for liberal discovery requests for the parties in civil litigation. Now recall that ACORN has been the subject of numerous controversies, including claims of embezzlement and voter registration fraud. And the other parties in this case are FILMMAKERS and an ONLINE MEDIA OUTLET. Does ACORN really have nothing to hide?"

3) Some legal stuff about just spouting off "opinions"

There's some legal stuff about people just spouting off "opinions" not being held to the same standard as "defamation" that I don't really understand, so I don't have any great references for that.

So, when The Droid makes posts like StomperNet Shit Storm or Inside Dot Con Secrets – don't think for a moment he or she is doing it for fear of facing a "legal battle".  After all, it seems like it would be super-easy to take care of that through a lawsuit and formal discovery process.

The more likely scenario is that he or she knows that when it comes to the risks of such potential lawsuits – the odds are stacked in his or her favor as to what each party has to gain or lose.

Just as former World Chess champion Tigran Petrosian (The Iron Tiger) demonstrated time and time again:

"Often the best offense is a great defense"…and "he only attacked when he felt secure and his greatest strength was in defence." (Botvinnik)

Related:

• Reflections On StomperNet
• Jury Decides Against Plaintiff In Truth + Malice Internet Defamation Case
• StomperNet Exposed

Scams Prey on Victims of the Recession With Bogus Job, Money-Making Schemes
The Federal Trade Commission today announced a new crackdown on con artists who are preying on unemployed Americans with job-placement and work-at-home scams, promoting empty promises that they can help people get jobs in the federal government, as movie extras, or as mystery shoppers; or make money working from their homes stuffing envelopes or assembling ornaments.

FTC Warning About Job Scams:

With the U.S. unemployment rate just under 10 percent, the FTC is redoubling its efforts to put a stop to these schemes, which make life even more difficult for hundreds of thousands of Americans already wrestling with the economic downturn.

Video 1 of the FTC Press Conference – Operation Bottom Dollar

As part of the law enforcement sweep announced today, dubbed “Operation Bottom Dollar,” the FTC has filed seven cases against the operators of deceptive and illegal job and money-making scams and announced developments in four previously filed job scam cases. In addition, the sweep includes 43 criminal actions by the Department of Justice, many involving the substantial assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, as well as one additional civil action by the Postal Inspection Service and 18 actions by state attorneys general.

Video 2 of the FTC Press Conference – Operation Bottom Dollar

During a joint press conference today at the FTC, David C. Vladeck, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, was joined by Tony West, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice; Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray; and a Grandview, Texas, job seeker who lost money to a company that made false promises of full-time work with benefits. The FTC also announced partnerships with the online job placement service Monster.com, the search engine Bing, by Microsoft, and the centralized network of online communities Craigslist, to help job seekers recognize job scams so they can avoid being victimized. Monster, Careerbuilder, Bing and Craigslist will display FTC consumer education material to people who are using the companies’ Web sites to look for jobs.

Video 3 of the FTC Press Conference – Operation Bottom Dollar

“Federal and state law enforcement officials will not tolerate those who take advantage of
consumers in times of economic misfortune,” Vladeck said. “If you falsely advertise that you will connect people with jobs or with opportunities for them to make money working from home, we will shut you down. We will give your assets to the people you scammed, and, when
it’s appropriate, we’ll refer you to criminal authorities for prosecution.”

“Employment and business opportunity fraud causes terrible hardship to those who are suffering the most in these difficult economic times,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney General Tony West. “The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting those who defraud through false promises of employment or financial success.”

To help consumers avoid being conned by employment scams, the FTC has produced a new consumer education video in English and Spanish. Still shots from the Web sites of some of the operators charged in this law enforcement sweep, as well as video footage of FTC Consumer Protection Director Vladeck, and Monica Vaca, an Assistant Director in the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices, will also be available. To view them, go ftc.gov/jobscams and youtube.com/ftcvideos. For access to higher resolution versions, visit aperturefilms.com/ftc or contact the FTC’s Office of Public Affairs.

Operation Bottom Dollar: FTC Law Enforcement Actions

The FTC announced seven new cases against promoters of the job and money-making scams, including one that victimized more than 100,000 people. This brings to 11 the number of cases the agency has brought since last spring challenging these types of operations. In each case, the FTC got a court order temporarily barring these operators from continuing their deceptive, illegal tactics and freezing their assets. The FTC also is asking the courts for permanent orders that would allow the agency to try to get money back to reimburse victims. In two of the matters announced today, criminal authorities executed search warrants, and arrested the two operators of one of the businesses.

In the law enforcement actions announced today, the FTC charged that:

Government Careers Inc. and three principals preyed on job seekers since at least March 2009 by running deceptive ads on job Web sites. Government Careers claimed it could help people get postal, border patrol, and wildlife jobs as well as administrative support and clerical positions with the federal government. It told people they could get these jobs if they paid $119 for study materials, which would allow them to pass any required test with a score of 95 percent or better. But according to the FTC complaint, those who paid the fee found that there are no exams for the positions they sought, or that the supposed job vacancies did not exist. The company also hawked career counseling services, charging $965 for services like resume editing and employment exam preparation. Although the defendants said that consumers would not have to pay the fee until they got a government job, the defendants demanded payment before consumers obtained the promised jobs. The Arizona Attorney General’s Office is the FTC’s co-plaintiff in this case, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona. After the court issued a temporary restraining order, the defendants agreed to an interim order that prohibits any alleged misconduct pending resolution of the case.

Real Wealth, Inc. and its principal allegedly conned more than 100,000 people by selling them booklets that supposedly explained how they could earn money by applying for government grants and working from home mailing postcards and envelopes. Using direct mail campaigns that sometimes targeted the elderly and disabled, Real Wealth lured consumers, according to the FTC complaint, with deceptive solicitations such as “Collect up to $9,250 with my simple 3 minute form” or “All I do is mail 30 postcards everyday and I make an extra $350 a week!” Real Wealth also claimed that consumers could “rake in up to $1,500+ per week or more in solid cash” by learning “secrets” about the “$700 billion banking industry bailout.” This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. After the court issued a temporary restraining order, the defendants agreed to an interim order that prohibits any alleged misconduct pending resolution of the case.

Darling Angel Pin Creations and two principals allegedly claimed on the Internet and in newspaper advertisements that by purchasing a starter kit, consumers could earn up to $500 per week assembling angel pins, and that no experience, special tools, or sewing skills were required. Consumers paid between $22 and $45 to get started, and sometimes paid hundreds more for the supplies they would need to make the pins. However, according to the FTC’s complaint, there was a catch: Consumers were required to have one of their assembled angel pins approved by the company before they could make any money – but the company rejected nearly all the angel pins consumers submitted, no matter how well-made. The FTC charged that the defendants made false and baseless claims that consumers could earn substantial income from angel pin assembly, when in fact they could not. This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division. After the court issued a temporary restraining order, the court issued interim orders with regard to all the defendants in the case prohibiting further misconduct.

Abili-Staff, Ltd., two principals, and a related entity sold supposed work-at-home opportunities online. Billing itself as a “scam free” and “legitimate” job search service, Abili-Staff sold supposedly pre-screened lists of jobs, telling consumers they could access the lists after paying a fee ranging from $29.98 to $89.99, according to the FTC’s complaint. The FTC alleged that defendants falsely told consumers they would have unlimited access to more than 1,000 work-at-home job listings, and that they would get their money back if they did not get a job. This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division. The court issued a temporary restraining order pending a preliminary injunction hearing held February 16-17, 2010.

Entertainment Work, Inc. and two principals marketed memberships in a Web site that was supposed to list jobs as movie extras, jobs on television, or jobs in print media. By telemarketing and placing advertisements on Web sites and in newspapers across the country, the defendants sold trial memberships for $19.95 to $24.95, and automatically converted those into annual memberships for an additional fee of $80 after two weeks, according to the FTC complaint. The FTC charged that Entertainment Work deceptively claimed consumers would find entertainment and media jobs near where they lived, without regard to their experience, skills, or appearance. The complaint also charged that the company failed to disclose that to cancel their membership, people would have to pay an additional fee or undertake a burdensome process. This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The defendants have agreed to an interim court order that immediately halts the alleged misconduct.

Independent Marketing Exchange, Inc. and its principal allegedly made false earnings claims, and additional misrepresentations in the course of selling a smorgasbord of work-at-home opportunities, including an envelope mailing opportunity, a postcard mailing opportunity, and a mystery shopper opportunity. Their deceptive practices have injured numerous consumers, including stay-at-home and single mothers. The FTC’s complaint alleged that the defendants falsely represented to consumers that they could make substantial amounts of money. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court in the District of New Jersey. After the court issued a temporary restraining order, the defendants agreed to an interim order pending a further hearing.

Preferred Platinum Services Network and the husband-and-wife team who owned and operated it allegedly marketed a work-from-home scheme in which consumers were told they could earn significant sums by labeling postcards describing a non-existent product promoted by Preferred Platinum called “mortgage accelerator.” Advertised in local pennysavers and newspaper classified sections, and at the defendants’ Web site, the scheme touted earnings of up to $1 per postcard, as well as a 60-day money-back guarantee. Consumers paid an enrollment fee of $80 to $90, and they typically did not learn until later that they would have to pay $40 more for each additional batch of 100 postcards, according to the FTC complaint. At the same time this matter was filed, criminal authorities executed search warrants on the business and arrested the husband-and-wife team, charging each of them with one count of mail fraud. This case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The court issued a temporary restraining order, followed by a preliminary injunction on February 16, 2010. Both individual defendants also have been indicted by a grand jury.

In addition to the seven cases announced today, since last summer, the FTC has settled or litigated four law enforcement actions stemming from employment and work-at-home scams:

Job Safety USA. Principal Wagner Ramos Borges allegedly systematically offered phony jobs to people seeking maintenance and cleaning work. The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland Greenbelt Division, issued a default judgment ordering Borges to pay $414,900 – which is the estimated amount of his profits during the period covered by the FTC complaint. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/shortchange.shtm

Career Hotline, Inc. Career Hotline took money from job seekers by guaranteeing them jobs that paid at least $25,000 per year, according to the FTC complaint. The federal court in the Middle District of Florida issued a default judgment against Career Hotline ordering the company to pay $75,000, which is the estimated amount of money job seekers lost to this scam. In addition, the company’s principal, Susan Bright, reached a settlement with the FTC that prohibits her from deceiving consumers about job availability, salaries, access to interviews, job listings and refunds. The settlement order also includes a suspended judgment against her because she is financially unable to pay, but the full judgment will become due immediately if Bright misrepresented her financial condition. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/08/hotline.shtm

Penbrook Productions. The FTC complaint alleged that in this online scam, principal Michael Allen Brooks used fictional spokesperson “Angela Penbrook” to entice consumers to become “certified” rebate processors, supposedly earning as much as $225 per hour. A settlement approved February 10, 2010 by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California requires the defendants to pay $125,000 within 10 days, plus a significant additional amount from assets they own that are to be liquidated. The settlement bars the defendants from making or assisting others to make deceptive claims in connection with work-at-home, franchise, or business opportunities. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/shortchange

International Marketing and principal Zolio Cruz Carrion falsely promised Spanish- speaking consumers substantial income for stuffing envelopes, and was charged in an FTC complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico in 2008. The court granted the FTC’s motion to hold Cruz in contempt for failing to comply with an earlier order and briefly jailed him for contempt. It also prohibited him from marketing any business, employment, investment or work-at-home opportunity. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/12/intermarketing.shtm

The FTC would like to acknowledge the assistance of: AARP’s Legal Counsel for the Elderly; United States Postal Inspection Service, Tampa Field Office; Better Business Bureaus of Southern Arizona, West Florida, New Jersey, the Southland (Southern California), and Coastal, Central, & Southwest Texas; U.S. Attorneys for the Southern District of New York, New Jersey and Western District of Missouri; Attorney General’s Offices of Florida, New Jersey and Pennsylvania; Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service; Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, Securities Division Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs; Ocean County New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs; and the Tucson Police Department.

The enforcement actions announced today named the following defendants: Government Careers Inc. – Jon Coover; Richard Friedberg; and Rimona Friedberg. Abili-Staff, Ltd. – Pamela Barthuly; Jorg Becker; and Equitron, LLC. Darling Angel Pin Creations, Inc. – Shelly R. Olson and Judith C. Mendez; d/b/a/Angel Pin Creations. Entertainment Work, Inc. – Jason Barnes and Racquelle Barnes; d/b/a Resource Publishing Co. Independent Marketing Exchange, Inc. – Wayne Verderber, II, d/b/a as National Data Management, N.D.M., Global Mailing Services, G.M.S., Independent Mailing Services, Independent Mailing Services, Inc., I.M.S., Independent Shoppers Network, Independent Shoppers, Success At Home, Success-At-Home Mailing, IMEX, IMEX, Inc., and Continental Publishing Company. Preferred Platinum Services Network – Rosalie Florie; d/b/a Home Based Associate Program and PPSN, LLC. and Philip D. Pestrichello, individually. Real Wealth, Inc. – Lance Murkin; doing business as American Financial Publications, Emerald Press, Financial Research, National Mail Order Press, Pacific Press, United Financial Publications, Wealth Research Group, and Wealth Research Publications.

NOTE: The Commission authorizes the filing of complaints when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. A complaint is not a finding or ruling that the defendants have actually violated the law. Stipulated final orders are for settlement purposes only and do not constitute an admission by the defendants of a law violation. A stipulated final order requires approval by the court and has the force of law when signed by the judge.

Copies of the documents related to these cases are available from the FTC’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,700 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

Here's a link to a screenshot Strangely has provided:

Is Pacific WebWorks the next Google-Killer?

Here's what Strangely says about the screenshot:

"Q. So why the screenshot?
A. Check out to the right of the screendump. You’ll see a section labelled “Competitors Compensation”, meaning something that the Business Week website sees as a competitor for PWW. It then goes on to list the salaries of the CEOs etc of these “competitors""

You can read Strangely's full post here:

http://strangelyperfect.tv/5146/more-on-google-profits-and-pacific-webworks/

This may explain why Google is allowing Pacific WebWorks to continue advertising on Google Adwords despite the claims that PWW perpetuated "Internet scams on unsuspecting consumers using the trusted Google brand" and have engaged in a "Scheme To Defraud The Public Using Google's Marks".

It also may be the REAL reason Google wanted to co-operate with Pacific Webworks.

All this nansy-pansy nonsense about Google trying to track down the identities of the "John Doe" websites as a reason for entering an agreement with Pacific Webworks is an OBVIOUS cover-up.

The real reason OF COURSE because Pacific WebWorks is positioned to completely knock Google off it's rockers and become the next BIG search giant!!!

1. A gigantic ReadWriteWeb logo at the top of the page.
2. A little thing called an ADDRESS BAR which had readwriteweb.com in it

It got so bad that ReadWriteWeb had to put a huge message at the top of the screen stating:

"Dear visitors from Google. This site is not Facebook. This is a website called ReadWriteWeb that reports on news about Facebook and other Internet services."

And also included the following helpful "tip":

"For future reference, type "facebook.com" into your browser address bar or enter "facebook" into Google and click on the first result. We recommend that you then save Facebook as a bookmark in your browser."

A friend of mine thought this was the funniest thing he'd ever seen and demanded I view it immediately.

What he didn't know was how much me and many OTHER websites reporting on internet scams have already experienced this phenomenon.

We get people demanding refunds from us on products we are WARNING them about at an alarming rate…in other words the fact that MANY people DO NOT READ carefully at all while online is OLD NEWS to us.

I get emails and posts on the blog on a regular basis from people stating things like:

"IMMEDIATELY CANCEL MY MEMBERSHIP.
ANY ATTEMPS ON YOUR PART TO CHARGE MY CREDIT CARD WILL RESULT IN CRIMINAL CHARGES BEING FILED"

To which I respond:

"You're writing to the wrong website.
You're writing to a site that WARNS
people about scams and helps them
recover money.
 
What product are you talking about. Maybe
I can help you figure out what to do to get
your money back.
 
Paul Schlegel
Founder, WorkAtHomeTruth.com"

The site at IveTriedThat has experienced the same phenomenon and wrote an entire post about it here:

We are not running a Google scam. You're currently reading IveTriedThat.

In which they go on to explain:

"That’s right. People are landing on our website, reading our warnings to not give any money or information to these scammers, then they somehow are lead to believe that we are the ones operating these websites. How? I honestly have no idea. Maybe it was this line that was causing confusion: “Don’t do business with Google Treasure Chest and most certainly do not give them your private information."

Or how about the parody site MakeMoneyPostingALinkOnGoogle.com which is OBVIOUSLY a parody site since the Kevin Hoeffner at the site claims that he made 10 BILLION Dollars Posting A Link On Google…but STILL received the following comments:

"Joey here…Why do you promote such scams like this…You and Kevin are such scumbags. (You can see Kevin’s website @ http://www.blogspersonal.com/?1=pt&2=clks&3=1222#), which has similar information regarding Google.

ALL OF THIS IS A SCAM….DON’T DO IT. THEY WILL STEAL YOUR LIFE FORTUNE…..THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS…."

By the way, is there a corollation between people who don't pay attention online and those who type in GIGANTIC ALL-CAPS?

Anyhow, a few final tips…

Right now you are on the site WorkAtHomeTruth. Here are a few ways you can tell:

It SAYS SO in the Address Bar:

It SAYS SO in GIGANTIC letters at the top of the site:

Anyhow, thanks for visiting ReadWriteWeb.

• Facebook Wants to Be Your One True Login

The bottom seven of this year's rankings, first to last, are Bank of America, Chase, Capital One, TD/Commerce, Fifth Third, Citibank, and in last place, HSBC."

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Related:

• 2/5/2010 Cuomo sues Bank Of America, Even As It Settles With The S.E.C.
• 1/25/2010 – No Mortgages, Still Foreclosed? Bank Of America Sued For Seizing Wrong Homes
• 1/15/2010 – Bragar Wexler Eagel & Squire, P.C. Announces Filing of Class Action Lawsuit on Behalf of Option Investors Against Bank of America – BAC
• 8/3/2009 Bank of America Settles Suit Over Merrill Deal
• 1/16/2009 – Bank Of America Receives Another 20 Billion from U.S. Bailout Fund

Related:

Closson Vs. Bank Of America Settlement Website – Bank Of America To Pay $35 Million:

"The lawsuit claims Bank of America encouraged its customers to use Bank of America debit cards and increased the number of fees charged to customers using Bank of America debit cards through the order in which such transactions are posted and the account balance information it provides. The lawsuit also claims that Bank of America authorizes debit card transactions that will result in overdraft fees; fails to warn customers that specific debit card transactions may result in overdrawn accounts; posts debit card and other transactions in high-to-low order; and provides account balance information to customers that is not current, accurate or as advertised. In addition, the lawsuit claims that Bank of America’s customer agreements are unconscionable, and that Bank of America does not provide customers with copies of account agreements until after they open their accounts"

Click here to visit ClossonSettlement.com

Related:

Bank of America wins appeal on overdraft fees

The California Supreme Court overturned a billion-dollar class-action award against Bank of America Corp. ruling that banks can collect overdraft fees from accounts in which government benefits intended for subsistence are directly deposited.

From The Los Angeles Times:

The California Supreme Court overturns a 2004 class-action award to Social Security recipients from whose accounts the bank took fees for insufficient funds.

"Requiring banks to dishonor checks can harm the customer's credit rating, result in the customer's incurring fees and affect the customer's relationship with merchants," Justice Carlos R. Moreno wrote for the court.

James C. Sturdevant, who represented the Social Security recipients said the court's ruling would punish the poor.

"They don't have a credit rating," he said. "These are the poorest of the poor. They live on $800 a month."

Click here to read the full story at the Los Angeles Times

"Related:

• Consumer complaints about Bank Of America at ConsumerAffairs.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Does small business ownership help increase a household’s overall well-being? One way to look at this is to examine how the income and wealth of households owning small businesses changed in the most recent economic expansion and recovery period. That task was undertaken in a study just released by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy.

“The report released today finds that households owning small firms in the 1998-2007period were more likely than other households to be in the top 50 percent in income and wealth,” said Susan M. Walthall, Acting Chief Counsel for Advocacy. “It will be important to continue to examine this data series to assess the well-being of small businesses in the current economic environment.”

Income and Wealth: How Did Households Owning Small Businesses Fare from 1998 to 2007? by George W. Haynes, updates previous Advocacy-sponsored studies and is based on additional data from the 2007 Survey of Consumer Finances. Household income is the sum of wages, salaries, interest, dividends, asset sales, rents, and other income sources. Household wealth is estimated by generating a balance sheet subtracting total liabilities from total assets. Findings include the following:

Households owning any business were significantly more likely to be high income earners in 2007 than in 1998; the largest percentage gain was among owners with more than one business.
In the latter part of the period—between 2004 and 2007—the likelihood that households owning a small business had a high income increased by 4.2 percent and the likelihood that they had a high level of wealth increased by more than 20 percent, compared with increases of 2.1 and 5.2 percent, respectively, in households not owning businesses.
 
The characteristics of households and businesses were somewhat different in 1998 than in 2007. By 2007, high income households were headed by younger people, while higher wealth households were headed by older people.
From 1998 to 2007, households not owning a business increased real mean wealth by just under 40 percent; the comparable increase for those owning a small business was 63.4 percent.

For a copy of the study, visit the Office of Advocacy website at www.sba.gov/advo.

FTC Testifies About Stepped-Up Efforts to Protect Consumers Affected by the Economic Downturn
The Federal Trade Commission today told the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation that the agency has stepped up efforts to protect consumers affected by the economic downtown, and that additional authority would make the agency even more effective.

The testimony presented by FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz described the agency’s efforts to prosecute financial fraud and deception, including working with states to bring hundreds of cases against mortgage relief scams in 2009. The testimony also discussed the FTC’s rulemaking and consumer education initiatives, how additional authority will enhance the agency’s effectiveness, and the FTC’s perspective on recent proposals to create a consumer financial protection agency as part of a broader reform of the financial services regulatory system.

As stated in the testimony, during the past five years the FTC has targeted financial services providers in more than 100 actions and, over the past decade, obtained nearly half a billion dollars in redress for consumers. As the economic downturn has taken hold, the FTC’s highest priority has become targeting frauds that prey on consumers made vulnerable by the financial crisis. The agency has shifted more of its consumer protection staff to the area of financial services, while continuing to carry out its broader consumer protection mission. In addition to prosecuting mortgage foreclosure and loan modification scams – with our state attorney general partners bringing more than 200 lawsuits last year – the FTC has targeted a variety of other deceptive and fraudulent schemes, including those in mortgage servicing, debt relief services, credit repair, economic stimulus scams, debt collection, advance-fee loans, payday lending, and credit card marketing, as well as fake get-rich-quick schemes, work-at-home offers, and job-hunting ads.

Describing other FTC efforts in the financial area, the testimony noted that it is in the process of formulating new rules to address unfair or deceptive practices in:

1. Mortgage relief services
2. Mortgage advertising and servicing
3. Debt relief services

Also, in conjunction with the federal banking agencies, the FTC is considering additional rules to protect the privacy of consumers’ sensitive financial information. The testimony also recounted the FTC’s many
education campaigns to help consumers manage their resources and avoid scams, including a major effort on mortgage relief services scams.

According to the testimony, new enforcement and regulatory tools would strengthen the FTC’s ability to anticipate and respond to financial fraud. The agency encourages Congress to give it explicit authority to act against those who assist others they know, or consciously avoid knowing, are engaged in unfair or deceptive practices under the FTC Act. The FTC has asked Congress for authority to use more efficient rulemaking procedures to address consumer protection issues and enhance the agency’s ability to stop financial fraud. In addition, the FTC would like the authority to seek civil penalties for violations of the FTC Act, and to prosecute civil penalty cases in federal court in its own name so that it can bring cases more quickly and more effectively.

Regarding President Obama’s proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency, the testimony expressed FTC support for the goal of making consumer financial protection more effective while ensuring that the FTC’s authority and ability to protect consumers remains uneroded and clear. The FTC should remain active and effective in policing financial and nonfinancial products and services.

The Commission vote authorizing the testimony was 4-0. Commissioner Kovacic dissents from that portion of the testimony that seeks across-the-board authority for the Commission to use, for promulgating all rules respecting unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act, the notice and comment procedures of the Administrative Procedure Act, although he would be willing to consider whether all the procedures currently required to issue, repeal, or amend these rules are necessary. Commissioner Kovacic also dissents from the Commission's endorsement of across-the-board civil penalty authority.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,700 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray

A job seeker who lost money to a scam

Also attending will be representatives of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Monster.com, and Microsoft
 
WHEN: Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 11 a.m.
 
WHERE: Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Room 432
Washington, DC
Call-in Information: The toll-free phone number (in the U.S. and Canada) is (866) 363-9013, the confirmation number is 55572813, and the chairperson is Gail Kingsland. The lines, which are for media only, will open at 10:45 a.m. EST. Please reference the confirmation number when joining the call.
 
VIDEO: A new FTC consumer education video, available in English and
Spanish, tells anyone looking for work how to steer clear of a job scam. Still shots from the Web sites of some of the operators charged in this law enforcement sweep, as well as video footage of Consumer Protection Director Vladeck, and Monica Vaca, an Assistant Director in the Division of Marketing Practices, will also be available. They can be downloaded at aperturefilms.com/ftc when the press conference begins.
PRESS CONTACT: FTC Office of Public Affairs
202-326-2180

"Internet users are more educated and suspicious than ever before but, according to a survey conducted in October for storage software giant EMC's RSA security division, they're still falling victim to phishing scams at a higher rate than ever before."

I've seen a lot of cross-border fraud when doing reports at the WorkAtHomeTruth.  And I've seen a lot of REALLY smart people fall for the scams.

Now much of the time it is still people who want something for nothing. But at times it's merely a case of the criminals being very, very good at what they do.

Again eSecurityPlanet reports:

"Law enforcement agencies and security software experts alike are astounded by the growing sophistication and organization of hacking and phishing operations that have managed to extend their illegal operations around the globe."

Click here for the full report about the increase in internet scams despite the emphasis being put on education.

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• Due Diligence – Bad Advice