"Felix Rodriguez" - a.k.a. iStock Photo 000006808979

"Felix Rodriguez" – a.k.a. iStockPhoto 000006808979 loves DataMoneyOnline so much that he wants to MARRY it!

Testimonial roundup at DataMoneyOnline

• "Felix Rodriguez" – currently married to DataMoneyOnline.com (happily I presume)
• "Linda Liu" who tells us that she was "ready not to believe"
• "Dorothy Gale" who requested not to be quoted (I guess not even fictitious characters have rights these days, since DataMoneyOnline quoted her anyhow)
• "Alexa Nichols" who asks the quite foreboding question, "Now who’s an idiot, huh?"
• "Livvy Feldman" who threw away her entire career as a web designer after stumbling across the DataMoneyOnline.com website.
• And…"Stu T. James" – his buddies call him "Stu". Actually I don't know what his buddies call him since his name probably isn't "Stu T. James", but if it was "Stu T. James" they'd probably call him "Stu".

Was the "Gene Truman" photo stolen?

I couldn't find the photo of founder "Gene Truman" on any stock photo sites, but the photo itself looks oddly familiar…I think it may be the photo of a member of a well-known marketing forum, but I haven't been able to pinpoint it yet. However, as you'll see later, if that IS the case the most likely explanation is that the photo was stolen.

What about video testimonials at DataMoneyOnline?

I know what you're thinking. Surely those video testimonials at DataMoneyOnline must be real, right? Right?

Video Testimonial Project on Elance

Pay close attention to the Job Description – especially the following part:

"I will give you a script you will have to memorize and speak out on a simple web cam."

NOTE: I have no proof that this is what DataMoneyOnline did, but apparently it is something that is done. Remember I found THREE such projects just quickly searching ONE freelance marketplace.

But fair is fair, right? After all DataMoneyOnline PROMISES not to charge you until you make money according to their Terms (sort of, anyhow):

"DataMoneyOnline.com is a unique program which guarantees that its members will make money within 24 hours of completion of the step-by-step free trial contained within the training program. Our system is designed to track the progress of our members as they complete each step of the training scheme – we will come to know when a User starts to make money using the system. It is only then that we will charge the card details provided by the User at the time of signing up for the free trial. We would like reinforce:

1. The User gives us the authority to charge their card as soon as he/she starts to make money using our program.
2. Submitting his/her cards details at the time of registration for the free trial acts as permission for the above clause.
3. No further permission/intimation will be required before charging the card.
4. We are permitted to charge the card only once.
5. We will not attempt to charge the card any further once the membership fee has been gained.
6. We will discard all personal data related to the card as soon as it has been charged, and will in no manner store it within our systems.

Since the User’s cards are charged only after money has started to be made, we cannot issue a refund once the card has been charged.

The above guarantee is applicable only if the User completes all the steps of the training within 24 hours of logging in to their account. All trials will be settled permanently if the User does not completes the training within 24 hours time frame, irrespective of making money or not."

OK. I know that sounds scary, but really look how easy it is…DataMoneyOnline even includes a 5 minute video RIGHT on their sales page that shows you how to make $1,000s! Here's a screenshot of it:

Just watch this easy 5 minute "Terms of Use Violation" static screenshot!

Hmm. OK. Maybe that wasn't the best example. But anyhow, apparently it's really easy to make thousands of dollars really, really fast.

Not to worry, you can easily resolve any dispute you might have via a quick trip to Kolkata, West Bengal, India according to their privacy policy (umm, why is that section in their privacy policy)? Here you go:

"Governing law

This policy and the use of this Site are governed by Indian law. If a dispute arises under this Policy we agree to first try to resolve it with the help of a mutually agreed-upon mediator in the following location: Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Any costs and fees other than attorney fees associated with the mediation will be shared equally by each of us.

If it proves impossible to arrive at a mutually satisfactory solution through mediation, we agree to submit the dispute to binding arbitration at the following location: Kolkata, West Bengal, India, under the rules of the American Arbitration Association. Judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitration may be entered in any court with jurisdiction to do so."

I'm booking MY refund-getting flight NOW!

Checking prices on roundtrip flights to Kolkata

 This is a no-brainer. I would merely need to spend $1270.00 to pursue my $197.00 refund. Easy-peasy!

This could be ME pursuing my $197.00 refund!

This all seemed so familiar…

I had a nagging feeling throughout analyzing DataMoneyOnline that a lot of it seemed very familiar. But I checked through the WorkAtHomeTruth site and couldn't find any research I had done on DataMoneyOnline.

However, after a bit more digging I figured out what was going on.

There is another site I reviewed a while back called MakeMoneyStudio (reviewed here) which was loaded with stock photo testimonials.

Taking a look at nameservers, it turns out that both DataMoneyOnline.com and MakeMoneyStudio.com are sharing the following nameservers:

• ns1.datamoneyonline.com
• ns2.datamoneyonline.com

DataMoneyOnline.com name servers

MakeMoneyStudio.com name servers

Is this the work of ongoing marketing menace Vipul Gupta?

About a year ago I recall running across some questionable "Data Entry" sites run by someone allegedly named Vipul Gupta who seemed to be operating out of West Bengal, India.

Sure enough, DataEntryCompany.com not only shares the same name servers as DataMoneyOnline.com and MakeMoneyStudio.com:

DNS info for DataEntryCompany.com

DNS Info for DataEntryCorp.com

AND registrant information for DataEntryCompany.com is:

Domain Name: DATAENTRYCOMPANY.COM

Registrant:
    Eknowledge Marketing
    Vipul Gupta        (vipulkrgupta@gmail.com)
    AE 90, Rabindrapally
    Kestopur
    Kolkata
    West Bengal,700102
    IN

Which looks suspiciously similar to the registrant information for MakeMoneyStudio.com:

Domain Name: MAKEMONEYSTUDIO.COM

Registrant:
    eKnowledge Marketing
    eKnowledge Marketing        (eknowledgemarketing@gmail.com)
    Cj-129, Salt lake
    Kolkata
    null,700091
    IN

Bottom line: Avoid DataMoneyOnline.com

Where to file complaints:

• Federal Trade Commission – FTCComplaintAssistant.gov
• Internet Crime Complaint Center – IC3.gov
• Attorneys General offices of your State and the State out of which the company is operating - Use the NAAG list here
• Better Business Bureau – BBB Complaint Form

Filing disputes with your Credit Card company or Bank:

You can typically find out how to file disputes with your credit card company on the back of your billing statement and you can also read up about filing disputes with your credit card or bank at HelpWithYourBank.gov.

DataMoneyOnline.com takes off after the FTC crackdown

 Final note: Once again we see an extremely questionable site taking off like crazy just after the FTC Operation ShortChange crack down. DataMoneyOnline is shon trending towards 1 MILLION Unique visitors per month.