Scam or NOT – Don’t let them Scam You

We would like to send out an update on the company DNA – Data Network Affiliates. Their program would appear to be free to join at first glance but what you get for free is really not much at all. In their free program you are paid “UP TO” $2 a month for each person your bring into the program underneath you.

What we have recently found out is that “UP TO” rarely happens. The company takes all the income it has made from advertisements on the site and divides it evenly to all plates entered. So your actual amount per plate can be anywhere from 1 cent to 10 cents per license plate.

After meeting with a few members thus far its been around 2 cents per plate. Furthermore that residual income only applies to the initial month a free member is beneath you. In order to collect money each month you have to pay $129 and 29 per month just to get paid on your first level. To get paid each month on all 10 levels you must personaly sponsor 10 others that pay the $129 and $29 per month. Even then you are still only making “UP TO” $2 per person you bring in.

This is truely a scam, stay away from DNA Data Network Affiliates. If you want to get paid to enter license plates go to http://www.ispyplates.com and learn about CSI.

The FDIC has received numerous reports of a fraudulent e-mail that has the appearance of being sent by the FDIC. 

The subject line of the e-mail states: “Check your Bank Deposit Insurance Coverage.”  The e-mail tells recipients that “You have received this message because you are a holder of a FDIC-insured bank account. Recently FDIC has officially named the bank you have opened your account with as a failed bank, thus, taking control of its assets.” 

The e-mail then asks recipients to “Visit the official FDIC website and perform the following steps to check your Deposit Insurance Coverage,” complete with a fake link to the Web site. It then instructs recipients to “Download and open your personal FDIC Insurance File to check your Deposit Insurance Coverage.”

This e-mail and associated Web site are fraudulent. Recipients should consider the intent of this e-mail as an attempt to collect personal or confidential information, some of which may be used to gain unauthorized access to online banking services or to conduct identity theft. 

The FDIC does not issue unsolicited e-mails to consumers. Financial institutions and consumers should NOT follow the link in the fraudulent e-mail.

These and other products making bogus claims to prevent or treat H1N1 flu are flooding the Internet as scam artists prey on the public’s fears while the vaccine is delayed and real Tamiflu is rationed.

Every problem, it would seem, is a sales opportunity. Some of the products appear to have been pitched for other emergencies, such as one called “Quake Kare” and masks and purifiers sold during the SARS scare.

Federal officials have sent warning letters to promoters of more than 140 H1N1 flu-related products, including well-known alternative medicine advocate Dr. Andrew Weil for his “Immune Support Formula.”

Consumer Reports also has warned subscribers to be wary.

“It’s harmful, disappointing, frustrating to see folks take advantage of the public like this,” said Dr. John Santa, who evaluates health claims for Consumer Reports.

Fraudulent products emerged shortly after H1N1 flu did in the spring — about 10 a day, said Alyson Saben, head of a H1N1 flu consumer fraud team formed by the Food and Drug Administration. The pace slowed during the summer as the flu abated, but “it’s picked up” in recent weeks, she said. “We are seeing new sites pop up.”

Most worrisome: sites that claim to sell Tamiflu without a prescription. The FDA bought and tested five such products. One contained powdered talc and generic Tylenol — no Tamiflu. Several others contained some Tamiflu but were not approved for sale in the U.S.

“We have no idea of the conditions under which they were manufactured. They could contain contaminated, counterfeit, impure or subpotent or superpotent ingredients,” Saben said.

Tamiflu and Relenza are the only drugs recommended for treating H1N1 flu.

Rogue Web sites are not the only ones trying to cash in on flu fears. Makers of some well-established products are making claims that might be close to the line, the FDA said.

This week, the makers of Dial Soap, Kleenex, Clorox and other big brands launched a joint promotional campaign costing as much as $1 million. The FDA is reviewing the campaign, which includes a video that says:

“Germs are tiny organisms that can cause disease. According to the CDC, up to 80 percent of infectious diseases, like the flu, are spread by your hands. That’s why frequent, proper handwashing is so important in preventing spread of the flu, other viruses and germs. An antibacterial soap like Dial Complete foaming hand wash kills 99.9 percent of germs.”

Flu is caused by a virus, so killing bacteria is of uncertain benefit.

At the start of the foreclosure crisis, personal-finance experts urged struggling homeowners to contact their lenders if they started to fall behind on their mortgages. The lenders want to do everything they can, homeowners were told, to avoid a foreclosure. 

Now, the experts aren’t so sure that’s the case. 

Consumers who have jumped through a frustrating series of hoops to achieve a mortgage modification – a lower interest rate or more manageable payments – are convinced that conventional wisdom is flawed.  

Jason, of San Diego, said he’s become frustrated trying to complete a loan modification. 

“I have gone through the Aurora Loan modification process but have been denied, although no clear explanation was provided,” Jason told ConsumerAffairs.com. “I have been seeking assistance and guidance from quite a few bank representatives and have only received rude, misguided information.” 

In the last year ConsumerAffairs.com has received hundreds of complaints from consumers who said they followed loan-modification instructions, faxing requested documents repeatedly, only to have their applications disappear into a black hole. 

“I faxed papers repeated times and was told that I need to fax more or that they never received them so they can start a modification,” Maria, of Sussex, N.J., told ConsumerAffairs.com. “I made payments and they never credited my account. Now they call in October 2009 and they tell me that they stopped the modification because I never faxed out the papers. Is this a joke?”

• Bing: Why loan modifications don’t work

Regardless of the loan servicer, the story seems to be the same. Consumers start down a road they think will lead to a modified mortgage, only to meet a wall of incompetence and indifference at the mortgage company.  

“We sent all information requested by certified mail,” Regina, of Whitefish Bay, Wis., told ConsumerAffairs.com. “As the others have described, we have had to make contact. They do not respond. The usual answer is ‘Whoever told you that is wrong.’ I actually have a tape of one of their agents stating, ‘I can’t be responsible for what someone else told you.’ Should they not be required to respond in writing? Is this not a government-funded program?” 

The Treasury Department did, in fact, begin a loan- modification program in March to encourage loan servicers to modify troubled loans to prevent foreclosures. But the process has proved slow, and for many, frustrating. Meanwhile, foreclosures continue unabated. 

A new report by the National Consumer Law Center says it’s no mystery why loan servicers seem to be dragging their feet in modifying troubled mortgages. The report suggests these companies actually stand to profit if the troubled property goes to foreclosure. 

The report, “Why Servicers Foreclose, When They Should Modify, and Other Puzzles of Servicer Behavior,” reveals that servicers, unlike investors or homeowners, generally don’t risk losing money on foreclosures.  

“One common-sense solution to the foreclosure crisis is to modify the loan terms in more instances,” said Diane Thompson, an NCLC attorney and author of the report. “Foreclosures are a costly ordeal for the homeowner, the lender, and the community. Yet they continue to outstrip loan modifications because servicers have no incentive to help borrowers stay in their homes.” 

In almost every case, the loan servicer doesn’t own the loan. It’s simply a company — usually a bank — hired to collect the money from the homeowner and deliver the funds to the investors who own the mortgage. The investors lose money if the property goes to foreclosure, but the servicer doesn’t. 

Homeowners seeking to save their homes by modifying unaffordable loans typically deal with servicers. That is why the financial interests of servicers have the potential to hurt homeowners, the report says.

 And too many of those financial incentives encourage servicers to ignore the interests of homeowners. For example, the report suggests that servicers often deny homeowners principal and interest rate reductions because as servicers they find it profitable to offer repayment plans or forbearance agreements that do little to reduce homeowners’ debt burdens. 

“Loan modifications inevitably cost the servicer something,” the report says. “A servicer deciding between a foreclosure and a loan modification faces the prospect of near certain loss if the loan is modified, and no penalty, but potential profit, if the home is foreclosed.” 

The NCLC report also found that the lack of third-party oversight allows servicers to pursue foreclosure instead of effective loan modifications that would benefit homeowners as well as investors. While credit-rating agencies and bond insurers do monitor servicers, their oversight too often encourages servicers to foreclose. 

The NCLC report includes a detailed examination of loans in foreclosure from 1995-2009 and how components of servicer compensation affected the likelihood and speed of foreclosure. It also looks at the rise of the servicer industry as a byproduct of securitization, and the oversight of servicers by credit-rating agencies and bond insurers.

 ”The people who could change the way servicers are doing business — Congress, the administration, and the Securities and Exchange Commission — and the market participants who set the terms of engagement — credit- rating agencies and bond insurers — have failed to provide servicers with the necessary incentives to reduce foreclosures and increase loan modifications,” Thompson said. 

The report suggests that rule changes remove the financial incentives for servicers to block modifications and mandate loan modifications before a foreclosure as a matter of law. Until it does, the report says, the foreclosure crisis will continue. 

“I feel that I have been set up to lose my house,” Alesea of Kinston, N.C., told ConsumerAffairs.com. “Where is the justice in this?”

This is obviously the newest work from home scam that is hitting the internet. There is no such program and how in the hell could google afford to pay someone $300 a day for posting links. Do the math, they can’t!

SILICON VALLEY, California – Today, online giant Google, Inc announces that in an effort to help stimulate the economy they are launching Google Adwork – an online link posting program that will allow anyone to make a living working from home. The announcement was made during an international press conference that drew over 10 Million viewers.

FAKE STATEMENT

Google Adwork CEO announces Google Adwork. A new public advertising program that will employ as many as 10,000 at home workers and pay $30,000 – $75,000 a year.Google’s CEO Larry Page says the innovative initiative will benefit his company and average people as well. “We know that times are hard right now and hiring this pool of online workers will not only allow thousands of Americans to earn a healthy salary from home, it will help Google do our job more thoroughly.”

COMPLETELY UNTRUE AND A SCAM

Job Description:
The official job description explains that the jobs will require home workers to post several small text advertisements on websites in the Google network. These ads will showcase products that are currently part of the Google Adwords system.

“The key is knowing that our home workers are not required to have extensive computer or internet knowledge, if you can send and receive email, you can take part in this exciting new opportunity” Larry Page told reporters.

Google is making it easy for anyone, beginner or expert to start making money online. Those that sign up quickly will receive free information kits that outline exactly how to get started. All you pay is shipping and handling to receive the kit and you are set to begin. The signup process is simple:

HUGE SCAM – Google Adwork is not real

Google Adwork does not exist and anyone saying it does is a scammer.

I am yet to find a pyramid scheme that is not a scam. As an ACN representative you are encouraged to recruit your family and friends into this scheme, no cold calling or selling is advised, so you are not permitted to market this scheme like you would any other business.

You will be required to pay a $149 renewal fee per year, and $10+ per month in other fees, you will not find out about these fees until you have signed up as a representative, you will also be required to pay a fee for your marketing kit, although this information is not made public, if you are wondering if you can make money at this?

You might want to consider that you are responsible for the payment of bills that aren’t paid by your customers that you sign up!

The company’s structure is the same as any pyramid scheme, the people at the top of the ladder make all of the money, and the person at the bottom does all the work and gains very little compensation.

The ACN scam claims that profits are rising fast, although their profit information for the company is not made available to its agents or the general public.

But the real proof that ACN is a scam is in March 23rd of this year the Australian Federal Court, found ACN to be in violation of the trade practices act of 1974. If you’re considering joining ACN either as a customer or representative, I would suggest that you reconsider.

Today I will be addressing the iJango scam that has recently popped up on the internet. You probably found this by searching the internet to see if indeed iJango is a scam. I can tell you that, Yes iJango is a scam! To start let’s investigate iJango CEO, Cameron Sharpe.

Cameron Sharpe - iJango- Scam

Cameron Sharpe – Head of the iJango scam

I first came across the iJango scam when a client emailed me about it, asking if it was a legit opportunity.  By the way he described it in the email, I knew it was a scam before I even looked at the website. For fun, I decided to check it out.

I started watching the video of Cameron Sharpe describing this new pyramid scheme, and about fell out of my chair laughing when he said, “What if you could multi-level Google?” I knew it was a really bad scam when he said, “How would you like to get paid everytime YOU or people you know use the internet?”  Anyone in the internet marketing industry with half a brain knows this type of scheme NEVER WORKS!  It failed with AllAdvantage and Agloco, and it WILL FAIL WITH IJANGO!  BET!  So now that I had this basic information established, the next question was who is this Cameron Sharpe guy?  In the video, he looked like he came straight from the pages of  Hot Chicks with Douchebags.  Stepping out of the Maserati in the no parking zone definitely added some extra doucheiness.  I began doing some research and was literally floored by all the dirt I was able to dig up on this guy douchebag.

Cameron Barrett Sharpe aka Barrett Stone started up a dating scam called Ultimate Singles in 2000 with another criminal named Jason Breakey.  This company was responsible for all the street sign spam you may have seen in your city at one time or another.  If you Google the company, or either of their names with the word scam; you’ll see lots of results on various complaint sites.  Here is just one example I found of Cameron Sharpe on Complaints.com, that details exactly how the scam worked.  They would advertise websites in each city they were in that tricked the residents into believing it was a local company.  These people would unknowingly enter into a contract totaling up from $5,000 to $15,000.  The complaints on the web all tell the same story, which was the actual service wasn’t anything close to what was advertised.  When a victim would try to cancel, they found out there was no way to do so.  When they refused to continue making payments, Cameron Sharpe was able to turn them into a collection agency.  After a couple of years, the Texas Attorney General’s office had received a plethora of complaints on Cameron Sharpe and his company, Ultimate Singles.  I actually found a judgement against him on the Dallas TX County Clerk’s website dated 10-02-03.  In case you have trouble using their document viewer, I have inserted a screenshot below:

Judgement against Cameron Sharpe for $5127.00

It describes in detail how he SWINDLED one Susan Baker out of $150,000, and then filed bankruptcy to avoid paying her back!  This lengthy, 39 page PDF file shows you who the real Cameron Sharpe is.  Some of my favorite parts are:

Ms. Baker testified that Mr. Sharpe’s manner of dress led her to believe that he was a wealthy man.  She also testified that based upon his demeanor and appearance she thought he had money.  Ms Wokowitz also testified that Mr. Sharpe led a lifestyle that led her to believe he was a successful, wealthy person and that she believed Mr. Sharpe intended to lead people to believe that he was a wealthy person.

… what is remarkable about Mr Sharpe’s testimony throughout the trial, though convoluted and often confused, is the sense of a desperate, “pie-in-the-sky” optimism on his part that maybe, someday things will work out his way and he will be as rich as he aspires to be.  The parties also agree that, in addition to dressing extravagantly, Mr Sharpe lived extravagantly, flying on a business associate’s Lear jet, dining in expensive restaurants, drinking expensive wines, and shoping in designer boutiques and expensive stores, such as Cartier.   Ms. Baker also presented photographs to the court, one showing Mr. Sharpe beside a Lear jet and one of a mansion, as evidence that Mr. Sharpe wished to portray himself as a man of significant means.

Cameron Sharpe is Deadbeat Dad that owes $19,423.44 in Child Support

If you become a victim of car insurance fraud, you pay. Not only will you pay higher premiums because you may acquire a costly claim, but, as with any car accident, you and your family could pay with your lives. It is important to learn more about fraud protection so you can protect yourself from others who may choose you to be a part of their next car insurance accident fraud scam.
Insurance fraud began when insurance first began. Incidents have been recorded as far back as ancient Greece. Ship scuttling was an insurance scam in ancient Greece where ships were purposely sunk. Later insurance fraud traveled to England then to America. When automobiles were introduced it opened a whole new arena for fraudulent insurance claims. Today, with modern technology, many fraudulent car accident claims do arise from sophisticated organized crime rings that can be hard to detect. Don’t let this make you a victim of an insurance scam. Whether the insurance scam is from an organized crime ring or an individual, there are fraud protection steps you can take to help you be more aware and avoid being a scammer’s next victim.

First, it is important to know what types of insurance scams are used. There are many types of car insurance scams. Set-up car accidents can range from vehicles deliberately stopping in front of a driver to cause a rear-end car accident to drivers who pretend they are being helpful but intend to cause a car accident that will look like the innocent drivers fault. Scams can also involve people one would generally trust such as doctors and lawyers.

Educating yourself more about fraud protection against car insurance accident scams is the best way to avoid being someone’s next victim. Here is a list of common scams to be aware of:

Staged Rear-End Car Accidents: A scam driver will quickly get in front of an innocent car and then slam on their brakes. This causes the innocent driver to rear-end the scam driver. Along with collecting money for vehicle damages, the scam driver will often fake medical injuries to collect even more.

Adding Damage: After an accident, either staged or not, the scam driver will go to another location and cause extensive damage to their vehicle and claim that the damage happened during the original accident.

Fake Helpers: Scam Helpers will wave an innocent driver into traffic, but then crash into the innocent driver. When it comes time to file the claim, the scam driver will deny waving anyone in. Other ways fake helpers try to scam people is by offering to help an innocent driver find a auto repair shop, doctor, or lawyer. In this case, everyone is in on the scam. The body shop charges you enormous rates, the doctor and lawyer also lie to collect more from your insurance.
Since these scams can happen at any time and place, it is important to be prepared. Awareness is the most important. Watch for drivers who may be following you or examining your driving habits. Also, make sure you leave plenty of room in front of you in order to stop. If an accident does happen, take notes on everything about the other car, the accident, and everybody that was in the other car. Keep a disposable camera in your car to record damage to both vehicles. Furthermore, use your judgment in driving, not others. Make sure you have enough room to get out and just let other cars pass instead of letting others “waive you in.” And, when you talk to your insurance company, let them know if you felt something was suspicious.

WASHINGTON — Top federal and state officials on Monday announced a broad crackdown on mortgage modification scams, accusing “criminal actors” of preying on desperate borrowers caught up in the nation’s housing crisis.

Government officials say scammers are seeking to take advantage of borrowers in danger of default by charging them upfront fees of $1,000 to $3,000 for help with loan modifications that rarely, if ever, pay off.

The frauds often involve companies with official-sounding names designed to make borrowers think they are using the Obama administration’s efforts to help modify or refinance 7 million to 9 million mortgages.

Officials say such operations almost always are fraudulent, and that help is available for free from government-approved housing counselors.

“These predatory scams callously rob Americans of their savings and potentially their homes,” Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said. “We will shut down fraudulent companies more quickly than before. We will target companies that otherwise would have gone unnoticed under the radar.”

The Federal Trade Commission has sent warning letters to 71 companies it says were running suspicious advertisements. The agency also said it filed three new complaints against Northridge, Calif.-based Federal Loan Modification Law Center LLP, Newport Beach, Calif.-based Bailout.hud-gov.us, and Clearwater, Fla.-based Home Assure LLC, and the operators of those companies.

The FTC last month filed cases against two other companies: Hope Now Modifications LLC and New Hope Modifications LLC.

Attorney General Eric Holder says the FBI is investigating about 2,100 mortgage fraud cases, a 400 percent increase from five years ago.

“If you discriminate against borrowers or prey on vulnerable homeowners with fraudulent mortgage schemes, we will find you, and we will punish you,” Holder said.

Over the past year homeowners have been flooding state attorneys general with complaints about for-profit loan modification consultants. While some are legitimate, authorities say many are con artists.

“Stay away from anyone who says they will save your home in return for money up front,” Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan told reporters in Washington. Such claims, she said, “are almost always scams.”

Homeowners do not have to pay anything to participate in the administration’s Making Home Affordable program, which seeks to prevent foreclosures by making mortgages affordable through refinancing or modified terms.

Other signs of a mortgage scam, according to the FTC are: promises to stop foreclosure or modify a loan; guarantees that your home will be saved and claims of a “97 percent success rate;” and use of official-sounding names.

Roadside billboards in places like Las Vegas scream, “Save my property!” and radio ads promise “expert help.” Some companies comb property records and send mail designed to look like it is from the homeowner’s lender.

Some of those making the offers to help are former brokers, agents and appraisers who’ve seen their previous business evaporate. But it’s difficult to gauge if even the legitimate consultants are more effective than nonprofit credit counselors who also work with lenders at no charge.

Some states recently have toughened penalties for perpetrating foreclosure scams, and some prosecutors have used existing fraud statutes to bring criminal charges. But many state prosecutors have not filed criminal cases, instead proceeding with civil lawsuits.

Homeowners can locate free housing counselors at www.makinghomeaffordable.gov or by calling (888) 995-HOPE.

Yep, it had to happen. Twitter is fast becoming a hotbed for scammers and online villains.

The super-hot online communication tool that limits its users to short messages is the new home for people offering phony employment offers. If you see a message saying that you can earn hundreds of dollars a day just by tweeting from your computer, it’s probably best to ignore it.

The Better Business Bureau says it’s seeing an increase in the number of companies turning Twitter “into a virtual ATM with little effort and no risk,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

Here’s how it works: A scammer will advertise that people can build a large following on Twitter with paying customers, the Times reports. All you have to do is try out an instructional “Twitter home business kit” for a week.

The scammers will request your credit card information for the shipping costs for the kit. But the trial week starts immediately — before the kit is even shipped — and customers are charged $47 a month if they don’t cancel in that seven-day trial period.

The scammers are taking advantage of a down job market and people desperate for work. And vulnerable people can easily be duped — even in 140 characters or less.

Reported by MSN.