Facebook spammer... scam? baitable? what's your take?

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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 1:46 pm

Aside from being blatant commercial spam, this facebook bulletin screams "scam" to me. What do you think? Should I try to bait it? Should I just report it as spam on facebook and be done with?

Quote:

OWN A HOME BASED BUSINESS AND EARN INCOME THIS WEEK
Listed by Andres Jones on October 28th.
Jobs - Sales/Business Development | 0 views
This is a opportunity to have a home based business WITHOUT ANY SELLING, without spending hours working. You move as quickly or as slowly as you want. You get your own website, customer support and you can also write off many expenses on your taxes legally. You also get to travel for low cost and enjoy many perks. Your job will be to travel and experience many destinations. Write off your vacations, write off a portion of your mortgage or rent, electricity and many, many other expenses. You make money buy people using your webiste just like Expedia, Hotwire, Travelocity and Obitz. You get 60% commission and residual income for all people who you bring on to also open a online travel store. Plus all the perks I mentioned. Any questions email me at [email protected] or go my website YTB.com/funstatictravel4u and view the presentation. THIS IS NOT A SCAM. I promise you can make money from this WITHOUT SELLING A THING. You do not need a college degree or any experience. All you need is a desire to make money.

Hours: Part-Time
This job pays on a one-time basis
Listed at Houston, TX.

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 1:57 pm

Hmm, it's difficult to tell if it's scam material unless you replied.....

If things are really that quiet on the lad front and you have the time, why not take a look? I think it's the only way you'd get a clearer idea of whether it's a scam or not.

Personally I don't think it looks like an out and out scam, or at least not the type that we usually deal with, more some sort of "Commission" thing, like Amway or some other pyramid thing. That's my bet.

I think you're right to have the alarm bells ringing though, you know what they say, if it seems to good to be true, it usually is!

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 5:41 pm

Quote:

OWN A HOME BASED BUSINESS AND EARN INCOME THIS WEEK

Why aren't they doing it then ? - instead of wasting their time doing a dumb and unremunerative job like forum spamming.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/233/RipOff0233523.htm
http://www.scam.com/showthread.php?t=2795&page=20

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 7:06 pm

bearkat419 wrote:

You get 60% commission and residual income for all people who you bring on to also open a online travel store.

This sounds like a typical pyramid scheme. I suspect there will be a reason for having to pay some money before getting started. 60% commission of what? This smells bad.

Beside wasting a little of their time, I'm not sure how effective baiting this person will be.

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 7:35 pm

100% scam.

I think the big give away was this bit....

Quote:

...THIS IS NOT A SCAM....

In answer to your second question. Yes.

Moderator Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Posts: 14513

Likely a general "get rich quick scam", but the lads are on face book already, and we had a local check mule scam in which the student was approached on "face book market place".

Might raise the possiblity of new modalities for baiters.
Twisted Evil

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:44 pm

This looks like a LEGIT (sort of) business.
They have 2 types of offer in terms of making money.

1. To take up a franchise as a travel agent. Cost $500 + $50 per month.
2. To be a "rep" who enrols franchisees on a commission basis.

How good their tie in with airlines/cruise companies and the like is I can't say, but you can bet it is the 4 founders who make the big money.

I cant really see them as a target for baiting.

Elite Baiter Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 1702

I agree, the wording does not sound like the usual lad type posts.

Its a get rich quick scheme - but as already said the only ones likely to get rich are the ones who came up with the idea.

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 12:19 pm

Want to know how I know it is a scam?

[email protected]

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 12:33 pm

Looks like a fake cheque scam to me. You'll probably have to cash a fake cheque before they'll work with you, or something along those lines.

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:01 pm

I'm approaching it as a potential bait, but cautiously. Straight "I'm interested, can you tell me more, how do I get started, etc. etc." and if it seems like a "legit" business I'll drop it, if it confirms as scam I'll let you know Laughing

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:03 pm

I baited a similar "Get Rich Quick" scammer who advertised on Ebay a few months ago.

I did not use an Ebay account to run the emails but a free account.

I received a stock photograph of a "couple" and instructions to participate in a "conference call" at wierd hours.

The phone number was located in Kentucky.

The lady running the Ebay ad assured me that it wasn't Amway and asked me why I and others thought it was.

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:41 pm

The agent gave me a phone number. It's in Houston, coincidentally... and appears to check out as a "legit" company using unorthodox advertising methods.

I told her no thanks, I've changed my mind, I'm too skeptical of scams on the internet.

Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:53 pm

What is the "legit" company?

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:11 am

I am wondering what this means:

probable scammer wrote:

This job pays on a one-time basis

Sounds fishy to me and why (as said before) the gmail addy?

With sites like Travelocity, Orbitz and Price Line, I am wondering what kind of travel agent one would be for these folks.

EDIT There aren't any scammers in Houston! Laughing

Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 4:18 pm

Please note: I used the word "legitimate" very loosely.

It is a pyramid scheme for selling/re-selling travel services (as I believe was noted above, good guess guys). You pay a fee to get your license and web space and then are expected to go get more recruits. Who in turn do the same thing Rolling Eyes

The "agent" is a real person, the phone number she gave is a personal phone line registered in her name and traces to a residential address (with her name on the property tax records because I am a nosy biotch and Houston's public records are online).

Trophy Videos · Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 12:37 am

There are 80,000 plus Nigerians living in Houston. "THIS IS NOT A SCAM"
hehehe
Don't make me laugh, now! Very Happy

Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 1:59 pm

Sounds like it could be illegal, to me. While multi-level marketing models are allowable IF (big if) they are both legal and sustainable, non-sustainable ones are not legal in the United States.

What typically distinguishes between a real job and a scam is whether your profits are coming from the sale of products or services to non-members (Legit. Think Avon, Tupperware, Premier Jewelry or Pampered Chef sellers.) or from recruiting new members (Scam.). The fact that you are "expected" to go get more recruits sounds highly fishy.

If you can make money at this just by selling travel services and are not compelled to recruit, it's legal. If not, it's patently illegal. Or at least that's the way I read it.

And to boot, unless I'm missing something, only one state (Rhode Island) even requires that a travel agent be tested and licensed. The registration laws vary state to state, but many require that you display your registration number in all ad materials. Many require you put up a bond with the state. How does this "business" make sure that you are complying with your state's laws?

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