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Google Sues Over Work-At-Home Schemes

- By - Source : Tom's Guide US

Google is going after companies that associate its name with work-at-home schemes.

Google is throwing on its ass-kicking boots by taking a U.S. company to court over work-at-home schemes. Most readers know all about these: the get-rich-quick-from-home emails usually get caught up in spam filters, and for good reason. Unfortunately, Pacific WebWorks of Salt Lake City, Utah, took the schemes a bit too far by incorporating the good Google name.

According to PCWorld, Pacific WebWorks offers work-at-home kits called "The Home Business Kit for Google," "Google Adwork," "Google Startup Kit," and many other variants. The company offered the kit for a small fee that supposedly enables at-home work. However, unsuspecting job-seekers discovered that the company continually charged the credit card.

Google's lawsuit claims that the kits offered "little of value, or nothing at all, in return for their payments." Google isn't demanding that Pacific WebWorks to cease its selling of the kits, but rather wants the Google name removed. Google is also asking for compensation from damages, and a full accounting of Pacific WebWorks' profits.

Google originally approached the U.S. Federal Trade Commission with complaints that several work-at-home companies were using the Google name. The FTC shut down many of the sites listed in the complaint, however Pacific WebWorks ignored the request of discontinuation. Now in legal trouble, Pacific WebWorks is just one of a few entities listed in Google's current lawsuit.

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darknova_ 12/09/2009 12:03 PM
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so basically someone actually fell for these scams lmao

doomtomb 12/09/2009 12:14 PM
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Please take out the spammers and scammers. Thanks FTC and Google.

boxa786 12/09/2009 1:19 AM
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Go google

nerdherd 12/09/2009 1:20 AM
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Yes! I'm so glad to see them doing something about this. My wife recently was looking for some kind of work at home opportunity and we found about a thousand different websites saying "Make thousands in only weeks by using Google! Sign up now for only $49.95!" Obviously we didn't fall for any of them, but it was hard to actually find something legitimate among these scams.

alextheblue 12/09/2009 1:21 AM
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doomtomb :
Please take out the spammers and scammers. Thanks FTC and Google.

Uh, Google isn't looking to take them out. They don't care about that. :P

"Google isn't demanding that Pacific WebWorks to cease its selling of the kits, but rather wants the Google name removed. Google is also asking for compensation from damages, and a full accounting of Pacific WebWorks' profits."

Basically they don't want them making money off the Google name, and thus feel that Google is owed money over this. Google isn't really any better than any of the other big boys.

Honis 12/09/2009 4:05 AM
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AlexTheBlue :
Basically they don't want them making money off the Google name, and thus feel that Google is owed money over this. Google isn't really any better than any of the other big boys.

But! They are also asking for accounting paperwork.
Quote :...and a full accounting of Pacific WebWorks' profits.

If this demand is met by the courts, it will make public the accounting schemes and trickery leaving them very vulnerable to the people they are scamming and open for the government to take action (the FTC, who previously may not have wanted or been able to spend the resources attaining the documents).

Go Google!

Platypus 12/09/2009 5:07 AM
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Kevin Parrish :
However, unsuspecting job-seekers discovered that the company continually charged the credit card.

I would hope a phone call to the cardholder's bank would rectify this situation. If it doesn't, then it's time for a new bank.

I wonder if PC Webworks received any government funding. Every other corrupt organization seems to. =P

matt87_50 12/09/2009 4:44 PM
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Oh thank God, I though they were going after people who work from home time to time rather than going into the office! I'd be like "skrew you Google! you try catching the bus every F$%@ING DAY!"

jellico 12/09/2009 4:56 PM
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Here's what I don't get. The FTC (one of the numerous federal agencies tasked with protecting consumers... yeah, right!) are expressing dismay about the MPAA, RIAA and video game industry "marketing violence to children." Which is really an issue of morality and parental responsibilty, and shouldn't involve the government.

At the same time, we have comepanies like Pacific WebWorks who exist only to fleece as many customers as possible with clearly deceptive advertising, and the FTC is no where to be found.

Sounds to me like we could actually defund and abolish the FTC (as well as a plethora of other federal agencies), and we would actually be better off!

ssalim 12/09/2009 5:11 PM
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I hate those shit heads Pacific WebWorks or anyone who does things like that. God damn I hate those lifeless scums. I hope the CEO gets cancer and AIDS (if they don't already have both), I do. Really do. God damn I hate them.

rtfm 12/09/2009 7:10 PM
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Best scam advert I ever saw was on a poster on a lamp post. Went something like this:

"Make money from premium rate phone numbers!!!! To find out how, call 0898....." (0898 numbers are premium rate ones :-) )

Anonymous 12/12/2009 12:42 PM
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make money from email... send me $39.95 to find out how.

For the next 10 days we are dropping the price to $19.95 and also including a e-book on how to make money off foreclosures.

It is the "ginsu" way to make money in the new world economy.

mmmwhahaha