As we enter a new year, the Work From Home Watchdog team is more focused than ever before on highlighting the dangers of falling for scam products online.
So I would like to start off in style by revealing one to avoid: Online Income Now.
Described as an opportunity that will earn you up to $87 per hour, Online Income Now is the work of Michelle Starr.
According to the ‘Who the heck is Michelle Starr?’ section on the Online Income Now website: ”After 8 years as a super-successful and outrageously highly paid person, Michelle Starr is at the red hot center of the work at home industry, both online and offline.”
Right away that inflated self-appraisal concerns me, but before we get into the long list of red flags, let’s just try and piece together exactly what you would be doing with Online Income Now to earn $87 per hour.
Initially, the website looks very fresh. Nice clean colors and ‘to the point’ content. Full marks for that.
But I’m concerned right away by a very definite and intentional lack of detailed information.
“No prior experience or skills required”, “be your own boss and choose your own hours”, “receive your first payment in just hours from now”.
That is all great, but in the eyes of the Work From Home Watchdog team, it is simply designed to create an air of curiosity that will encourage most people to want to find out more.
So now that we have tried to establish some hard facts from the very limited website content, let’s look at what it is about this website that really concerns me (in no particular order):
#1
The domain name does not match the product name (http://earnmoneyonlinebest.com/).
All products worth the effort have a domain name that matches the product, and it’s the first sign that this product was maybe put together in an unprofessional manner.
#2
“as seen on…” influencers. After some research, I can confirm this product has NOT featured on any of those channels, but earning an income online (in general) has.
This is an attempt by the product creator to trick you into thinking that their product has been endorsed by some powerful media giants, even though it never has.
#3
Bold promises, with a job description that suggests ANYONE can do it. This is to ensure that no one visiting the websites slips through the net.
#4
A request for more information, including your phone number.
Early reports from our WFHW visitors about this product suggest that the phone number is sold on, or at least used for cold calling pressure sales (read on for further proof of this).
#5
Finally, the copyright is out of date. Ok, this might be a bit picky of me, but it speaks volumes about how up-to-date this product is.
Now if you decided to check for reviews of this product before filling in your details on the Online Income Now website, well done for being so vigilant!
I’m now going to explain to you what happens next in the process so that you don’t have to take the risk.
Upon entering your details you arrive at a very long page designed to force the reader into buying the product (for $97) as soon as possible.
Comments like “There are currently spots available in your city” are there to make you think that this could be your lucky day when it could in fact be the opposite if you hand over your cash.
Then there’s the quick mention of the author, Michelle Starr, the #1 home job consultant in America. My question here would be…” according to who?”
Also notice that the earning potential has increased to $379 per hour (60 minutes a day), from “as much as $87 an hour” on the previous page.
There’s also a short video to watch, and above it is the following message: “URGENT UPDATE: Recently this job opportunity has received alot of national media attention.”
Once again, this is an attempt to trick the reader into thinking that Online Income Now has received media attention, but the truth is the video has NOTHING to do with the product…it’s just a news clip about working from home.
The remainder of the sales page focuses mostly on forcing you to believe that anyone can earn a lot of money if they buy this product.
There’s also a lot of information about Michelle Starr, and how she has gone from being completely broke in 2004 to becoming a respected and trusted millionaire.
Should we believe her?
Well if fake testimonials and a screenshot of her bank account (under the name of ‘Michelle Matthews’) is anything to go by, I would say – NO.
Let’s now talk about what you actually have to do to make money with Online Income Now, because it’s not until you submit your name, email, and phone number that you learn what the job involves.
Michelle Starr refers to it as “posting links on the internet”, and she has been very clever with her wording to make sure anyone reading it thinks “I can do that!”
In reality, she is actually referring to affiliate marketing.
This might well be something that you’ve heard of before, but if not it is where you get a special affiliate link for a particular product, create some written content about the product and then add your affiliate link at the end.
If the reader clicks on your link and buys the product, you earn a commission (a percentage of the sale).
That is a very short description of affiliate marketing, and the entire Work From Home Watchdog team knows this industry inside out.
Affiliate marketing is a very profitable business if you do things the right way, but the methods explained in Online Income Now are at least 5 years out of date, and you will be very lucky to earn anything at all if you use them.
To reference affiliate marketing as “posting links on the internet” is completely misleading.
Making consistent sales as an affiliate marketer requires you to at least create a website, and then know how to drive a consistent volume of interested visitors to your offer.
Online Income Now tricks you into thinking that every “link” that you post equals an earned income…and this couldn’t be further from the truth.
The earnings image on their website reveals just how far they will go to mislead you in this respect:
And it’s not just me who thinks this product is anything but legit.
One frustrated Online Income Now customer recently reported that after paying $97 for the product, they were shown a video and then asked for a further $49 to make even more money.
They were then contacted by phone and told that more people in their area were needed, and they must pay between $2000 – $5000 extra to see any chance of financial gain. That sums up how legit this program is.
If you’re still unsure about this product and believe it must be worth $97, let me prove to you that even Online Income Now doesn’t think it’s worth that amount.
If you click on the ‘Add To Cart’ button on the sales page and then attempt to close the window, the following image pops up:
That’s right…they are prepared to let you pay just $77, and forget the warning that this is a one-off offer, it’s in place permanently to catch those visitors who change their minds at the last minute.
DO NOT be fooled by the discount – this product is not even worth $7.
One final point of interest is the website disclaimer…
From this poorly written information we can conclude the following:
- Testimonial pictures are not real.
- The earning potential mentioned on the website is unlikely.
- Images are mostly fake.
- People have been paid to give testimonials.
That should prove to you that this product is definitely not what it might seem from the outset.
Online Income Now is one of those products that we simply have to expose for what it is…a product to avoid.
Using many underhand tactics to trick people into thinking this product is something that it isn’t is one thing, but to try and sell the idea of marketing methods that will not work is an insult to anyone who visits the Online Income Now website.
If you’ve tried Online Income Now, leave us a comment below and share your experiences with our visitors.
Marcus – WFHW
Hey there! Thanks for the warning on this horrible “Online Income” SCAM. Just a heads up the new founders name they are using is, ‘Heather Smith’. I also noticed the the article is supposedly written by Forbes magazine. I stumbled upon this program because I recieved an email saying that the “sharks” from ‘Shark Tank’ were in full support of this “Online Income System”. It turns out these scammers are the only sharks involved!
I hope people do there research before for falling for this load of crap. Thanks again Marcus!
Hi Meghann,
Thanks for the heads up on “Heather Smith”. I will look into this.
There’s definitely an increase in scammers advertising on authority websites and giving the impression they are supported by the website.
9/10 times that isn’t the case as the process of placing the advertisement is often handled by a third party, so the website owner might not be aware.
My best advice in this situation is to contact the website directly and ask if they do support the program before you proceed.
Of course, this might NOT be the case with your experience, but I suspect it could be. Scammers are getting very smart at disguising themselves, unfortunately.
All the best and thanks for stopping by, Meghann!
Marcus – WFHW
I signed up and pay $97 and I called my “start up specialist” and I got a phone call back a couple days later and I didn’t answer the phone. I kept getting calls every now and then but I was so busy and I let them go to voicemail. A month later I called back because I had another payment of $36 that was withdrawn from my bank account from them and I wasn’t aware of a monthly fee when I called the number back it was a different man by a different name from the same number that I had before. All of this made all of my doubts seem very clear. Very disappointing
Hi Lisa,
This definitely sounds very shady to me.
I suggest contacting your bank and informing them of the $36 being taken from your account. They can generally reverse the payment, or at the very least prevent any further payments being made.
All the best,
Marcus – WFHW
I paid 97.00 on my credit card. They were suppose to email me information. I never recieved anything. I sent an email to the email address and it came back undeliverable. I guess they are a scammer also.
Hi Linda,
Yes, that would unfortunately seem to be the case. I’m sorry to hear about your experience.
Thanks for taking the time to warn my visitors and I wish you all the best with your search for a legitimate work from home opportunity.
All the best,
Marcus – WFHW
Ok I signed up and it was just as you said, I called the number for the coach never got an answer, I called the helpdesk never got an answer, then 5 days later a man called me and stated asking me about my financial situation and i asked so how much money do you want now!! He said well I have about 2000 a week to go through and then I send them to the director to work with one on one. So I said just send me an email explaining the system and a way to opt out because it was a 60 day money back guarantee, he said I will when I can get to it and I said you can’t take 5 minutes to send me an email and he said no I can’t and then he called me a DICK!!! So I said I would call my back and turn the into the fraud divisions and get my money back and he hung up!!! Scam all the way stay away from the these scumbags! I am gonna get a lawyer and try and get a class action suit against them!!!!
Hi Steven,
Your experience proves just how dangerous these scams can be. As soon as you hand over your details they pressure you into making a financial commitment. They try to get a feel for how much money you have, and then they suggest an amount that is usually out of reach for you.
They are trying to put you in the position of thinking…”maybe I can somehow afford this”?
Fortunately you saw through this scam. And it sounds like you also got the better of the guy on the phone in the process!
Delighted that you avoided this one, Steven! Thanks so much for sharing your experience with my visitors.
All the best,
Marcus – WFHW
Hi Marcus,
Thank you for the review, hope this would be a big warning for those people who want to earn more money for an instant for joining in online income scam.
You are welcome, Carenth. Yes, hopefully people become aware that earning big money instantly online just doesn’t happen.
All the best,
Marcus – WFHW
Oh my god. I was about to fill out that personal information form but I prefer to research first about that freakin’My Income Blast! Good thing I wasn’t scammed. Thanks marcus!! :)
You are welcome, Aima!
Wishing you every success with your online ventures.
Regards,
Marcus – WFHW
I paid $77 yesterday, he is calling me back in 20 minutes to teach me how to make lots of money. what can I say to this guy
Hi Kim,
Don’t give him any bank details or payment information. Ask questions but do not commit to anything. If you play tough he will back down.
His goal will be to get you to commit to something financially. Be warned.
Let me know how things go, Kim.
Marcus – WFHW
Thank you for informing people about this :)
You are welcome, Jessica.
Hope it helped you!
Best wishes,
Marcus – WFHW
Good for me I search people first. My income blast is the same with this scam. its aalready 2016 and the scam continues with different names. Thank you for this its too close. I already signed up with my real personal info then I hesitate to continue then I back out.
Hi Mitch,
Yes, you are absolutely right. These people just basically create a different name for the product under a different domain name. They are ultimately the same scam.
I wish you all the best in 2016, Mitch.
Marcus – WFHW
Lol I can’t believe that I’ve just been scammed by something so unbelievable. This is going to suck having to get yelled at because of it. What’s even worse is that I used my father’s card. It says that I can get a refund but I doubt that.
Hi Erica,
People always feel really bad when they fall for a scam…you are not alone. I hope the experience helps you to be aware of the many techniques used by the scammers in the future.
I also hope your Father accepts this without any issues and that a refund is made to his card.
Best wishes,
Marcus – WFHW
Wow! shocking!
I was so close to signing up with “online income now” was just gonna do some more research and sign up afterwards. After all, ‘there are 3 more available slots in your area’ so I gotta sign up fast… that’s what I thought
I’m a mother with one baby & im so busy that I thought mayb working from home part time would work better for me. so I just googled part time jobs in my area and an article about online income now came up.
I was a bit skeptical about the whole thing.
It just sounded too good to be true
1) money usually doesn’t come so easily, you work for your money
2) they asked for personal information before telling me what this is all about…
3) once a job costs money it calls for skepticism
4) why haven’t I heard from anyone about this whole money making thing?
… and my list goes on
I didn’t want to give my actual name, number, and email address. so I just faked a name and number, the email I created a new one just for that. i just HAD to see what happens afterwards. once i read everything on the next page i couldnt decide if i should go for it or not. i thought i’ll just do a little bit of research first. upon starting my research i bumped into you! Thank God i haven’t fallen prey to that scam!!
Hi Cindy,
I’m really pleased to hear that took notice of the ‘red flags’ with Online Income Now and didn’t give your real details. The tactics used by this and other scams can be very smart so it’s always best to take a step back (as you did) before committing.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your experience with my visitors, Cindy!
All the best…
Marcus – WFHW
Hi, Marcus. I heard about online cash source on Facebook. It sounded too good to be true. I googled the website and was very wary when i found very little information. I then asked google if this is scam which it is and found your website. Thanks for your all info and warnings.
Hi Gary,
I’m pleased to have been of some help here, and well done for taking the time to check things out on Google.
All the best,
Marcus – WFHW
Marcus,
Thanks for exposing these scammers and in the process, saving me 77.00-97.00 dollars. I actually was going to be offered a customer service position by a legitimate company as a work at home opportunity just today, unfortunately the hours didn’t line up the way I needed them to so I couldn’t accept the offer, I was bummed. My wife found this “opportunity” and told me about it. My skepticism was justified as I now see thanks to you my friend.
I will have to continue looking for a second job, but at least I can do it knowing I wasn’t scammed by this swindler.
Keep up the great work and thanks again.
Jason
Really pleased to have been some help to your here, Jason!
So much false hope and although $97 doesn’t seem like a huge amount to risk, it often ends up costing you a lot more once you are in the system.
The best of luck to you with your hunt for a second job, and I hope you continue to avoid all the online scams out there.
Best wishes,
Marcus – WFHW
Well done Marcus. Keep up the good work.
These online cash sites are scams and very sophisticated. I was tempted too but a friend of mine who’s an IT engineer proved to me that they were fake. He could “change” the location of our IP and give them a fake one and their website would trace this location and within 20 min they tell you the same story just different names and sometimes number too from 10 different locations around the world.
Appart from the names images and numbers the rest of the story was exactly the same.
And I learnt that at the very moment that such websites ask for your address and phone nr before going to step two, quit.
If you read their PP they tell you that you allow third parties call you on the nr provided and you have given consent for that.
G’day
Great work, Rob!
Yes there are many techniques used by the scammers to make their offers seem more believable. The location trick or ‘geo-targeting’ is actually something that I mention on my ‘How to spot and avoid scams’ page, and it’s one that is used a lot online nowadays.
Here’s the link to what I consider to be be the most widely used scam techniques online.
Also the ‘small print’ is another great thing to point out. Most won’t bother reading it and therefore allow people to sell their name, number and details to other companies.
These things and many more make up your average scammers toolkit. The more people know about them the greater our chances are of exposing them for what they really are.
Thanks so much for your input, Rob!
Best wishes,
Marcus – WFHW
On the online cash source link it has Two “people’s” testimony that is written exactly the same but the cash amount is different. Danielle and a Josh D both end with Pretty Cool !!! Word for word except the chq amount. And who sends chqs these days!
Great observations, Ronnie!
As you say, chqs are a bit old school now when you consider how easy it is to move money around these days.
So glad to hear that you were able to see through this one!
Best wishes,
Marcus – WFHW
It is operating from Whakatane here in New Zealand as well but the name used is Melissa Johnson.
The Ombudsmen or Commerce commission should be contacted about this
Thanks so much for the heads up on these unscrupulous bottom feeders.
Regard
Morgan
Thanks for the valuable input, Morgan!
These programs do have a tendency to re-invent themselves once word starts to spread, and that very much looks like the case with your discovery.
Great find, and thanks so much for helping to spread the word.
Best wishes,
Marcus – WFHW
Yup happened here too in AUS. but they are under the name ONLINE CASH SOURCE.
Same story but in Brisbane QLD. It was all too unclear for me so I did a search and confirmed my husbands suspicions. Thanks for posting this stuff up!
Hi Ioanna,
You are very welcome.
Yes, these programs do have a habit of re-inventing themselves under different names. It’s a surefire sign that it has been exposed as a scam.
Thanks for your time and have a great day!
Marcus – WFHW
Thank you for the review Marcus, I am surprised these scams keep on appearing, which is unfortunate. There is an easy rule, “if you have to pay for a job something is not right”. Well done covering their process.
You are welcome, Mr Alexander.
Good advice there and I am pleased to hear that you are able to stay one step ahead of the scammers.
Best wishes,
Marcus – WFHW
This scam has now evolved to be even more elaborate. Someone sent me a link via twitter to this opportunity and it first brings you to what looks like an online financial magazine of some sort called “Finance Report”. Here there is a news article about this single mother “Theresa Andrews” from Geneva (I assume it says Geneva as this is my current location) who has found this amazing opportunity working from home called Online Income. At first glance the website looks like it could be legit but you can quickly see that it’s a fake. When you try to click on anything else on the page other than the link to sign up for the program, it still sends you to the page to sign up for program, i.e. everything on this page is linked to the Online Income program. I assume this tactic is used to make it seem more as though the program was actually featured in some type of media outlet with the idea of tricking people into thinking that this makes it a legitimate opportunity. Since many people will probably not try other links on the page, it’s actually a pretty good strategy. If you do end up clicking on the link to the program, basically all of the other content is the same as the content you mentioned here including photos, video, paycheques, etc. Also funny that it says this Theresa Andrews is from Geneva on the financial website and then in the description of the program her story is from her struggle in New Jersey.
In any event, I hope that no one else is fooled by these people in this way. Another example of why it is so important to do more than skim the surface when opportunities such as these arise.
Hi Leah,
Thanks for stopping by with detail on your experiences with Online Income Now.
You are absolutely right about how this is being presented to you. The idea is to trick people into thinking it is a legitimate opportunity by appearing to be on part of trusted magazine or website. Then there’s the fake social proof which uses something called geo-targeting to pinpoint your location and make it seem like people near to you are doing well with the program.
It’s all absolute nonsense as you know, and it’s a good example of the lengths these scammers will go to when catching people out.
The sad part is, many, many people fall for programs just like this and then end up losing a lot of money.
Hopefully more people will take the time to research the product before committing to it.
Thanks for stopping by Leah…I really appreciate your input :-)
Best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW
Wow!! Leah, you’re right. This is straight bulls*%t. Guess what, that same article from Financial Report pops up for me, and guess what? This same lady, Theresa Andrews is from McDonough, GA too! LOL!
Hi Lamar,
Thanks for confirming with Leah this new way of trying to trick people with Online Income Now. Please avoid at all costs.
Best wishes,
Marcus – WFHW
I almost signed up for this. Was really going to do it but did more research first. I Googled it and lo and behold, yet another scam.
I don’t care how good something sounds. Before handing over your money, do your due diligence. So glad I did. And yes, this site’s copyright was out of date. It’s going by a different name now too but is the same scam, same people. It’s going by the name Online Cash Course by Debbie Jones.
Well said, Barb…due diligence is what it takes!
These very obvious scams do tend to be re-invented many times simply because they get found out and exposed. That said, I do keep my ear very close to the ground and like to expose them for what they are as soon as I hear about them.
Congrats on being so vigilant and the best of luck to you with all online ventures.
Marcus
WFHW
Hello all. I was just scammed literally an hour ago. Saw the total of $97 for the payment and when I tried to leave the page it said I get an additional $20 off. I’m an idoiot and gave them my credit card number. Well, little did they know I gave them a credit card number that has $0 on it!! HA HA! So after the payment a phone number pops up on the screen, telling me to call to speak to a specialist. I called and couldn’t even understand what they name of the “business” was. I was transferred to a guy named Nathan. Nathan told me that he would need to set up an appointment later in the day and ask me questions to see if I qualify. It would take up to an hour. I gave him a time and when he didn’t call back I knew for sure, even though I was hesitant the whole time, that it was a scam. So I started researching (duh, why didn’t I do this before, I’m usually not this stupid!)and found a bunch of articles describing all this as a scam. Even though I gave them a credit card with no money on it, I still reported it stolen and am getting a new one. So after I cancel my card, Mr. Nathan gives me a call. Out of curiousity I call him back cuz I was interested to see if he would ask for a new credit card cuz mine should have technically declined from the very beginning. He begins to ask me questions that didn’t make any sense. I was constantly saying, “I don’t get what you mean.” Nathan asked me how many credit cards I have. I said 3. Then he asks me, “What types of cards do you have?” I said, “What does the type of card I have have to do with anything”? He asks me if I wanted to learn how to make money with my credit cards. I laughed and said sure. He says ok so what type of cards do you have? That’s when I hung up on him. Nice try Nathan!
Many thanks for taking the time to share your story, Rochelle!
Yes, the “additional discount” offer with all programs of this type is usually what pulls most people in. Don’t feel bad about it because it’s a strategy that many use because the whole time you are trying to justify the full amount so when a cheaper option comes along it’s very difficult to say no.
That said, it sounds like you played this one well…especially about the credit card.
These guys have no morals at all and just want your money. The call that is often disguised as a support call is nothing but a sales call. They establish how much money you have and then try to get their hands on as much of it as possible. Shameful.
Well done once again and best wishes for the future :-)
Marcus
WFHW
Hey everyone, I’m glad i stumbled upon this before paying this money, because i need to save up to buy a gaming computer. Who knows, when I do get an insane computer, I might be able to successfully DDOS their servers to stop some people getting scammed!
Hi Ben,
Ha ha…that would be sweet!
Glad to be of some help, and I hope you get around to earning enough for your uber gaming computer ;-)
Cheers,
Marcus
WFHW
Thank you for doing these reviews. I signed up for this $97 dollar program. Red flags came up after I saw the “login” site. It looked unprofessional and just suspicious. So I googled and found your review. In response, I called my bank, told them I’d been scammed, I asked them to deactivate the card I used to sign up for Online Income. My bank complied, so the jokers won’t get their payment!! Thanks for the heads up. REALLY!
You’ve just made my day, Monique!
I’m really pleased that my review helped and that ‘Online Income Now’ didn’t get their hands on your hard earned cash.
Well done :-)
Marcus
WFHW
I think I was just scammed. Everything looked good but once I paid for it and then tried to call All i have gotten is a busy signal. It sent me a login but I cannot login in. Guess from what I have read I will not get my money back either. What a fool I am.
Really sorry to hear about this Jenifer.
Don’t take it as you being foolish because it’s another example of how smart these scammers are. They trick you into thinking that it’s a great opportunity, only to scam you as soon as you pay.
Chase a refund if you can, and let us know if you make any progress on that front.
Best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW
I too fell for this! Why? I have no idea! I’m usually good at researching something before I pay, but not this time.
Thankfully I found your site and I immediately called me bank, the $97 charge was still processing so I placed a stop payment on it which may or may not work. (Praying it does) and I also canceled by debit card to avoid future charges.
I was also referred to the claims department which should help if the payment does go through.
I had called the company and was on hold for over 30 mins. I sent them an email too. Doubt anyone will respond!
Well done to you too, Jessica!
I am so pleased to hear that our review is helping people to avoid this program, and congrats on taking the time to research it before the payment went through.
Let us know if you have any further issues over this, but hopefully you managed to stop things just in time!
All the best,
Marcus
WFHW Founder
I just received this info from a friend on my pinterest account!! When I put my name, phone #, and email address in it gave me more info to read. I began to read it all and 10 minutes OR less later I received a phone call from them. They was very persistent and kept saying this is a one time offer of a discount of $44.95. Even when I said I was checking them out first to find out if they were a scam, they kept saying it was a one time fee, one time offer. I said no, I WILL NOT give my financial info to them and then they said thanks and goodbye. I am so glad I didn’t do this. I’m sure my friend on Pinterest DID NOT send it to me. She had to be hacked!!
Well done Melissa!
Unfortunately there are MANY underhand techniques being used by this program, and I can almost certainly assure you that your friend did not personally send this to you.
However, it might be worth checking with your friend, just to make them aware how you came across it, just in case others see it.
Well done again for being so vigilant :-)
Best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW Founder
Hi, I just came across this post by doing a google search of Online Income Now.
I received an email from my sister… well, it had my sister’s name, but after further investigating it was not her email address. I read the article knowing full well that it was a scam, but remained hopeful and continued reading. I gave them my email and phone number because that was the only way to read more about it… which was the biggest red flag of all… but again, it was from my sister so I remained hopeful. Once I got to the part where they wanted me to pay them, I was like “uh, nope, not gonna happen!” So, my question to you is, do I need to be worried that they have my email and phone number?
Thanks in advance. I think it’s awesome that you respond to all the comments. :)
Hi Jen,
So sorry to hear about this, and it just goes to show how devious they can be.
I don’t think they can do too much damage with your phone number and email address (other than spamming), but the most important point is you didn’t give them your credit card details. This, as you will know from our post and other comments, is where they have charged others in the past.
Thanks so much for letting us know Jen, and do let us know if you encounter any further problems with Online Income Now.
Best wishes,
Marcus – WFHW Founder
I too, was suckered. What hurts is that I’m smarter than to fall for something like this. The problem comes from wanting to trust people. I ended up canceling my credit card but am not sure that they still can’t try to add charges to it even though the credit card has been canceled. They also added another $4.95 to my charges. The credit card company told me they would report me to all three credit agencies if I don’t pay the bill. I should think that is tantamount to blackmail since they are threatening you.
Sorry to hear about this Warren, and it’s yet another example of how “smart” these scams are when it comes to ripping people off.
Best wishes to you for your future online ventures.
Marcus
WFHW Founder
Just signed up for it, watched a video or two, then realized to my own dismay that this is most likely a scam. It had occurred to me sooner but I was stupid enough to pay the $97 and see what it was about. I have emailed them and if they don’t get back to me within the day I’m just gonna call my bank. I really hope my bank will refund me. I can’t afford to part with this money without seeing returns on it. It’s just crappy because I know my back will most likely never see the return on this money even if I get my money back. I like to keep good relationships with the institutions I do business with. Do you have any other suggestions on how to go about this?
Hi Tyler,
Sorry to hear that you have fallen for this program before reading our review.
I suggest you contact your bank asap (don’t wait for a reply to your email) and ask them to prevent all further payments. You will see from our comments that they have a history of taking future payments, so get a stop put in place right away.
Wishing you all the best for now Tyler.
Marcus
WFHW Team
Hello,
I too was sent this mail from a friend of ours in Texas and thought nothing of reading further. I consider myself to be quite a smart person and have never fallen for a scam before! I discussed paying the money to sign up with my husband (who is always suspicious of potential scams) and I think considering the source of the mail I decided that this looks fantastic!
I paid the $97 without batting an eyelid and then about an hour later I received a call from a number that looked similar to what I had seen on the site so I answered and then proceed to answer a few strange questions but I still didn’t think much of it.
Then I remembered seeing on the initial site that the local woman in SA has a blog and that was how she got to be on the news in the USA so I thought I’d check it out……. Only to find SCAM every where! I called my bank & cancelled my credit card that I just gave them the details of – very stupidly I admit.
Normally I would’ve checked on the net beforehand but I trusted the source of the mail….. Just goes to show – check first! Pay later! I’m going to see if I can find the refund button anywhere but I won’t hold my breath! Hope to hear that some of you get your money back. Good luck
Thanks very much for taking the time Kerry.
Yet again this all sounds VERY familiar, and we are sorry to hear that you have gone as far as you have. Thankfully you have stopped before getting in too deep though, and I hope you have some luck in getting a refund.
We get many emails every week from people who have found our review and the comments from our visitors, and they are mostly very grateful to have found out before parting with any cash. Your comments will definitely help to warn our visitors of how easy it is to fall for this complete scam.
Wishing you all the best Kerry :)
Marcus
WFHW
my experience is identical to Reva’s. i received an e-mail from my Sunday school teacher’s wife with the link to a fake news/business site that had the title: “Mississippi Single Mom Makes $89,844/Yr in Her Spare Time on The Computer Without Selling Anything” Of course, the woman is from my hometown so naturally i read on.
before i go any further, here’s a summary of the past year in my life: became a single mom, had a really dark time with legal matters involving my 3 year old son, found a teaching job where i could at least live from paycheck to paycheck, was able to give private music lessons on the side to help, and i had received the biggest tax return ever…….i was actually feeling secure in my finances.
i was hooked. i was a little hesitant about the prices but i thought what better way to invest my money (now that i actually had some!) for my future with a product i could easily use from home and make THAT kind of money ‘posting’ links! so i paid the $97 and something else for something else until i felt satisfied. i got to the page where gave me a username and pw but i somehow refreshed or exited the page (on my cell) and when i refreshed it, they were not there anymore. i sent an e-mail to the contact and received a new username and pw. used it today.
i was sooooo excited about this that when i was told the expert was in a meeting and to call back later, i decided to go ahead with the whole website deal. OMG i spent over $700 determined i was going to do this right the first time and get all of it back within the first month or so…….
i call the guy back, ryan, and he talks with me about things i’d like to accomplish with this program and if i qualified i’d be offered a special deal with the president or whatever to ensure my success. so after he tells me ‘yes, you initially seem qualified in what he’s looking for’ (Nick Stevens btw) he asks to set up an appointment to talk with him.
after i made the appointment for TOMORROW at 9, i decided to google more success stories with this site, including the local woman. the first thing i saw was scam scam scam. i didn’t believe it until i found another link exactly like the one i saw with the exact woman pictured, only she was from a different state.
so i’m crushed. i feel like such a loser! lol i hate the feeling of hope being sucked right out of you. but i’m happy i’m financially stable still. going to the bank tomorrow and asking to stop the payment. i’ve checked my bank online and it’s pending. maybe i can get it back, who knows. and from reading your stories i’m wondering if they’ll even call back at 9 tomorrow. any suggestions?
Hi Kristy,
WOW…we are so glad you found us!
To answer the last point in your post, I think they WILL call back tomorrow, but because you have already paid them in the region of $700, they are likely to make success seem even more probably IF you pay an additional amount. We know from experience that this is how they operate…if you’ve already parted with a big amount of money, they know you are likely to part with even more.
Needless to say, do not part with any more money Kristy. Do go ahead and try to claim back the money you have already spent through your bank, and do answer their call if they phone tomorrow and play the “knowing game”. If, and this is a BIG if, you have the facility to record the call, do so and forward it on to us and will further expose their underhand attempts to rob people of their hard earned cash.
We are so sorry to hear that this has happened to you at a time when you are getting back on your feet, but let’s hope we can stop them taking any more money from you. Please keep us updated Kristy!
Best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW
well i have good news and bad news. the bad news is that i didn’t read your post in time to be motivated to record the call. i didn’t even answer when he did call at 10 after 9.
the good news, sorta, is that i closed my debit cards and they were stopped. although the charges were pending, they still were taken out of my available balance. i wasn’t able to fill out the report b/c the lobby was closed (but the drive-thru wasn’t!). typical. so i gotta go back monday and deal with it. she did tell me that i needed to bring in evidence like e-mails and things to show that i wasn’t ‘just trying to get my money back.’ from the billers on my statement. this is also good news cuz i stayed up all night doing just that. still have about 1 -3 documents left to print.
I printed the pages of my finished complaints and all invoices, including the physical address that was hidden by an image from Columbus, OH. I also printed a scam review from another website showing the pdfs from the site and in detail describing how one gets to this site from an e-mail in their friends list… ….which will go in handy with my printouts of the address i clicked on AND the address i found online with the same woman/basic layout, but different name.
i’m also printing e-mails. some things aren’t adding up. for example, i received an e-mail earlier today from the contact support team from purely hosting. in the e-mail he states (alistair is his name. just seeing if these names ring any bells) that he received the request for my cancellation and refund, but he can’t issue a refund until i call him or e-mail why i want to cancel. this i don’t understand: i went in through specific detail of why i want to cancel in the request text box. i copied both site addresses informing him of the one i received from my friend’s e-mail, and then the one i found online when searching for success stories. i even copied the address to the scam report. i ended the request by saying ‘i feel the use of your product(s) invalid along with the original product that was purchased.’
now why would a professional cancellation specialist need to ask again? they should have that information right there at their fingertips.
uuggghhhh…..what have i gotten into? ‘ain’t nobody got time for that!’ loll
Hi Kristy,
Thanks very much for the update.
Well done for keeping right on top of this, but we agree that you should not have to go as far as you have to remove yourself from their system. The fact that you are having to cancel bank cards and prove to your bank that YOU are the genuine party is absolutely shocking.
Please keep us informed of your progress because I have a feeling this isn’t the end of the matter. Your experience and first hand advice will be of great help to our visitors.
Many thanks,
Marcus
WFHW
I was sent an email from a friend of mine offering a link to this program and I had seen the program before and did not purchase. Well after looking at the website, even though skeptical, I took the bait. However, I know how most of these sites work and when it gave the price of $97 I clicked to get off the page and it basically says but wait…special offer $77.00…I clicked off again and it said ….but wait special offer $47.00. I tried it again but this time it kicked me off..I should have stayed off but noooo, I was trying to be smart and get it down to $27. So then I got back on the payment page and got down to $47 and bought. It then took forever to do anything and was trying to up grade me but there was no button to click. Finally after about 30 minutes of nothing, I clicked off. I got nothing, no user name and password no email that says hey welcome aboard, nothing. I then went to my bank online and the $47 was taken out from 1 hour home income from Provo Utah. I am so angry at my self….I know better then this. Now I need to check with my friend to see if he really sent it or have they hacked into his email. Hopefully, my email has not been hacked. I hope some one catches these cock roaches….
Hi Scotty,
Sorry to hear about your experiences with this program. Your experience sounds typical of the other horror stories that hear about from our visitors, and we encourage you to ask your bank to prevent all further payments to these people.
The ’email from a friend’ side of things is something that we are hearing more and more about, and it’s a big concern. My advice to you would be to contact the people in your address book and pre-warn them of what might happen. You could even send them to this page for proof of your experience.
All the best for now,
Marcus
I always Google companies like this that offer things that are too good to be true After reading the above letters, I’m convinced this is another typical American scam. If the big media companies were to advertise this, I’ve would have heard about this long ago.
Great approach Ed, and it’s something that we encourage our visitors to do for any product/service. What amazes us is how products like this can actually be allowed to rip people off. That is why we do what we do!
Best wishes for your future ventures Ed,
Marcus
WFHW
I received an email today that appeared to be from my daughters email, it was also sent to others in her mailing list, I have been looking for a job, and so I clicked on the link in the message. When it opened it was a page that looked legit from CNBC stating how a local mom was making $6,795 a month by posting links a few hours a day. Keep in mind I thought the email was from my daughter. So without thinking I fell for their idea of staying home and making money. So I paid the $77 lifetime membership and even spoke to Brian Tritton on the phone. I still didn’t think about this as being a scam. After all he called me back because of a bad connection 307-278-7287 a Buffalo, Wy number, funny cause he said he was in Phoenix. However, when my husband came home and asked me a few questions I decided to research names, addresses that were connected to emails I received in connection to my membership and of course Internet Income Source which I have learned is also Online Income Now. My research showed that all of the address were either homes for sale or businesses, none of which belonged to either Internet Income Source or Online Income Now.
I am so glad that you have had reports about these people. Just wish I would of checked before I gave them my info and money. However, I contacted my credit card company and closed my account and sent an email to them cancelling my membership along with a request for the 100% money back guarantee. We’ll see what happens. My daughter did not send the email. Which means that they hacked her email.
I don’t know if I am allowed to put in the links and phone #’s but if they can scam me then people deserve to know everything they can about them also.
Hi Reva,
Another shocking story, and we thank you for taking the time to share your story with us and our visitors.
Well done for being vigilant enough to cancel your payments and account, and please let us know things go.
Best wishes for now,
Marcus
WFHW
I purchased this program for $97.00 and it was the worst investement I have ever made. The whole website doesn’t give you all the information you need to make an educated decision. They never tell you about the dropshipping and all the time you will need to spend on your computer before you even begin to make any money if any!!! When I told them that I was not interested on doing the dropshipping becasue there are many companies with a cheap drop shipping (like Walmart) and it would be hard to compete with them. I was told to skip steps 1-3 and go to 4 to do the online ordering only, well I told them that I was not interested on doing that and that I wanted a refund. I tried to cancel my subscription and get a refund but I been given the round around about it. First it was 3-10 days by Kegan, after that time I called because I had not received the refunds. Nate then said that Kegan had been fired becasue she was not doing her job but he will assist me, he processed my request then said it will take another 3-10 days. Again I called after that time becasue I had not received the money, to which Eric (empl. #161, all of the people I talked to refuses to give you their last names) said that they will make the refund that day when their system comes up. Ofcouse this was on a Thursday and by Monday, I called again becasue no refund had been given. I was hanged up on twice, then Eric andwer the phone, only to tell me that their system still down. Ofcourse managers nor supervisors are never available. I have yet to get a refund from them, so save yourself a headache and DO NOT fall into the same SCAM as I did.
Hi Francis,
Absolutely shocking series of events, and we thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with our visitors.
Please let us know how things go with your refund request…we really hope they get that back to you asap.
Best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW
Hey, Watchdogs. I’m glad I saw your website and your article.
What happened to Brad pretty much happened to me, except I was able to get the program for just $47, which was offered on one of those ‘Are you sure you want to leave this page?’ popups. Seems interesting that they can change the cost of their products on the fly like that.
Another thing that was a huge red flag looking back, was that one of their ‘startup specialists’, after being all sympathetic and ‘totally understanding’ about my financial situation, asked me to go to my bank, and see if they could either lower my interest rate or increase my spending limit on my credit cards. I’m loooking for additional sources of income to DECREASE my balances, not add to them.
When that didn’t work, they suggested I sign up for their 7-day free trial ‘Online Income Class’, which basically teaches how to use eBay and PayPal. After the 7-days, the cost would go up to $47/mo. When I called them up at the 7-day mark to cancel, they said they’d reduce the cost to $9.99/mo, and I agreed. So far, they’ve honored that rate, though I am keeping a close eye on my statements to make sure.
So far, I’ve managed to keep my costs down by keeping my eyes open and being skeptical about spending additional money when they ask, and I encourage anyone who uses this product to do the same. Stay on top of it, and don’t have a ‘whatever’ attitude about your money.
Thanks for the excellent and detailed comment Alex.
In the OIN “back office”, they have a number of ways to deal with people that enter the system. The point worth bearing in mind for anyone considering this program, is…regardless of your financial situation, they will have a solution for you which ultimately will cost you MORE money.
Avoid at all costs people because this product will drain you of your cash, regardless.
We really appreciate you stopping by Alex…your comment will be very helpful to our visitors!
Best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW
I also bought the program for 77 dollars and got the run around for 1 week before I got to Speak to someone who then told me the specialist that was looking after my account was unavailable. When he finally called back all he was worried about was if I had big credit cards to start my business. This is a huge scam avoid at all cost.
Hi Brad,
Thanks for sharing your experiences. From our visitors comments so far it seems like OIN use the phone in particular to pressure you into spending more money, and this is very worrying because I’m sure many people will pay more if they can. Well done for seeing through the smoke and realizing exactly what this product is.
Best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW
thanks for highlighting all this. I thought this was something real finally, I can work from home and get paid for it. I paid $97, got given a usename and password, then I lost power on my computer before proceeding, I then logged in again 2 days later, and and my visa was deducted again another $97, and got the same p/word and username. then I was directed to googleAds, where I paid more more, what worried me was I was expected to pay more money, when this thing was meant to improve my income, I paid for googleAds, created a website, got told my credit was running low, then I credited with another $20, only to be told my advert was in a “parked domain”. The next frustrating step was the clickbank step, which nicely refuses to sign you in, whereas this is supposed to be where the money comes from. Only then did I realize I had been scammed of more than $230.
Hi Flower,
We are really sorry to hear that you are out of pocket having tried Online Income Now.
Have you tried to request a refund for this product? I suggest you do this asap, and outline the fact that you have lost over $200 with this product, and you do not want to keep on throwing money away. Please let us know how you get on.
Best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW
I paid the 97 $, i called the number they have given, someone picks up the phone, murmers something that i cannot understand, he promise to call me later, doesnt call, i call again and he says that i should call tomorrow because the expertee who could attend me is currently unavailable. i dont receive any feedback whatsever through any means.
Hi Anne,
Sadly, that is what I would expect from them. I would say that you should maybe try contacting them again via email and ask if they can follow up on your call, or issue you with a refund. Do let us know how you get on Anne.
Best wishes,
Marcus
WFHW