Google Takes Action To Reduce Internet Advertising Scams

November 26, 2009 by trisha

If you have spent any time on the Internet, you more than likely have seen the advertisements which appear on many web pages. You can find a product that addresses every problem known to man. Whether you seek a prettier smile, a solution to insomnia or a way to lose twenty pounds in five days, you can probably find your answer right in front of your nose. With a simple click or your mouse, you can quickly go from “looking” to “buying” with little or no idea what exactly you are getting yourself into. Many consumers have fallen for the promises made by online advertisements only to find out later that they have been scammed.

Over 100 complaints have been reported to ConsumerAffairs.com this month alone, with almost all of the complaints reflecting the same problem. Most consumers are reporting they have been “tricked” into a membership or club by purchasing a sample or trial size product that appeared in an online advertisement. Here is an example of how this can happen; you agree to try a product that has piqued your interest and enter information to have a trial size sent to your home or business. Con artists will then take that information and either enroll you in a membership or club that adds you to a mailing list to receive this and other products on a regular basis. As a result what started out as a $2 purchase can quickly turn into hundreds of dollars worth of charges on your credit card.  To add insult to injury, it is often difficult to find information or talk to a representative to cancel the subscription you inadvertently ordered.

In the past Google has gone through the motions to protect consumers by banning specific ads which were considered misleading or fraudulent. The response from advertisers was simple, to post a new ad with a different URL and they were almost immediately back in business selling the same scam under a different name. As of last week, Google has taken a more aggressive stand against advertising scams by banning the actual advertiser versus the “ad” itself. This means once an advertiser has crossed the line with one ad, he or she will receive notification they can no longer sell anything through Google’s ad systems.

While this is a great step toward protecting consumers, people are urged to know what to look for to avoid being a victim of an advertising scam. It is always best to use common sense and give a wide berth to any offer that seems too good to be true. Any time you are asked to provide a credit card number to receive a free or trial product, you can almost count on seeing other charges applied to your credit card account. Use caution and avoid ordering any product without first reading the fine print or any terms and conditions associated with the offer.

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites

Comments are closed.