Most scams never disappear. They just reappear in different versions and under different names. One of the most far reaching scams is the work at home scam. I am not talking about folks who have legitimate jobs and work from home. There is nothing wrong with that. What I am referring to are the sketchy plans promising instant riches for little work to home bound consumers.

The FTC recently wrapped up just such a scam. According to the complaint, starting in 2014 and continuing through 2017, several individuals and companies charged consumers a fee to join a program that promised great wealth for working from home posting advertising links onto websites. Strange as it may seem, there were many people who honestly believed that this was a legitimate way to make money. Consumers soon found out that the plan did not work.

The defendants in the case allegedly used spam emails to draw traffic to websites with bogus reviews about the work from home plan. This then led to websites with fake testimonials about the great income that could be earned, and where consumers could enroll in the program. Things got worse for many consumers who were further tricked into paying for useless coaching packages.

The people behind the scam earned millions.

The settlement order in the case imposes a judgment of $10.9 million, which was mostly suspended because the defendants could not pay.

Not surprising, this case originated out of Utah.