online money-making schemes beware

The Internet is a dangerous place at the best of times, but since Facebook started allowing adverts to appear on its interface, we have been noticing a prevalence of similar ads saying you could earn $5000 per month by using Google.

If you click on one of these ads, they link to similar pages, apparently run by different people saying the same thing, and often showing the same pictures of $5000 cheques paid out by Google. If that doesn't put you off, then the website of the so-called eMillionaire Institute (or similar) may convince you that this really is a genuine opportunity.

Using a domain name that seems to have been registered only in December 2008, it's hard to see how these people can have been making money since January 2008 (the date on one of the cheques in the photos). The website itself looks slick - with logos of major TV networks and a fancy 10-minute countdown, implying you only have ten minutes to fill in a form to start making money.

But what happens if you pay the $1.95 to order your kit that tells you how to start making your fortune? There are reports appearing on the web from people who have tried it. One says you will unwittingly be signed up to a $39.95 per month subscription fee if you don't cancel. Another reports that not only the $1.95 was taken from his credit card, but a $197 fee was also taken out at the same time and he didn't know why.

Can you really make money out of Google? Yes you can, if you become a Google Adsense affiliate? I am sticking my neck out though and suggesting that this heavily-promoted "make money from Google" scheme being advertised widely across Facebook looks like it may be more of a classic pyramid scheme. Rather than making your money out of Google itself, I hazard a guess that the money you make will come from you setting up as an affiliate of this scheme, earning commissions if you get people to sign up, and you have to spend money to advertise on Google. Hence, there is a Google connection but Google is not actually employing you.

I could be wrong, of course, but I am not taking the risk of trying to find out, and I advise anyone who sees one of these enticing ads to leave well alone. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. If anyone knows different about this scheme, feel free to let us know.

Goolge Adsense and Google Search in your Mobiel Website

Google search can be found integrated on tons of sites across the Web, including this one. Now, Google is extending that functionality to the mobile Web, where publishers can now integrate Google search and earn money on the revenue generated from clicks on mobile ads.

Much like Google’s custom search for websites, the mobile version can be branded with your own logo and design to make it feel for like your property. From there, users can search the Web as well as Google’s local, image, and news content.

Google Drives Affiliate Network Users to Google Accounts

Users of the Google Affiliate Network can now access the network through a regular Google account. This means uses will be able to access Google's other products like AdWords, AdSense, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calendar, etc. with the same log-in.

"Users who have updated to Google Accounts have the option to bookmark their new sign in page or select the link marked Already Updated? Sign in with my Google Account from the legacy sign in page," explains Product Manager Sheila Parker. "In addition, if you are already logged in to your Google Account (via another product) and navigate to either of these pages, you will be brought to your Affiliate Network dashboard (no need to enter login information again)."

For now, Google Affiliate Network users still have the option to continue using their existing log-ins. In fact, Google will not be updating the Affiliate Network Sign-in pages until all users have updated. Once a user updates their Account, they'll no longer be able to use their old Google Affiliate Network username and password.

It seems like an interesting way to get more people signed up for real Google accounts. It could prove to increase the amount of use of other Google products, as I'm sure that's the idea.