nicole42n7: Making Money Scams

If you're having a problem with a business, Consumer Ally can help. Write us at HelpMe@WalletPop.com.

Q. I was charged $1,200 by Debt Solutions of America with the promise that they would lower my house payment. Well they did -- It was $823 a month. Now it's $817. And I'm out $1,200. Is there anything I can to do to recoup my money?

Pamela StaheliA. Pamela, I really hate to hear about cases like yours. With all of the trouble in the housing market, companies like this are popping up more and more. They often call themselves foreclosure rescue or foreclosure relief services, and they promise big things: Lower your mortgage payments, cut them in half, save you thousands of dollars a year.

What they actually do is exactly what you could do on your own, or with the help of a good not-for-profit housing counselor: They help you gather and submit the paperwork needed to complete a loan modification as part of the Making Home Affordable program.

When we received your email, I did a search for the company so I could get in touch and see if we could recoup any of what you lost. What I found, unfortunately, is that this company is already out of business. I did manage to track down Chris Stover, the owner, and he was less than helpful. He said that in order to work with his company, you had to sign a contract that said, essentially, that there are no guarantees.

I know you've acknowledged that you did, in fact, sign this contract. Because the company is out of business -- Stover tells me it "just wasn't a profitable business to be in," although I'm sure you'd disagree -- going after a refund would probably be throwing good money after bad, according to Gerri Detweiler, a credit adviser for Credit.com.

Instead, she thinks you should file a complaint with your state attorney general's office and the Federal Trade Commission (you can do that here). I'd also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, which already has a file started on this company, with 10 complaints registered. You can add yours to the list here.

Now, if you're still struggling with your mortgage payments, and it sounds like you are, you should get in touch with a HUD-approved housing counselor. It's completely free, and they'll be able to outline what options are available to you at this point.

Finally, for others out there who are considering one of these services: It's not worth it. There are no quick fixes, and if someone asks you to pay for this kind of counseling service or help with a home modification or a delinquent mortgage, it's more than likely a scam. (As a side note, there are legitimate credit counseling services, which charge a small fee to help you pay down credit card and other debt. If that's what you're looking for, keep your search limited to members of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.) Whenever you're considering paying for a service of any kind -- debt settlement, credit counseling, even a new cell phone or cable plan -- you should thoroughly research the company, including verifying its rating and accreditation with the BBB.

Consumer Ally problem-solver Jean Chatzky is the "Today Show" financial adviser, a longtime financial journalist and best-selling author.

I have never been one to read books or PDFs on my computer screen. Give me a paperback book, or a printed page, and I can get through it quickly, but sit me in front of a screen and I just can’t make myself read it. Now with the advent of eReaders like the Kindle, and tablets like the iPad, reading a book off a screen isn’t as hard as it used to be.

There is no end to the wealth of free eBooks available online today, from literature to books on social media, to teaching yourself how to use Linux. There is one topic, blogging, with countless eBooks available, both paid and free, and it just takes a little bit of digging to find some of the best ones out there. This list of 7 books is a good place to start, with advice for both beginners and advanced bloggers alike.

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Deep Secrets of Successful Blogging

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It may be a few years old, but the wealth of information contained in Chitika’s Deep Secrets of Successful Blogging makes it just as relevant a book today as when it was first posted on their site.

Featuring the words of wisdom of 30 prominent bloggers including Chris Pirillo and Darren Rowse amongst others, the free eBook contains encouragement, advice and guidelines for the aspiring blogger.

Get the free eBook here.

279 Days to Overnight Success

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279 Days to Overnight Success by Chris Guillebeau is available for free download in PDF format from his website. Not only useful for bloggers, the free eBook is a must-read for any writer, artist or modern entrepreuner who wants to create an online presence for themselves.

Guillebeau uses his own journey to becoming a full-time writer as a guideline for others to follow.

The free PDF is available for download here.

If his style appeals to you, be sure to check out his earlier tile, A Brief Guide to World Domination available for download here.

Viral Copy

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Viral Copy by Brian Clark of Copyblogger takes on a very straightforward approach and can truly be seen as an essential guidebook for any blogger to read.

From the art of writing headlines to link baiting to how to use humour in your writing, Clark leaves no stone unturned, on how to drive traffic to your blog. In fact, you can see him put his own advice to good use with the links used in the eBook, making it hard to read the book offline.

Viral Copy is available for downlaod here.

Make Money Online With John Chow dot Com

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At first glance, Make Money Online by John Chow book probably sounds like one of those get-rich-quick scams but don’t be fooled. There is no hidden secret that will make you reach instantaneously. Instead, John Chow gives you an outline on how to drive traffic to your site, as well as giving specific recommendations on ad networks, and most importantly, how to monetize your blog. The book is best suited for beginners who are just getting started and don’t know much about how to make money in the blogging world.

While the book is available in paperback from Amazon, John Chow offers it as a free download on his site here.

Traffic Roots

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You’ll find that a lot eBooks about blogging focus on one specific topic – traffic. And rightly so, because without an audience to read what you’re writing – it all starts to feel futile. Traffic Roots by Jens Berget covers important topics like Search Engine Optimization, Email Marketing, Keyword Search and much more in over 130 pages of advice, tips and tricks.

Traffic roots is another ideal title for beginners, and may also contain some interesting tips for the slightly more advanced blogger. Download the PDF here.

Beginners Guide to Search Engine Optimization

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If your focus is to learn more about Search Engine Optimization, and need an introductory explanation, the Beginners Guide to Search Engine Optimization is a great place to start.

The guide covers the basic terms, explains how it all works, and tells you what you need to do to make use of these concepts on your own website.

There is no direct link to download the book, but rather can have it emailed to you by submitting your email here.

Viral Marketing

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Getting people to your blog is not just about SEO and link building. You also have to know how to market yourself. Viral Marketing by David Meerman Scott has been available for a couple of years but is a good place to start to understand what viral marketing is and what it takes to get in on the game.

The title is available for download here, along with a few other interesting titles by Scott.

What eBooks for bloggers are on your virtual shelf? Let us know in the comments.

Image credit: Shutterstock

bench craft company scam

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Making Money Scams

Deep Secrets of Successful Blogging

279 Days to Overnight Success

Viral Copy

Make Money Online With John Chow dot Com

Traffic Roots

Beginners Guide to Search Engine Optimization

Viral Marketing

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