If you are an internet user, then you have most likely heard about the recent scam in town being promoted by a company calling itself Internet Marketing Africa (IMA) LTD, Social Biz Connect or whatever they call themselves today. If it were up to me, I'd call the New Quail Eggs on the Web. Feel my angle?
The mode of operation of these so called companies are definitely fraudulent, opaque and have almost all if not all the hallmarks of a pyramid scheme carelessly engineered to defraud the unsuspecting public and especially the youth who are made to believe they can make some easy and fast money. The youth do not realize they are being conned, smoothly!
In my observation, I learnt that they require individuals to pay a certain amount to register after which the registered members are paid a little commission if one of their invitees happens to subscribe and pays the company a few thousand shillings. The commission payment is however not guaranteed and you may end up spending money enough to start a profitable business on crap that will never pay off.
Before you start earning, you must pay Kshs.200 for a mediocre seminar, Kshs 2,700 for registration, Kshs.300 for an ID and another Kshs.500. Payment isn’t even guaranteed on the first month despite their public clamour to pay tons of thousand a week. You have to continue paying a monthly fee of Kshs.2700 if you ever hope to receive any payment in the near, or far future.
As I analysed the company operations, I could not figure out if they indeed had REAL products that they wanted marketed or if their target was to just feed off the unsuspecting registered members while also engaging them in recruiting more and more people for the perpetuation of the scheme. This I can call impunity.
This is a pyramid scheme created to enrich a few individuals at the expense of the jobless youth.
A typical spam message by those who have fallen to the trap reads as follows:
“POVERTY IS A CHOICE!! WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO BE POOR WHILE THERE IS SO MUCH MONEY IN THE WORLD? …… Come join a team of professionals in ICT and EARN KSH 10,000/=-20,000/= weekly. Enjoy the rare benefits of socialising,advertising and marketing online full-time from your sitting room. REQUIREMENTS: You must be within Nairobi and it’s environs ,23 years and above,basic computer knowledge (though not a must).Interested persons to SMS their names to 0713318232 and get a response within 12hours.Students,Working class,Anyone looking for a fulltime work here is the Opportunity………..LETS TALK & DO BUSINESS ANYTIM”
It is however important to note that those posting these messages have no idea that they have been swindled and are doing so in the hope that their investments will pay off. So what we need to do is not condemn them, but inform them that they were wasting a great deal of time, and money of course, trying to make money out of Social Biz Connect or Internet Marketing Africa.
Should you send your details to the given number, you will usually get a generic reply to the tune of:
Reply from +254701565352
“Hello, we received your request to join our online job. I’m therefore giving you an appointment to come for a powerful training and see how you will be working with us online. You will be earning 5K – 10K weekly. Come tomorrow at 8:30am. Our office is located at Norwich union fourth floor. It is opposite Hilton hotel along mama Ngina street. Carry a notebook, a pen, your national ID and a tiny 200Bob for registration form. Your earnings will be paid for weekly basis. In case of direction issues, kindly feel free to ask and I will direct you. Confirm your attendance now so that I reserve a seat for you. It is Kelvin Muriithi (CC) from Internet Marketing Africa”
Now, here are the reasons why you should not fall into their trap:
1. They demand that you pay an up-front fee within the 1st day of perceived training
This is common in most online job scams. Easy to identify. You should never ever pay for a legitimate online (or offline) job. Well, unless it is a bribe, and you are aware it is a bribe, in which case returns are near certainly guaranteed (We all know how Kenya is these days, don't we?). *Tongue in cheek*
It doesn’t matter what amount of money the scammers are promising you. Look at it this way, if Internet Marketing Africa or Social Biz Connect gets 1000 people a day who pay a fee of Kshs.200 for some seminar, then it follows that they are making Kshs 200,000 a day. WTF to that?!
2. The scammers don't have a profound Social Media Presence
You would expect an organization focused on youth employment to have its own defined and visible social media presence say on Facebook, or Twitter or elswhere. This would be the appropriate strategy to reach the youth where they already are. However, apart from a few billion or so spam messages distributed by these scammers and their unsuspecting members, they don't have much of an online presence.
They only wish to pitch their so called service to lure in more and more victims. After reading this piece, you won't be lured too, would you?
3. There’s no conclusive information on the web about this company, service or whatever it is
This is definitely a red herring. Here is a company that claims to offer internet marketing or something to that effect yet they posses one of the least informative websites. The guys do not have a definite descriptive website to outline their services, addresses, associates, contacts and all that.
4. They lie that they’re supplying you with a free journal from Free Blog Factory on their website
When you navigate to the Internet Marketing Africa (IMA) web site, you find a link with the promise of a free blog! Who wouldn’t want a free blog at this digital age when hosting prices cost an arm and a leg? Hey! Don’t fall for it! Once you click on the Free journal Banner, you’re met by a Hostgator affiliate page. Its a poorly crafted way of making them affiliate money.
This is wrong, malicious, dishonest and suspicious. If Internet Marketing Africa (IMA) really wished to offer online jobs to the Kenyan populace, they wouldn’t trick them into affiliate pages. In essence, what Internet Marketing Africa (IMA) is doing is creating money for themselves through the Hostgator affiliate link.
5.Internet Marketing Africa (IMA) and SocialBizConnect are One and also the same crap
If you have been keen, you may have noticed that the spammy posts promoting SocialBizConnect and Internet Marketing Africa are simultaneously declining by the day. My only guess is that Kenyans are getting smarter or Social Biz are loosing steam. The members could also just be taking a sabbatical, re-energizing, re-grouping, re-strategizing and planning to launch a "MAKE OVER Kshs.100,000 per week!" campaign.
This is my own opinion based on personal observations. What do you think about Social Biz Connect and Internet Marketing Africa? Please leave a comment.
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