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Profit Masters Academy Scam Analysis

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Profit Masters Academy

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  • Profit Masters Academy
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  • Last modified: November 23, 2012

Review Summary:

Profit Masters Academy is a new version of many previous scams, including Home Profit Masters, Online Profit Masters, and Income Masters Institute. Read the full post to see why you should avoid it at all costs.

Profit Masters Academy is the new name for a scam that I’ve warned people about numerous times here. It’s gone by several names, including the following:

  • Home Profit Masters
  • Online Profit Masters
  • Income Masters Institute

I previously busted Home Profit Masters for using testimonials from an old FTC complaint. You can see that in the video below:

While the Profit Masters Academy site has removed the offending testimonials, it still has numerous problems.

The Most Blatant Problems With Profit Masters Academy:

Problem #1) Katie Smith Is A Stock Photo

Katie Smith is not only is a stock photo, but is also the same stock photo used for another highly questionable opportunity called “Paid To Place” – in that opportunity the name used for her is Kathy Garcia.

Click here to see a watermarked image of “Katie Smith” at the INMAGINE stock photo site

Problem #2) Testimonials are using stock photos.

Many of the testimonials being used on Profit Masters Academy are using stock photos.

  • Click here to see “Phil J.” at iStockPhoto.
  • Click here to see “Robert M.” at the F1 Online Stock Photo Site
  • Click here to see “Will C.” at iStockPhoto

Problem #3) Order Form Appears To Be A Fake Plimus Order Form

The order form for Profit Masters Academy appears to be a fake Plimus order form. Plimus is a third party payment processor that not long ago banned all Internet marketing and business opportunity products from their marketplace. I also searched the Plimus marketplace and couldn’t find Profit Masters Academy listed.

If it’s true that the order form for Profit Masters Academy is faked, then the security seals are also meaningless since they are for Plimus and NOT for Profit Masters Academy – that means that they are meaningless when it comes to the security of the Profit Masters Academy order page.

Problem #4) Bizarre Claim Of “Link Partners”

Profit Masters Academy makes the bizarre and ridiculous claims that it is “Link Partners” with Google, Bing, & Ask. Unfortunately, this is completely made up as “Google”, “Bing”, and “Ask” don’t have “Link Partners”.

Problem #5) Free Consultation With A “Success Advisor”

This is a typical tactic used by companies such as Profit Masters Academy to try to get you to speak with a high pressure sales person who will try to extract as much money as possible from you.

Here’s what will happen to you when you take your “free consultation”:

  1. When you make the “get started” call, you’ll get a front-line phone person who will have someone (an expert) call you back. That person will say that they are pre-qualifying to make sure you’re a good candidate. What they are really doing is trying to figure out how much money and credit you have available. As long as you have either cash or credit available – your a candidate!
  2. You’ll then talk with another sales person who will offer you “training” and/or “services” based on the amount of cash or credit you have available – usually costing anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000.
  3. If you decline or are even hesititant, they’ll likely call you relentlessly for several weeks often switching phone numbers or “blocking” their numbers so you can’t see who’s calling on Caller Id.
  4. Often you’ll be made outrageous promises of income when talking to the sales people that are NOT included in the final contract you sign. This makes it incredibly difficult for you to dispute the the “coaching/training/servcies” charges with your credit card company.

Problem #6) Profit Masters Academy is using Angela Bussio as their spokesperson

Angela Bussio was used as the spokesperson for the Home Profit Masters work at home program that I warned about that generated a substantial number of complaints.

Problem #7) Site appears to be associated with Home Profit Masters, Income Masters Institute, & Online Profit Masters.

One of the people behind those sites was the subject of the following Government Action:

Government Actions

Problem #8) Profit Masters Academy Claims you can make money simply “placing links”

Link posting scams became big starting around 2008 and have been scamming people out of their hard earned money ever since. They typically use ridiculous language such as:

“That’s it! Follow these three easy steps and you’re done! To fill out one link took you 1 to 2 minutes and, you just made $15 dollars! Do this over and over again, as much as you want, to make all the money you want! Process 5 links for $75 a day… 15 links for $225 a day… 30 links for $450 day…or more! To put it another way…”

Unfortunately, this is all nonsense. In fact, this type of language is based on one of the oldest scams around – the envelope stuffing scam.

If You're Struggling to Make Money Online Click Here to Get Answers to All of Your Questions About Making Money Online.

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Comments

  2. I second that question, Paul. Thanks for the heads up, though. Now , with your vast experience about home businesses, are there any that are legit and worthwhile attempting? Thanks in advance for replying.

    Reply

    • The one discussed in this video has received the most positive feedback. However, it looks like you’re a writer, so you may want to look at the page called make money writing for the web – you would mostly like want to check out the Freelance Writing Jobs Online and the Additional Resources for Writers section there.

      Also, if you have a product or service you want to bring to market, I would suggest getting free advice from your local S.C.O.R.E. branch. They’ve really improved their services over the years.

      If you can tell me more about your background, that can help as well.

      Reply

      • Thank you so much for putting this together. I almost purchased the system. Thank you for taking the time out to do this

        Reply

        • In a moment of weakness I bought into this and spent @$100. There is a “money back” guarantee, but the guarantee was not clear until I had already spent the $100. You must “make a go of it for 30 days” and if you don’t, you don’t get your money back. I am desperate to get away from corporate america so I was foolish. I am doubtful that I will get a refund, even if I create a stink, which I can be quite good at. I did get the very persistent call from someone wanting to set me up with a specialist and now I understand why he seemed to be disappointed when I told him I had no credit cards! Do I have any recourse to get my money back?

          Reply

          • If you paid with a credit card, file a dispute with your credit card company. The dispute procedures are usually on the back of your billing statement. If you paid with a debit card, you’ll need to talk to your bank about their particular dispute procedures. Both may ask you if you’ve tried to work it out with the company first.

          • Catherine, I too purchased the product, but at 60% off (only $34.), so it doesn’t hurt so bad. I am retired from the power industry and sick of the corporate garbage as well. I thought this would be a good way to make some extra travel money…guess we were both wrong.
            Paul, is there a sure-fired, legitimate program available for us who are sick of traveling and want to work from home??

          • If you’re talking about a business, risk is always part of the equation. That’s why I suggest people spend as little money as possible in the beginning – unless they already know what they want to do or are considering investing in a Franchise – in which case I suggest you take a look at:
            http://business.ftc.gov/documents/inv05-buying-franchise-consumer-guide

            If you are talking about telecommuting/freelance/home jobs, then I would suggest you take a look at this list:
            /work-at-home-jobs/

            I get a great deal of positive feedback about the Niche Blitzkrieg program, but the main reason I recommend it is that Michael’s up front about the time, work, etc. it takes, it’s easy to get a refund, and support/help is included for the $47 program price – you’re NOT going to get people hounding you trying get you to spend thousands of dollars.

          • Wish I had seen this before I bought into it. they got me for $171.00 I called their customer service center to cancel and ask for a refund, what a joke, the girl I spoke to sounded stoned and couldn’t hold onto the phone. I am disputing it with my credit card company.

      • Thank you so much! I always fall for internet scams, and I’m unemployed; so I don’t have the spare cash to be doing so. You saved many fights with my boyfriend (who pays for both of our student loans)

        Reply

  3. yes… I’ve been looking for work at home legit sites but i just cant seem to find anything. Do you have any suggesting. I would deeply appreciate it

    Reply

  4. i just made appt to talk with the sales director and was excited about the program till i read your warnings you have me putting up red flags on this, thanks. back to the drawing board.

    Reply

  5. Thank you for this service. Two days ago, I nearly bought this system, but backed off when I got a phone call. I’m so glad that I backed out, now after reading this review. The video of Angela B. really fooled me, because she appeared very professional. However, after I signed up, the overload of high-pressure buy this and buy that just raised a red flag. I immediately requested a refund and they emailed the voided transaction receipts, so I do have that. The experience was really upsetting

    Please do not publish my name or email. I’m still a little shook up from this experience, and am wanting to guard my privacy. I normally do not blog on these sites, but I do so appreciate your service, and this time I had to comment.

    Reply

  7. I actually ordered this only to receive a call by the coach asking me numerous questions about my credit, finances, money available to invest actually questions that was not his business. He got mad when I told him these questions were none of his business and hung up on me. 2 days later another coach from the same place called me asking the same questions again I told him it was none of his business, but thanks to the fact it had only been a few days I was able to get a full refund on the program. They charge 77.00 up front but then have a bunch of add-ons. The one coach said I would need 5,000 to 15,000 to start a business online and make money. I was lucky to have stumbled on to Michael Brown’s program and it has been amazing, finally an honest person who is willing to teach and understands what a shoestring budget means.

    Reply

  8. Well, so much for that work at home idea. What about assemble at home jobs? Two weeks ago I seen a small ad in our local paper for (cdpacking.com), the info I got from the site sounded good, about $40 one time fee and you will assemble cd cases at home at $2 per case assembled. So I joined, I have yet seen any cd cases to assemble. The claim is that if no work within 30 days I will get a refund, I guess I will find out in about two more weeks. I am more of a work with my hands kind of guy and not a writer. Did I just take another one in the shorts?

    Reply

  9. Paul,

    All I can remember is the area code was out of Utah. I commented to the coach that I had lived a short time in Layton, Utah. Another thing about Profit Master’s Academy is when you go to customer support it is an answering type service and then they transfer you, also they said to me they only are picking a handful of people to make testimonial’s. RED FLAG* they were closing the group for one year to focus on those that spent the money to invest. I do not understand why on the Profit Master’s Academy site they show as seen on CNN, Fox etc…, perhaps those tv stations need to run what a scam the company is!!!

    Reply

    • Yes I too was lured into this by Profit Masters Academy! And the only reason why I selected them was because they are showing MSNcbs,Fox News, ABC, USA Today, and CNN. I also wish one of these or all of these affiliates that they are showing on the website would show the world what a scam they really are. I’m lucky though I only spent 49.00.

      Reply

  10. Paul–As usual and as always, thanks for your devotion to watching out for our collective butts. You provide a great service and one that I am very grateful for. A friend is very hot about on an opportunity called “Zeeks Rewards”. I Googled it and unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) it got some bad press for sure. It appears to be an elaborate pyramid scheme that has 7 very convoluted ways to generate income. My friend’s son has bitten the bullet and invested over $1K–gulp–and he wants to jump too. I was wondering if you or any of our friends had PERSONAL experience that I can pass on to my buddy to save him and–in the best of all worlds–perhaps suggest a way out for his kid.

    I live in the WA State now, but am from KC, MO and have friends in St. Lou and am planning a bike trip back there after the weather breaks–would like to buy ya’ dinner if it works out. Take care and thanks again!!
    Michael

    Reply

  11. So happy I review this fake work from home site and found this review. I was just considering purchasing this but it just seemed to good to be true like other sites. I am trying to find a real work at home site that really is legitimate. I’m looking for the best sites to work from home are there actually any out there?.. Thanks for this article really appreciate it.

    Reply

    • If you are looking to start into real affiliate marketing, the training discussed in this video has received the most positive feedback. If you’re a writer, so you may want to look at the page called make money writing for the web – you would mostly like want to check out the Freelance Writing Jobs Online and the Additional Resources for Writers section there.

      I have a list of free sites that provide telecommuting/freelance leads at this page

      Also, if you have a product or service you want to bring to market, I would suggest getting free advice from your local S.C.O.R.E. branch. They’ve really improved their services over the years.

      If you can tell me more about your background, that can help as well.

      Reply

  12. I paid my $97 today for the Profit Masters Academy. After reading all this, I realize I’ve been scammed! How can I get my money back?? I thought this would be a good way for me to make some extra money since I am retired and live on a very limited income. PLEASE help me!!

    Reply

      • Hi Paul,

        Thank you for your advice. I, like Nancy, also paid my $97.00 to “Profit Masters” for the program, and I will contact my bank to dispute the payment, as you have advised.

        Also, I have not read all of the blogs, but I can certainly identify with the responses of several that I have read. For instance, a so-called “instructor” or “interviewer” asked me a lot of questions about my finances and said I needed to invest startup money for a business, also. When hedged, he said he’d let me think about it and would call me back, this coming Thursday, August 23rd.

        I wish that I had thought to seek out a sight like yours, first. I’m uncomfortable, because what I haven’t read, yet, is whether anyone else felt goaded by and filled out the “Merchant’s Registration” form, a so-called, business application which involves credit cards, supposedly, for business transactions. This seemed to be a necessary part of the process, as it pops up, before you can proceed to the information about how to participate in the “work-at-home process” which is what I, really, was looking for!

        Although, I wanted to opt-out, as I questioned it, to myself, wondering what it had to do with seeking a “job,” but against my own, “better judgement,” I applied and submitted it, hoping it was not a scam and was “secure” as it had claimed to be. Only after “sending” it, I discovered a “skip this” button at the very end of the application. I wanted to scream, as I, of all people, always said, I wouldn’t apply for anything involving personal information on the internet. This is something that has me extremely worried. How much can this hurt me, can I do anything, now that it’s done? Help!?

        Reply

  13. I came across this scam looking for at home legal transcriptionist jobs. The news sites look so real, but I’m very familiar with these scams, so I was sure it was one. Thank you for posting this! Do you know of any legit work at home legal transcription jobs? I have plenty of experience, but am looking for a legit company to work for to supplement my income (which isn’t much right now). Thanks!

    Reply

  14. Paul, You are such a blessing!! I know you hear this a lot but Thank You Sooooo Much!!!! I didn’t have the money to spare but it seemed like a good chance to make some much needed extra money for my family. I was prepared to take money from bills to use and just make it up in a few days. I am soooo glad I came across your site. I was going to make my purchase this afternoon. I prayed about this last night and it seems you are the right answer!

    Reply

  15. I was looking at the profit masters website yesterday. I put in my name, email address & phone number just to see how many spots were left. I didn’t go any further but later received a phone call. Mr. Banks (I can’t remember his first name) said that their computer system randomly chose me for the low, one time price of $34.95. My debit card was charged this am but I stilll haven’t received any information or an email so I called the number found on my bank account. I was told that I hadn’t confirmed my email address with them in which I did with 2 different people on the phone yesterday. I immediately received an email with a electronic receipt. Soon after I found your page warning people so I emailed them back & asked them to refund my money & if they do not that I will be filing a dispute with my credit card company. I in return received a reply stating that a customer care represenative will contact me within 24-48 hrs.I really hate being scammed & I am very thankful that I found your website. Thank yo so very much!

    Reply

  16. Paul, last week while looking for jobs on line, I was linked up with “Profits Masters Academy” (PMA), I started to fill out the application but stopped, because I didn’t see a price. Two days later, on Friday(8/24/12) 10:05am (west coast time) I got a call from Carlis T. at PMA. She told me that the price would be a one time price of only $34.95 (speical price, limited time). When I asked Carlis about PMA, and told her my concerns; getting calls from the company, and PMA representative (advisors) asking questions concerning my credit card account. The qusetions: What’s my credit limit? How many credit cards did I have? And which credit card had the largest credit line? You do want to make an investment on yourself by spenting more money on your needed investment? She told me that they were not a scam, and I would not be charged any more money. And that their had a 30 days refund policy. So I gave Carlis my information and charged my credit card the $34.95. Carlis gave me PMA’s customer service (support) number 1-877-387-1585 (EasternTime – 9:00am – 10:00pm) just in case I had any other questions (or needed a refund), than she transferred me to Leslie, who verified my info. I was told that with in 24 hours, I would get info on my e-mail. I have not received an e-mail yet. And Paul, after reading your blog, I called PMA’s customer service’s phone number to cancel and get my account refunded. I got an answered machine that said to call back on a working office day, Monday thru Friday. *** Paul, I just got laid off this month after working almost 14 years (down sizing), and before that I working 20 years at another job, I never been unemployed before, now I’m ready to do something new and from home. ** Thank you Paul for all that you do. ;-) God bless.

    Reply

  17. Last week I found the Profits Masters Academy and seeing as they had a money back guarantee I made the mistake of signing up for $77.00. So after the amount of time they said I would receive a receipt I did not get one so I emailed them, I got my receipt after an hour. The next day I received a call from them and they told me I would get a special offers of $34.95 for “special” one on one help, and seeing as I am an idiot, I agreed. I had the same problem, no receipt. I emailed them 1 time on Saturday. The office hours said Mon.-Fri. 9am-5pm on that email. Today (Monday) I received a call saying they wanted me to be one of their success stories for a low price of $55.00 I said no(by that point in time I had found this site) and so he was a typical salesman and tried to convince me. He asked me why I wanted to work at home and I told him my 5 month old son has a few heart defects and no daycare would take him and I have medical bills to pay for his surgeries…I guess he got a heart and hung up on me(note during the call he said the office hours were Mon.-Sat. 9am-9pm for the same department) . After that (still no receipt) I emailed them 3 times and called about 10 times no one answered half of the time and one time I called I got someone and asked her for my receipt for the $34.95 and I got one for the $77 that happened twice. One time I called I asked he for my receipt she said they didn’t have my email address and there was a problem with my account so she put me on hold, after an hour of being on hold I hung up and called again and got the same lady I said forget the receipt just refound all of my money. My money should be back in my account in 2-3 days.

    More things that caught my eye about them:
    on all of the emails and phone calls I have received the office hours for Customer Service are different
    one guy on the phone sounded like he was walking down a street and one guy was out of breath
    I had to ask for both receipts
    I never received a call to coach me on how to do it
    only received calls asking for money.
    I keep going back to their site and the price is never the same
    the phone number on my bank statement is disconnected

    Reply

  18. Help,
    Ok I blew it and spent $35.00 with the Profit Masters Academy. Now I read your info and I am convinced that I just spent money on a scam. So what do I do now to get my money back. According to the guarantee, you have to work the business for 30 days and then apply for your refund. so realizing this is all bogus what should I do now?

    Reply

    • Yeh, that “conditional guarantee” isn’t going to fly when you’re dealing with fraud like this. If you paid with a credit card, file a dispute with your credit card company. The dispute procedures are usually on the back of your billing statement. If you paid with a debit card, you’ll need to talk to your bank about their particular dispute procedures.

      Reply

  19. This program was a joke!!!! They kept asking for more money to become a success story. As soon as we told them we didnt want to spend anymore than the initial 77$ they said goodluck call customer service. We became very skeptical but was still willing to try. After speaking to a gentlemen named ben phillips who actually said “whatever” per our phone conversation we decided they were unprofessional & unwilling to help. We decided to cancel the program & in the process of trying to cancel our 100% satifaction guarantee the person we then talked to hung up on us after waiting for 10 minutes. Oh yes forgot to mention that BEN gave us the wrong number to cancel & we believe it was deliberate. Needless to say they said we would get our refund of $77 in three to five days. Well its been 4 days so hopefully by tomorrow it will be in our acct!!!! VERY FRUSTRATING & not what it claims to be. If you enjoy people being SOOOOO rude to you this is definitely the program to purchase. If looking for a real program look elsewhere!!! VERY DISAPPOINTED!!!! We are contacting the BBB!!!!

    Reply

    • If you don’t get the refund…if you paid with a credit card, file a dispute with your credit card company. The dispute procedures are usually on the back of your billing statement. If you paid with a debit card, you’ll need to talk to your bank about their particular dispute procedures.

      Reply

  20. I just received a call back from Profit Masters Academy in response to filling out information on line.
    I was busy at the time and did not talk with them, but the person who called tried to talk any way and offered a special “DEAL” for $ 34.95. I said I would call back later. When I called back I got a different person and requested the special of $34.95., but was told that the offer was only good for the previous phone call. I hung up and made no deal.

    Reply

  21. Paul, I wrote to you on 8/25/12 concerning my experiences with Profit Master Academy (PMA). And I just wanted you to know that a refund has been issued on my credit card for the $34.95, also an e-mailed confirmation was sent to me. This happen after my 3rd call to PMA. Each time I called, I was told that PMA didn’t have my e-mail address on file (it was giving to them three times). On my 3rd attempt I spoke to Susie Stronge on 8/28/12 in the customer service department, I was happily surprised how nice and professional she was. She also needed my e-mail address because she said that it dropped out, she fixed it, gave me my refund, and sent me my e-mail confirmation.
    I told Susie about my previous call to PMA custmer service that took place the night before. That I was on hold for 15 or 20 minutes before a person with a very thick (from India or Pakistan) accent named Wayne tried to help me. Wayne knew very little english. I tried to sound out and spell verizon to him more times than I want to say. Than Wayne told me to call back the next day.
    I told Susie about the TV commercial concerning customer service that featured a guy name Peggy, I think we all seen it, he’s a customer service representative in a remote place, answering phone calls and not really helping anyone. That how I feel about Wayne (and about PMA).

    Thanks again Paul and to the others who write their comments too. ;-)

    Reply

    • Try to work out a refund with the company first. If you don’t have the money back within 2 to 3 business days, then do this: If you paid with a credit card, file a dispute with your credit card company. The dispute procedures are usually on the back of your billing statement. If you paid with a debit card, you’ll need to talk to your bank about their particular dispute procedures.

      Reply

  23. Ughhh i’m so mad i just had to pay $75 and gave out all my bank info to this bull just a couple of minutes ago before reading this :( Do you have any suggestions on how can i have my money back ( get a refund) ?

    Reply

    • Actually never mind, i’ve read many of the comments on this page and i just went right now to dispute my payment from the bank. Thanks so much! Oh and if i want an online job like writing up things for companies or stuff that doesn’t require marketing or business or any of that, just an easy home job, where would you recommend me to go? Thanks for the reply in advance!

      Reply

    • If you gave out all your bank info, then go to your bank and get a new account, transferring your balance into the new account. If you explain to the bank that you are afraid of online fraud, most of the time they won’t even look at you funny. It’s what I had to do – more than once – (yeah, OK, I’m a sucker) and it keeps the scammers out of your bank account.

      Reply

  24. Hi Paul,

    I just wanted to thank you for your informative warning against Profit Masters Academy. I was getting ready to purchase the program, but decided to check it out first. I’m so glad I came across your website!

    Reply

  26. Hi Paul i got caught up in the Paid to Place info and just as I ordered it I wanted my money back…any suggestions because of course no one answers the phone….

    Reply

  28. Hi Paul,
    I too stupidly purchased the $97 package. I will be filing soon to get my money back. However, I did also call the get started number and spoke with two people. The first person was “Jason” and he was the one who first asked all the questions to see if I was a candidate. The second person, his “supervisor”, was Shawn, and he was the one to push and push and push me into a program with them for $8895.00. When I asked for more time so that I could do some research on their company, his attitude changed, and with some hesitation, he agreed to give me the weekend. They then immediately called me back….within 5 minutes, to push up the signing date to the next day. I again said no, and said my wish was for after the weekend. They said okay, and that they will be there 24 hours to assist me. So I immediately sent Shawn an email asking for an itemized list for the asking price of $8895, and I haven’t heard back from them. What I do have is Shawn’s email address, the business name and physical address, and the contract that they think I will sign. It took a lot of arm twisting to get the contract because they said they only give out contracts once they have my credit card information. But I said they won’t get a dime from me unless I can see the contract first. They insisted they don’t charge my account until I sign, but I still refused. And they sent the contract anyways. Let me know if you need any of the info I have. Today is Sunday, and they will be calling me tomorrow hoping to get my business. Fat Chance!

    Reply

  29. Paul,
    I had just paid and received my receipt when i found this site. I immediately called my credit card company to stop the charge,they said the charge was pending and would be cancelled. Thank You so much for doing what you do,not everyone is internet savy.

    Reply

  30. What I’m trying to understand is how I allowed myself to get pulled into this program. I now remembered that I’d once before came across this company, and rejected it at that time. How I got pulled into it again this time is beyond me, other than I am in need of a legitimate work at home job now!

    Anyway, I was told today that I will be getting my refund (I called and insisted that my membership be canceled and that I want my refund, which after several calls, all with different reps–overseas mostly–I managed to speak with someone today who was quite cooperative and immediately issued, hopefully, a confirmation number for my refund. I just had to explain why I was cancelling…

    Wow! Lesson learned here!!!

    I thank God, my Lord Jesus Christ, that this seems to have worked out amicably!

    Reply

  31. Hi Paul my nameis harry I just watched that video by michael Brown and it seems like it would be a good thing to invest in…. after reading the majority of these blogs you seem very honest and you seem to know what your talking about. Have you had any complaints about the michael s. brown product or have people been satisfied so far?

    Reply

    • I’ve only seen a handful of complaints over the years and those all got resolved quickly through their support system – and those complaints usually had to do with logins going to spam or things like that.

      I should add that the feedback has been overwhelming positive for it. As with anything, it’s not for everybody, which is why he’s made the refund process so straightforward – people can take the trial, get familiar with training, support, and the community, and make a fairly quick decision as to whether or not it’s something they want to continue with.

      Reply

  32. i watched the michael s. brown video… it seems like it would be a good investment… have you had any negative feedback about this product or have people been satisfied with the purchase?

    Reply

  33. Thank you so much, I was seconds away to clicking the “sign me up now” link when I got a bad feeling in my gut. Luckily, I paused and decided to ask the almighty Google for advice and found this site in the first link. Good to know there are still good people out there.

    Reply

  34. Thank you so much Paul!!
    I *almost* purchased this program. Mind you, I say alomost. I am critical of internet claims and so, I went looking for other reviews, not testimonials but rather, real people sharing their stories.
    Your site was the second hit on a page full of negative reviews, nary a positive review in sight :)

    Thank you again!

    TTFN :)

    Sandy

    Reply

  36. Everyone,

    Get this – I had posted my name, email and phone number to PMA so I could read the content.
    I haven’t completed nor clicked their “get the course” link and guess what – My phone just rang, from PMA!! It’s been maybe 20 minutes and, without even completion, they called me! Now *that’s aggressive – LOL.
    I gave them a song and dance and even though the young lady *tried* to talk over me, I made it clear I wasn’t interested. She was pleasant enough, I hope (for their sake) they choose to leave me alone :)

    TTFN,

    Sandy

    Reply

    • Yeah, the same thing happened to me. Then you get calls from several different places, not just the one you’re inquiring about. It’s been 3 months and I’m STILL getting random calls, hang-ups on voicemail, etc. I’m glad I only gave them by back-up cell number. :-)

      Reply

  37. I want to thank everyone for their personal stories and input, I almost bought the profit masters academy until i came across Paul’s site. Thank you Paul for all the years of hard work and integrity. It is seriously appreciated. Thank You and keep up the awesome work.

    Reply

  38. I just purchased this last nightbased on the fact that it was on TV and all the other good stuff. I usually do a search for scam analysis, but for some reason I did not do it this time. Is there some way that I can stop payment or get my money back?

    Reply

    • Just call and ask for your money back! This company is scam and the people are completely rude. Just start asking questions and ask for your money back and you will see there true colors! Trust me

      Reply

  39. I usually do not get on the internet and post comments but after dealing with profit master academy I just had to warn people they are completely rude and are a scam. They will try to talk you into spending more money and they are not who they say they are at all. They end up withdrawing another amount from my account without my permission then when I asked them about it they said I had authorized it and they have me on a recording which is a lie when I asked to listen to the recording they refused. This people are ridiculous and do not I repeat do not waste your money or time! Please pass the word. I told them for people who are trying to run a business they are doing a terrible job. The guy even told me if I didn’t like what I was hearing to hang up! I immediately asked for a refund! Do not purchase.

    Reply

  40. Hi Paul. I was in disbelief when I clicked on “Profit Masters Academy Scams” and started reading some of the testimonies and your respoonses and thoughts. I wish I would have came across this before I gave Profit Masters $97.00. I am in the process of working with my bank to get the money back. I attempted to obtain a refund from them, but they refuse, saying I need to “try” and “give it 30 days” and other things like that. I’m not sure if you would have the resources, but am pretty sure you would have some suggestions that may help me. Here’s my situation: I am an over-the-road truck driver who wants to be home a lot more (every day.) Part of wanting to be home so much is due to my father’s decline in health. I do have other skills besides driving. I am willing to consider either working from home, working outside my home, or other options (if any.) Take care and thank you for taking the time to read this.

    Reply

      • Hello again, Paul. Thank you for replying and for the information/resources you’ve shared with me. The other skills I have include typing and a raw talent with working with numbers, managing finances, and what-not. I refer to it as ‘a raw talent’ because I am good with numbers and mathematics, however, other than algebra I & II and geometry classes in high school (which was several years ago,) I haven’t went through any further education, specifically concerning that. And my managing finances experience has been personal, not professional. I don’t know if this is relevant, but I am in my 30’s, in fairly good health, and have learned a very valuable life lesson in becoming a truck driver almost four years ago. The lesson I’ve learned is to not give up, even when things seem impossible and that I believe in myself and in trying new things. . . things I might not have ever thought I could/would do, such as being a truck driver. I sure have a lot to say, don’t I? I appreciate you taking this time with me and asking about my skills. Take care.

        Reply

        • P.S. My stepmom gave me a magazine pertaining to working at home and I’m wondering if you’ve ever heard of it. It is called “Home Business connection.” It’s the first time I’ve seen or heard of it. There are many business opportunities in it, many sound too good to be true. I wouldn’t know how to differentiate between legitimate opportunities and fraudulent ones. Any suggestions/comments?

          Reply

          • Thank you so much for your help and the information you’ve provided! Take care and God bless! Oh, and I will share with you the solution that I reached in conjunction with my bank, concerning Profit Masters Academy, to insure protection of my money. In my first note to you, I mentioned they refused me my refund. Well, shortly after I wrote that note, I received an email from them stating I will be receiving my $97.00 refund. They have refunded me the money directly back to my checking account. My bank suggested getting a new debit card, since that is how PMA has access to my account. So, after receiving my refund, I went into the bank and they issued me a temporary debit card I can use right away, while I wait for my new one (at no cost to me.) And I have you, and the other people who have written you about PMA, to thank for sharing information and testimonies of how PMA has conducted themselves before. I took preventative measures in getting a new debit card so that I can make sure PMA can’t take any money from me in the future. At first, I thought maybe I was worrying too much, until I read a testimony on here where PMA had taken money after the person was done with them and claimed the person authorized it. I am very greatful… thank you again.

  41. Thanks so much for this Paul. I am a stay at home mom, looking for work and hate the thought of leaving my son…but like many other families with one working parent, things are getting very tight. While looking for a job, I saw an ad that took me to an article of Melissa Johnson “a Chicago mom”. I’m also a Chicago mom, so I took to her story right away. I clicked on the link to get started, read it over, and signed up. Total idiot move. Nothing to lose with a money back guarantee, right? After signing up, I had the idea of connecting with Melissa Johnson over facebook since we live so close, I thought maybe she would be able to help me out in getting started. I found her fan page, and it was there I started to see it was a scam. I googled it and found your review. I immediately called my credit card company and they said that since it wasn’t posted yet, there was nothing they could do. They couldn’t cancel it without the merchant calling them. I had to wait a few days to dispute it. The reassuring thing they told me was that if it was a fraudulent company, I am not liable for any purchases. I called Profit Masters Academy to cancel the order, where an obnoxious woman tried to talk me out of it for 5 minutes and told me I was not eligible for a refund because I had to try it for 30 days and get my refund within 30 days. I continued to argue with her and finally told her that if she wasn’t going to refund the $97 back to my account, I would dispute the charge to my credit card company, and that because they were a fraudulent company, federal security would be involved. Even though I really didn’t know what I was talking about, she bought it and said that the refund would be on my credit in 3-5 business days. We’ll see in a week or so! If it wasn’t for your review, I would be sitting here like an idiot trying to make money with their site. Thanks so much Paul!

    Reply

    • dont hold your breath they told me the same thing little did i know she was only buying time for the 30ty days to run out. I have not seen my refund to this day!

      Reply

  42. I feel like a total idiot. My fiance found the Profit Masters Academy and convinced me that it was a good idea. I agreed to it and decided to go ahead and pay the $97 and sign up for the program. I signed into their website and started going through everything. The first thing I noticed was that they just wanted more money from me. While I was watching some video, I received a phone call from Profit Masters, it was hard to hear the lady, sounded like she was walking or doing a lot of moving while talking to me. She told me that I was going to get a discounted one time charge of $34.95. I made sure to ask her if I was still going to be charged the original $97, she convinced me that I wouldn’t be charged except the discounted rate. I soon got a call from my fiance saying that we were charged twice. I immediately called the customer service phone number on the invoice email I got. I talked to a lady who refused to admit that I was charged the $97. After arguing that their policy states that its a no hassle guarantee and told her I was going to contact my attorney, she agreed to refund my money.
    I hope to see the money back in my account soon.
    Thanks Paul for your website. I just wish my fiance would have done his research before telling me to buy into the scam.

    Reply

  43. Same happened to me. Put phone number in to check if they had any spots left. They did didn’t care that my phone number was were I lived from. I did the $ 34.95 special. Got my receipt and email. Went to site, it said use phone number to call specialist to help, no number. So I called customer service. He kept putting me on hold and then decided he would help me through so I wouldn’t have to pay for someone to help. Told him I wanted a supervisor and he said she not available. Didn’t help with much. So I tried what he said, didn’t work. Phone numbers given to me and email do not match. Found your scam-site and others. So I just called my credit card company and put in dispute.
    Someone needs to tell the tv stations and others they are being included in these scams and get it broadcasted on television. Thanks!

    Reply

  44. I have recently been scamed by this company. It sounded so real and seemed good to be able to stay home and work. Boy was I wrong….. I have now been scamed with a loss of $77.00. I have called and cancalled this program and every time I did someone would tell me that I needed to go to this website and do something else. All of this started on Sept 13 2012. I tried the program but they have got it set in a way that you will need their help to get up and going. I called the next week to get a refund of my money due to this was not working for me and I could not afford a 1,000 dollar coach to walk me through this. I didn’t have 3,000 dollars to put upfront to get a business started either. Since then I have not gotten my refund, my debt card that was billed has be used for fraud in Cal. and my email has a virus from the mail that they have been sending me. People please watch out these people are very bad and will try to mess you up. Today I got a phone call from someone named Rabu wanting to check on me to see how things were going and I started telling her that I have cancalled this program and was waiting on my refund that should have already been sent. Said it would take about 7-10 business days to go back into account, seems like this is the time they tell you for the 30 days to run out. She stops me and says oh ma’am you need to contact our customer service # and talk to them. So I did this and spoke to Georgia where she tells me that I can’t find your account and I need the credit card you paid with to pull up your account. There again were they trying to hack into my banking account. I then was sent to the manager Lia because by this point I was pissed. She tells me that she can’t refund my $ its been more than 30ty days. I explained to her that I have called several times to try and c/a and I would get some bull crap from someone else about not c/a and no refund try something else. At this point I was on the verge of yelling in the phone and she tells me that she can’t help me good bye. This is not a company to get involved with. IT’S A SCAM AND THEY COMMITTE FRAUD WITH YOUR HARD WORKING MONEY! I have filed a police report on them and we will see how it goes from here. If anyione out there has done this and got their $ back after the fact please let me know. Thanks

    Reply

  45. Wow, Paul! I actually just recently moved to the US from Ethiopia and was looking for a better way to make money and support my family here. I was, like most people that comment here, convinced that the opportunity was legit. So, I clicked on the link, and wanted to use the money I had in my PayPal account to pay (I like PayPal because it prevents people from knowing your credit card/debit card info). They had advertised that it would be possible to pay using PayPal (the icon for PayPal looked funny, though). But there was no PayPal option at all! Then I wanted to go back to the previous page to check if I’d made a mistake and clicked on the “back” link on my browser. Then a pop-up window came up with a message that if I click on “Stay on this page” or click “Cancel”, I would get a discount. So, I did and got a discount to 77USD. Now, why would you do that to the other people who paid 97USD?! All I did to get their discount was, click! Then, I got really suspicious and googled their name and landed on the warrior forum (which someone else I trust is a member since years ago), so I knew the forum was a good place. Later, of course, I got here and read all these comments. It’s sad. I too, was looking for a way to get out of the grind and use my skills to make money. I studied Computer Science in my country, can do websites, know Linux OS, can do translations from my native language Amharic to English and vice versa, love taking pictures (I’m really good at that too), can do maintenance of computers, have a good musical talent, love to write, etc … just to name a few. I was hoping I could utilize these skills to make money.

    Paul, you make such a difference!! Thank you for your expertise, which, I know, was gained by hours, days, weeks and years of hard work and honesty. Thank you for sharing the information here.

    If you are reading my comment, (like I did the other comments), please be ware! Don’t get fooled. Right now, I’m leaning toward the “Golden Rule” that friend of mine who’s on Warrior Forum told me about: “Never spend a dime to start working online!”

    What do you think, Paul?

    I also know, for a fact, that you can open an account on clickbank without spending a dime! But, if you do it right (as I hear), you can make money. If you have many pictures that are awesome (like I think I do :) ), try selling them on stock photography sites like Shutterstock. If you know how to build websites, try Freelancer.com or other similar sites where you bid on projects.

    Paul, would you add a few ideas and comment on the ones I made, please?

    I’m deeply grateful for you, Paul, and everyone else here who contributed to saving my hard-earned cash from slipping through my fingers. The funny thing is, I didn’t even have 97USD on my Debit Card (I don’t like credit cards and didn’t get one since moving here … and never plan to have one). But I had some money I earned translating on my PayPal account. Just to give you an idea of how painful it would have been for me to lose that money, I get paid per word when I translate. So, I get 0.05USD/word. If you do 10,000 words, which takes many DAYS of hard work and lots of experience to even attempt to do it, you only get 500USD.

    Again, thank you, Paul for “bearing the light” and saving those of us who dared to google these people from more heartache.

    THANK YOU!!!!!!

    Reply

    • Unfortunately, I bought into Home Profit Masters! I have been “training” for 4 months and going nowhere. I was supposed to have 7 “proactive” sessions with my trainer, yet I think we’re going on number 9 or 10, not getting any closer to building this website they said was in my contract. I went through all the same stuff – paid the $97, got the phone calls asking all the financial and personal questions, and ultimately paid $4800 for the program plus $200 for “SupplierSource.com” which is supposed to give me dropshipper sights and companies to choose from.
      The sad thing is, I have been involved with a phone scam before, so you think I would have learned my lesson. I was skeptical, but being desperate to earn money, I went ahead and fell under the pressure and signed the contract.

      What can I do to get my money back or at least part of it? I have also discovered that someone in Utah is charging my account $39.95 every month for the last 3 months. I believe it is this same company.

      Please help!!! What advise do you have?

      Reply

  48. Paul, I wrote on 11/19. Do you have any advise for me? I am into Home Profit Masters for a lot of money and time. What can I do, if anything.?

    Reply

  51. Paul,
    First, thanks for saving me money, time and heartache as I almost bought into this. Thanks to your site, I did not. I did, however, check into the ‘video’ that you have listed throughout all these comments. So, doing some due diligence, I checked out Niche Blitzkrieg at the local BBB. I was surprised to find that they have a grade of ‘F’ after all the comments on this site. Can you explain or is this another scam too?

    Reply

  52. Last night at about 11:30, I purchased the Profit Masters Academy for $47.00 and THEN decided to research it. Your site was one of the first to come up and, after reading your review and all of the comments, I must say I felt sick to my stomach. How could I be so stupid? And, beginning at 8:00AM this morning, my phone started ringing. Between 8 and 11AM there were five calls, all from St. George, Utah. Needless to say, I did not answer any of them. Since the transaction was still pending on my debit card, I called my bank to see if they could just cancel it and they said no. I would have to open a dispute which could take weeks to resolve. I probably won’t see that money again in my lifetime. I just want to thank you for saving me countless hours of time and probably a goodly sum of money. Your advice has been invaluable and I have learned a lesson the hard way.

    Reply

    • Did you file a dispute with your credit card company?

      If not, you’ll want to file a fraud dispute with your credit card company. Instructions are typically on the back of your billing statement. If you paid with a debit card you’ll need to talk to your bank about dispute procedures.

      Since it sounds like you ended up with the so-called “coaching/training” you may need quite a bit of documentation to try to prove your case. Ideally, you should make a timeline and record every event before and after the charges. There is a great site for this that I’ve sent people to in the past, but it’s down right now. Hopefully it’s just temporary. If it comes back up, I will post it here.

      Reply

  55. Paul,
    Thanks for the info on this scam. You just saved me from parting with $$ I really cant afford to loose.

    Reply

  56. I wish I’d come across this site before I “invested” in that mess. Anyway one other thing I experienced, I don’t know if anyone else went through this, but not only do you get numerous annoying calls from other “agencies” or whoever, but apparently they give out your credit card information also. Even if you do not go forward with the initial process, you’ll see all sorts of random charges popping up on your card. I had to call and stop one yesterday morning and they told me they were linked with Profit Masters and the charge was for the monthly website fee; the website, by the way, which I had never even set up. They said they’d stop taking the charges off then hung up before I had a chance to say anything else. Then the next “companay”, I tried to call and could not get through, so I immediately called my credit card company to dispute and have the card replaced. Thank God I didn’t lose much and do have other funds for support.

    Reply

  57. This is a SCAM!!! When I came across this page, across the top in bold letters, it states, “EXPOSED: Dubois Mom Makes $8,000/Month And You Won’t Believe How She Does It!”. SO being that I am from the small town of Dubois, I continued reading when I came across this,

    “Mary Stevens from Dubois, ID never thought that she would work online, until curiosity got the best of her and she ordered a course from Millionaire author Angela Bussio called Profit Web System Before she knew it, she discovered her secret to beating the recession, and being able to provide for her family while at home with her three children.
    I read Mary Stevens blog last month and decided to feature her story in our weekly consumer report. In our phone interview she told me her amazing story. “I actually make a steady $7,000-$8,000 a month working from home online. It’s enough to comfortably replace my old jobs income, especially considering I only work about 15 hours a week from my own home online. It gives me so much time to spend with my family.”……

    It’s all a scam people! There is no Mary Stevens that lives in Dubois, Idaho. PLUS if you haven’t noticed, they only replace the name of the person and the location but the rest of the story is the same. I’m telling you this is a joke! I graduated with a total of 13 people in my senior class from DUBOIS, ID- I would know a Mary Stevens. If you don’t believe me, grab the yellow pages, search Mary Stevens from Dubois, Idaho and you will see for yourself. “No listings available”. Even the address that was blurred out on the FAKE check is way to long to read Dubois, Idaho and besides that 99% of the town has PO BOX’s anyways. SO, be aware that this is all a scam. Don’t waste your time or money!

    Reply

  58. Paul, I thought this was interesting and maybe you could do some more research on it than I am capable of. I found the coach that was assigned to me by Profit Web Masters on Facebook. I saw that he was employed by Apply Knowledge Institute. When I clicked on their website link it takes me to the exact same link as the one I used for PWM. If these scammers are running under multiple names, I’d like for everyone possible to be aware of any name they are running under to avoid them as much as possible. Thank you.

    Reply

  59. All dates for your site stopped in 2012.Are you & your informative site still going, in 2014..perhaps at another link? I see that the questions re:scams being recommended by CNN, & other reputable, reliable sources don’t, to me, look completely explained. With respect, I too question..how can scam sites fake that FoxNews or CNN or..endorses their so-called service? even using their logos..& not suffer legal or other problems? Thanks. Hope you & your site are alive & well & still kicking dumb butts! :)

    Reply

  60. P.S. Wondering, are the various links you suggest for interests such as work at home, freelance, etc, still current, &/or, are there any others you’d recommend might be worth looking into. Ditto question, but, for the opposite..any updates on scamsites you’d say avoid like the plagues that they are! would be warmly appreciated.

    Reply

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