CHICAGO (WLS) — Imagine earning money simply by liking videos and photos on social media. It seems like the ideal job, doesn’t it?
However, several individuals are now reaching out to the ABC7 I-Team, reporting substantial financial losses from a “work-from-home” opportunity that required them to “invest” in order to earn more.
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Initially appealing as a dream job, the opportunity to like social media posts has turned into a cautionary tale. Many former participants claim they saw some initial earnings, but eventually, the entire scheme unraveled.
Erica Tyler, a resident of the Westhaven Park neighborhood, was deeply engaged with an Australian company known as CloudBoost Technology Advertising.
Erica was introduced to the work-from-home opportunity by a friend. Enthusiastic about the prospects, she began creating presentations and even recruited others through online platforms.
The role involved liking social media content from the comfort of her home. Her husband, Willie Tyler Jr., and friend, Chris Kimbrough, from Bolingbrook, also decided to join the venture.
Erica says she started with a $500 cryptocurrency “work” deposit to join the team.
“I’m upset, number one, because they got us to trust them. OK. And we trusted that they were a growing company,” Erica said.
Erica says she later deposited another $15,000 into the crypto platform over the course of a year. She and others say deposits helped them move up in “tiers” to hopefully make more money by “liking” more posts.
But last August, consumers say, the company shut down, and they were unable to cash out. Erica estimates her losses at nearly $37,000. Willie says he lost $3,000 in crypto deposits.
“Put me in a hole,” Willie said. “Because not just on my account, you know, I trusted them, but I also brought people in, family members, some close friends, you know, that they lost money also.”
Kimbrough also says she lost thousands.
“I’m very upset about that,” Kimbrough said. “And, you know, I had one of my friends to put up money for me, and then, family members helped put up money for me.”
Gwendoline Ashford of Georgia was a top recruiter.
“I had a team of over 120 people,” Ashford said.
She says some of those people think she has their money, but she, too, lost money, $27,000, after the company collapsed, she says.
“They had offices in Atlanta, Alabama. They had huge parties, and they would give people money to open up these offices and take videos,” Ashford said.
Ashford started an online petition bringing other former workers together. Many, like the people in ABC7’s story, reported claims to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center and the U.S. Secret Service.
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Peter Vogl at the U.S. Secret Service Chicago Field Office told the I-Team about the warning signs.
“Because if you have to pay to participate, if they’re requiring you to get more people involved, too, in order to progress and make more money, then, one might take a little step back and think about what you’re doing,” Vogl said.
If a company is asking workers to pay more to reach the next level, Vogl said, “That’s definitely, in my mind, a red flag, because if you’re an employee of a company, why should you have to pay in order to progress? You should be able to, through your work, gain progress within the company.”
The I-Team called CloudBoost Technology Advertising. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission lists the company as registered business in Sydney, Australia, but the number ABC7 called was disconnected.
ABC7 also called several contact numbers for managers. Most were disconnected. I-Team Consumer Investigator Jason Knowles left voicemails with other contact numbers but never heard back.
When asked if he thought it was too good to be true, Kimbrough said, “Absolutely, and I feel embarrassed.”
“You shouldn’t pay money to work,” Erica said.
The Better Business Bureau told the I-Team that it warns consumers about task-based income offers like this one.
The BBB says research indicates this company carried out tactics commonly associated with work-from-home scams.
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