Google Plus Scams And Myths

The internet is buzzing with talk about Google plus. Go onto sites like Yahoo Answers and people are constantly asking for an invite onto this new social network. So it’s no surprise that there is a growing number of scammers looking to make a fast buck. There’s also a good deal of misinformation about Google plus. Hopefully this post will squash a few of them and give you a little better picture of this new site, and how to avoid some of the scams surrounding it.

First the myths

1. Nobody can access the site

Obviously lots of people can access the site, myself included. It is limited due to the fact that Google plus is very much a beta and won’t be released to everyone for probably a couple months. Given the popularity and buzz though it might even be released sooner.

Right now though the only way to get on Google+ or plus or however it’s being referred to is by invite only. This means that a current Google plus member

2. There are massive security and personnel information leaks

Again I can only go from what I’ve seen on Google plus, but it appears to have no more leaks or security issues then Facebook or for that matter any other application released by Google. In some ways Google plus is more secure then Facebook, this is because unlike Facebook that shares your content with everyone you can pick and choose what to share with whom. For example if you have some pics you want to share with your friends but don’t want your co workers or family to see them you can create a circle of just your friends and share that content only with them. They in turn can pick and choose what information to share with you.

3. Google+ plus users can only hand out so many invites

There is a limit to the number of Invites Google will accept at a time. They have been letting in lots more people onto the site however. I also haven’t seen any restrictions on the number of invites a person can send out either. Think about it, it’s a social network and one that still has the new car smell. Why would they want to limit the number of people to their site it’s counter productive and the complete opposite of what they want.

And now for some scams

1. Pay for fake Google plus invites

There are a couple of scams floating around the internet promising fake Google+ invites. This one I’ve seen in a couple of places, the first being on sites like Ebay and Craisgslist. In both cases somebody claims to have X number of Google plus invites and are willing to part with them for so much money. I’ve seen this range from 99 cents to several dollars an invite. Of course all you get for spending some money is a bunch of crap; they never send the invite and instead drop off the face of the Earth.

I’ve also seen fake invites sent through email. I had one last week stating that they have only 10 premium invites for Google plus and that for the low price of 10 dollars an invite I could get one and be the first person in my city to get on G+.

While there are legitimate people trying to make money off giving out an invite, you should never pay for one. Google plus even though it’s not the easiest to get onto right now is meant to be 100% free. Also be aware of anyone claiming to have any special relationship.

2. Facebook fake Google invites

To me just the thought of Google+ invites being offered on Facebook smells of bullshit. I really doubt that Facebok would let its biggest rival offer its users invites to their site. That would be the equivalent of setting up a McDonald’s stand inside of Burger King, and given the all out rivalry between these two I doubt it would ever happen.

This scam works by trying to sucker people to join their fan page to get a free invite. Of course to get that invite you have to install their Facebook app which looks legit enough. When you do that though you allow them to see your personnel information. Once you join they ask you to like them and invite others, basically convincing you to do their work for them. Do you eventually get an invite? From what I’ve heard the answer is no, instead you get an email account full of spam.

3. Fake email invites

I’ve received a few of these invites in the last couple of days. Basically you get a random email offering you a Google plus invitation. The invite looks legit and even has a legit looking email address from a supposed plus user. However when you click on it, you get taken to a page offer penis enlargement medicine, or some other junk site advertising.

I really hate this one because it makes those like me who want to freely give out invites look like scammers out to screw over people. Either way these are some of the things to watch out for. Like any other online scam use common sense and your gut feeling to separate the legit from the bull.

And as for Google plus invites, if you don’t have one and want one you can either drop a comment below, or if you want to protect your email fill out the form on my contact page and I’ll send you an invite. I can’t make any promises in how fast you’ll get the invite because Google is only letting so many people on at a time, but you will get it and it will be 100% legit, no crap, no penis enlargement ads, no B.S. All I ask in return as a favour is that you either like, plus1, stumble, or digg something on my site. That’s only fair and it helps this site grow while giving you something in return.