Complaint Review: Higher Level Research

Higher Level Research, or "HLR" is running ads on Craigslist looking to hire visual media analysts. The following copy comes directly from an ad found listed under "Creative Gigs" on CL:

Media/visual ad analysts (San Diego, CA)

"Resourceful thoughts needed for campaign review and assessment. No education or experience required. All you will need is a pc and a few hours.  Communicate with us for additional information and a quick start."

This is a SCAM.

If you respond to this ad, they will send you an e-mail which looks like the following:

START E-MAIL ->

karen riley via afs1.trafficwave.net to me show details Sep 8 (7 days ago)
To view this message as a web page, go to:
http://im01.trwv.net/disp/I4P8DG3EHQBT2IN7H3SA1N6E9/157439425
-----
Dear XXXXX,

Thank you for contacting us regarding our  position and sending in your resume.

Higher Level Research would like to take you on as one of our online Data Research and Administration team members.

My name is Karen Riley and ill be your associate manager and point of contact.

Please reference the information below to get started with your first assignment.

First of all to get started you must download the assignment pack here:

www.higherlevelresearch.com/assignment.zip

Included in this file is everything you need to begin with your first project.

The first file in the downloaded project is the QUICKSTART document.
This has all the instructions on the position and details on how to
properly complete your assignment. If you need any more information
after reviewing this document please feel free contact me admin@higherlevelresearch.com

Next in the downloaded assignment will be the document titled CAMPAIGNS
TO REVIEW. This contains the actual project work and the information
that is needed from you. This should take roughly two hours to complete
and will pay $200 when turned in and confirmed completed.

The final portion of the assignment download is the form called REVIEW
FORM. This iswhere you will fill out your reviews according to the
instructions.  This is also what you will need to turn in for payment.

Please work through these all according to the instructions so you can properly start your position and continue further.

Once complete please submit all Review Forms to Reviews@higherlevelresearch.com with your first and last name in the subject of the email.

Payment goes out on Fridays for all reviews that were turned in before
the previous Friday. Payment is by Check, Bank Wire or PayPal. You will
also see the payment information on the REVIEW FORM document.

 After you have completed this first assignment and turned in your
reviews, you can request as many more as you like. We have some
employees during more then two a day and making a full time income.

 Thank you and I look forward to working with you.

 Karen Riley

 Higher Level Research

1-888-611-6647

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

This subscription message was sent to xxxxxxxxx@gmail.com regarding:

HLR Hiring

To manage your subscription information, use the following URL:

http://www.trafficwave.net/armn.cgi?reqid=I4P8DG3EHQBT2IN7H3SA1N6E9

For instant removal, use the following URL:

http://www.trafficwave.net/arrm.cgi?reqid=I4P8DG3EHQBT2IN7H3SA1N6E9

Message Sender Info:

karen riley ()

Robert Mitchell | 22432 N 48th St | Phoenix, AZ | 85054 | United States

Email Marketing by TrafficWave.net

END E-MAIL ->

The above communication is the ONLY communication you will receive from them, and the 800 number goes to an automated system where you will never be able to speak to anyone. They send you nine different online campaigns to "review", where you are to fill out forms online requesting information on either a school, or auto insurance. Filling out the forms only takes a couple minutes, but then you're to field incoming phone calls from call centers responding to the online requests. Your "job" is to supposedly evaluate the online campaign and the performance of the representative who follows up with you over the phone. It's bull crap.

My guess is that these unscrupulous people are most likely running two "businesses"... On the one side they most likely have a "legitimate" technology business where they hire themselves out as consultants, claiming to be able increase traffic to their clients websites. On the other side is Higher Level Research, or "HLR", who actually does the dirty work of driving useless traffic to their "clients" sites by taking advantage of folks looking for a job "reviewing online marketing campaigns".

Once you complete your reviews, all the links in the pdf go dead, all e-mails are returned as undeliverable with the exception of "Karen's" e-mail, admin@higherlevelresearch.com, but she never responds to anything.

Your phone will ring for weeks with people trying to enroll you in school, or sell you insurance if you fall for this one.

Ask me how I know.