I wrote this article about last week ago and already published to my blog. By at the time, I do not decide to submit this article to any articles directory because this article seem give bad impression to some party. However after I have reviewed and made changes to this article, I've changed my mind that I decide to submit this article. The reason I did it is to giving the real story of what is real happened to some publishers.
Before I go further, I would like to specify what is the meaning of SCAM is. Based to my understanding, SCAM can be referred to the financial cheat or financial fraudulent, in which they promise you to pay but at the end you won't get the pay.
So is the Google AdSense program is a SCAM?
First of all I would like to explain what is the Google AdSense program. Referring to the Google site, " Google AdSense is a free, simple way for website publishers of all sizes to earn money by displaying targeted Google ads on their websites. AdSense also lets you provide Google search to your site users, while earning money by displaying Google ads on the search results pages."
Source:
Note: the URL accessed on jan 21, 2011
Based on the definition by Google of what is their AdSense. It is clear stated that the program is free and simple way for website publisher of all sizes to earn money . I would like to emphasize the word " Money " or to earn "Money" is can be categorized as a financial program that will pay out money.
I do not want go further on their Policies and T.O.S as I will focus it in my second article on this issue on part 2.
So go to the question. Is Google AdSense program is a SCAM?
Before I answered this question, after read all the participants and web publishers on this program and also from various forums included Google AdSense forum. I can concluded that this Google AdSense program have some trick of SCAM type. Below is my consideration of why I am saying that:
1. Many complained that when their payment reached threshold E.G $100 or near to the threshold, Google will disable their account.
2. Google disabled their publishers account after VERIFIED for payment. When account is VERIFIED, the publishers are entitled for payment. I am not sure why Google AdSense Report shown as "Verified". But at the end, it is so suspiciously that "disabling account" happened when it come nearly to the payment period.
3. If there are suspicious activities by publishers, then why their account is VERIFIED for payment. The annoying point is that Google hasn't explained why this happened after the verification process. So simply today you give hope, and then tomorrow you killed the hope.
4. Account disabled without ANY PRIOR NOTICE OR WARNING. The publishers should be warned or informed if Google detected that there any are suspicious activity on their site(s). Without any prior notice or warning, so anyone can go to your site(s) and clicks hundreds even thousands of time on your ads in your web site in order your account will be disabled by Google. Who knows these "malicious users"? Also people can sabotage you by clicking your ads thousands time. Then you will get notification message from Google AdSense Team informed that your account is disabled. It is just like that.
5. And after the account is disabled, most saying that the chance to get back the account is almost impossible. So sadly publishers never got any payment, never got the second chance.
6. Most cases, Google AdSense will disable the participants account in the little amount, which is around threshold payment approximately around $80 USD to $200. Yes, it is easy to disable account for this amount since everyone knows (included Google) that it is not worth to hire a lawyer to get back this amount.
7. Google has term "Prior approval" method, but do not have "Prior Warning on suspicious activity". So Google simply punished you even though you are innocent. So anyone or malicious user can go to your web site and clicks hundreds even thousands of time on ads in your web site in order your account will be disabled by Google. Anyone can create robots, and attack to any targeted website which has adsense ads and clicks thousands of time in order their account will be "DISABLED". However Google has the right as publishers agreed to their T.O.S.
8. Google says the web site breaking the Google adsense policy because in the publishers do not have "Privacy Policy" on their site(s) that imposed by Google. It is so cruel to disabled the publishers account by simply not having a "Privacy Policy" term in their web site. If this breaking of Google AdSense policies, why the AdSense ads appear on their site(s). Why the clicks come from this web site also calculated and verified? This is clear a trap to punished publishers. Appropriate method is Google must cancelled out all the clicks come from the site(s) that do not followed the policies and NOT to disabled their accounts. The punishment is totally harsh. Google is so Cruel in business and seem like just concerned to find mistake and disabled account so not to pay to their publishers.
9. Google says they have great tracking system, if they really have the great tracking system, then they must attached the "result of their tracking" to the participants email as a proved that there are a suspicious activity happened. Not just simply message notification like that below:
"After reviewing our records, we've determined that your AdSense account poses a risk of generating invalid activity. Because we have a responsibility to protect our AdWords advertisers from inflated costs due to invalid activity, we've found it necessary to disable your AdSense account. Your outstanding balance and Google's share of the revenue will both be fully refunded to the affected advertisers."
Note:* Email message from Google AdSense Team
10. The above message emailed by Google AdSense Team to their respective publishers informed that their AdSense account is disabled. It is done without any CLEAR REASON, without any attachment(s) or document(s) to support the decision. Claiming that they have great tracking system but yet Mr Google do not show at least traffic log for suspicious activity to their respective publishers. So anyone can simply emailing message like that. Blaming is easy matter without proof.
11. In the simple message, the Google AdSense team stated that
"After reviewing our records, we've determined that your AdSense account poses a risk of generating invalid activity."
Herewith, Google Adsense Team must have responsible to attach of the document(s) or information (at least traffic log for suspicious activity) to their respective publishers so that to support their decision. Not just blindly disabled the participants account. Again Google still has the right of doing so as stated in their T.O.S.
12.The punishment has been made without any supportive document(s) and attachment(s) provided to the publishers. Publishers account automatically "Disabled". Yet Google still has the right of doing so as the publishers agreed to their T.O.S.
13. Claiming that they have great tracking system, but yet they unable to filter "Spam Clicks" for their own program.
14. Google plays God here - sorry, we can't tell you why you are guilty and we don't need to prove it to you. Good bye. Is this statement included in Google T.O.S or policies? Not sure.
"You are Guilty but We will not Tell You Why"
So based on the above reason, I can concluded that, Google AdSense program have some trick of SCAM type. I am not totally said that Google AdSense is a SCAM but yet they have some trick of SCAM type.
The publishers are seriously facing the threat that their account will be banned at anytime without any clear reason. The trick is just hiding behind their policies and T.O.S. This is a trick to not pay out money to publishers and can be seen as a trick of SCAM type. Simply by saying "your AdSense account poses a risk of generating invalid activity".
Note: This is part 1 on the issue of Is Google AdSense is a SCAM? " Part 1.Read more on interesting articles on the this issue - part 2 and 3 on my blog at
