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#3073 - 06/30/10 12:38 PM
Re: ZYNGA GAMES
[Re: Michael45]
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Michael45
Admin
old hand
Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 802
Loc: San Antonio, TX
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Lawsuit says ads in social games are scamming players
Updated 12/7/2009 5:43 PM
By Jon Swartz, USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO — Gamers are crying foul play over what they claim are misleading ads on social games.
A class-action lawsuit last month highlights what thousands of consumers say are bogus offers tied to social games available on Facebook and other social networks. The 16-page lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, details how Rebecca Swift, a 41-year-old self-employed resident of Santa Cruz, Calif., was lured into accepting two "special offers" from advertisers to gain extra game credits for YoVille, a popular virtual-world game developed by Zynga.
More than $200 was illegally charged to Swift's credit card over several months, the lawsuit alleges. It seeks compensation from Facebook and Zynga for Swift and thousands of others, says attorney John Parker, who represents the plaintiff.
For complete article go here: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2009-12-07-games07_ST_N.htm
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#3075 - 06/30/10 12:57 PM
Re: ZYNGA GAMES
[Re: Michael45]
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Michael45
Admin
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Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 802
Loc: San Antonio, TX
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Mafia Wars CEO Brags About Scamming Users From Day One
By Ben Popken on November 9, 2009 9:28 PM
From the beginning, the profitability and viability of popular Facebook social networking games Mafia Wars and Farmville were predicated on the backs of scams, boasts Zynga CEO Mark Pincus in this video. "I did every horrible thing in the book just to get revenues," he crows in the clip to a gathered bunch of fellow scumbag app developers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7YaVVpK1G4&feature=player_embedded#!
In games like Mafia Wars, Farmville, YoVille and Vampires Live, you know, some of the major sources of all those garbage announcements cluttering up your Facebook, players compete to complete missions and level up. By leveling up, you can complete more difficult missions and fight off weaker opponents. You can wait for your various energies to regenerate naturally over time, or you can purchase with real money in-game boosts. Or, you can complete various lead generation offers, many of which are of the "answer page after page of questions and opt in and out of receiving various kinds of spam" variety. Some of them install malware and adware that is impossible to remove. And some of them secretly subscribe you to monthly recurring $9.99 credit card charges.
Couple this reckless profiteering with in-game incentives for recruiting more players into your network and a constant blast (if you let it) of promotional messages to your friends, and it's like Amway discovered Facebook and threw a gangster-themed house party.
Here's Mark's spiel:Here's the pertinent transcript of the talk the CEO gave to some other developers at a mixer:
“I knew that i wanted to control my destiny, so I knew I needed revenues, right, fucking, now. Like I needed revenues now. So I funded the company myself but I did every horrible thing in the book to, just to get revenues right away. I mean we gave our users poker chips if they downloaded this zwinky toolbar which was like, I dont know, I downloaded it once and couldn't get rid of it. *laughs* We did anything possible just to just get revenues so that we could grow and be a real business�So control your destiny. So that was a big lesson, controlling your business. So by the time we raised money we were profitable.
”I'm sorry, but if you need to scam people to keep your company going, you have a flawed business plan.
After getting reamed in an excellent multi-part TechCrunch investigation by Michael Arrington, Mark Pincus pledged to more aggressively remove scammy offers.
That's great, but c'mon. Now that they're funded and raking in the cash, they can act all contrite and go "oh! you caught us! you're right, we're bad, we'll fix that. Lah dee dah." How convenient that now you can afford morals.
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#3076 - 06/30/10 01:03 PM
Re: ZYNGA GAMES
[Re: Michael45]
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Michael45
Admin
old hand
Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 802
Loc: San Antonio, TX
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Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Is there hope for Zynga
Lead generation scams
Through 2009 Zynga made money from lead generation advertising schemes, whereby game participants would earn game points by signing up for featured credit cards or video-rental services. These were criticized as being less cost-effective than simply buying game points, and in some cases, being outright scams that would download unwanted software or unwittingly sign up for a recurring subscription.[11] On October 31, 2009, Michael Arrington of TechCrunch said that Zynga intentionally worked with scam advertisers, and that lead generation made up a third of Zynga's revenue.[18] Arrington also alleged that Facebook was complicit in this.[19] On November 2, 2009, CEO Mark Pincus announced a reform in its offers: Tatto Media, a major offer provider that enrolled users into recurring cell phone subscriptions, would be banned, all mobile offers would be removed, and offer providers would be required to pre-screen offers.[20]
Arrington continued to question Pincus' role in the scams, republishing a video of a speech by Pincus.[21] In the speech, Pincus said:
So I funded [Zynga] myself but I did every horrible thing in the book to, just to get revenues right away. I mean we gave our users poker chips if they downloaded this Zwinky toolbar which was like, I don't know, I downloaded it once and couldn’t get rid of it. *laughs* We did anything possible just to just get revenues so that we could grow and be a real business.
—Mark Pincus, Speech from Startup@Berkeley
In response, Pincus noted that after offering the Zwinky toolbar, his team of ten decided to remove it since it was a "painful experience."[22]
Several days after the Techcrunch story, Zynga's most recent Facebook game FishVille, was temporarily taken offline by Facebook on claim of advertising violations. According to Zynga, Fishville had 875,000 users within two days of launch. A release from Facebook on its reasons for taking the game offline read that "FishVille will remain suspended until Facebook is satisfied that Zynga demonstrates compliance with Facebook restrictions — as well as Zynga’s own restrictions — on the ads it offers users."[23] FishVille was later un-suspended at midnight November 9/10.[24]
Several suits were filed against Zynga for promoting such offers,[25][26] including a class-action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California for violation of the Unfair competition law and the Consumers Legal Remedies Act, after the lead plaintiff's credit card was billed more than $200 for offers she completed to receive YoVille currency.[27][28][29]
Pincus later said that he had been too eager to increase company revenues through advertising, and that operating in reactive mode by taking down ads only after receiving complaints had not worked. The company removed all ads for a time, relying only on direct purchase of game currency, then began reintroducing third party ads only after they had been screened.[11]
Other criticism
In September 2009 Zynga was threatened with legal action by Nissan for alleged use of their trademarks in the game Street Racing. Zynga subsequently renamed and changed the thumbnail images of all cars that were branded Nissan and Infiniti to "Sindats" and "Fujis" with the thumbnails changed.[30] At the time they also renamed and redesigned automobiles depicted as being made by GM, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Saab, and others.
Another source of criticism is non-players who grow tired of seeing updates about their friends' social gaming activity. Facebook groups created to express displeasure regarding overexposure of Zynga's games attracted millions of members.[11]
After all of the Scams and ways for Not only Zynga to make Big money Facebook it's self is to blame as well.
I'm a FaceBook user, And in the past recent months I have seen alot of changes that I think have made some Difference in the way they work and operate, Now They are the #2 ranked website (Google #1), But at what cost ?
Well at first they had a bad reputation for scams on the social network, And now that the Site is making Millions they can be picky on how the games are run on the website, Or you would think. I admit it is alot better and the Privacy settings are better, you just got to know how to use them.
Under Account at the top right on Facebook Click on Account setting, Change your Privacy settings
Also look under the Application settings, Check all of the Applications on your Facebook account.
If you Did'nt add it then I would remove it.
http://md4urpc.blogspot.com/2010/05/is-there-hope-for-zynga.html
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#3078 - 06/30/10 02:24 PM
Re: ZYNGA GAMES
[Re: Michael45]
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Michael45
Admin
old hand
Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 802
Loc: San Antonio, TX
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Facebook Scam Targets Whole Foods Shoppers
Free gift cards used to entice Facebook users into giving up personal info
By JACKSON WEST
Updated 8:01 AM PDT, Sun, Apr 4, 2010
Getty Images
The latest scam to hit Facebook is one in which users are enticed to join a "fan page" on the service in exchange for money to spend at grocer Whole Foods.
Instead, users are asked to enter sensitive personal information and unwittingly download "malware" that crashes and possibly further compromises their computer.
Whole Foods says that it has been working with users to identify and shut down the scummy fan pages, and Facebook promises that it is working "on ways to automate the flagging of these scam groups," according to a statement issued to CNet.
For now, Whole Foods is using Twitter to track the scams and respond to users. It's not yet known who's behind the chicanery.
Earlier this year, Facebook came under fire for not better policing "offer scams" that proliferated through social network game developer Zynga, with game currency offered in exchange for tricking users into signing up for expensive subscriptions.
So this new scam certainly isn't the first, and likely not the last.
Jackson West figures this is a good reason not to give Facebook much information in the first place.
Copyright NBC Local Media
First Published: Apr 2, 2010 1:33 PM PDT on NBC Bay Area
Find this article at:
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local-...w-89797477.html
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#3079 - 06/30/10 10:48 PM
Re: ZYNGA GAMES
[Re: Michael45]
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Michael45
Admin
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Registered: 10/12/07
Posts: 802
Loc: San Antonio, TX
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Virtual Battles, Real Lawsuits
Text Size:
Shulamit Shvartsman for Lawyers.comsm
•Social networking web sites offer gaming, which may provide cover for a scam for bogus texting or credit card charges
•There are class action lawsuits seeking help for consumers
•Use caution when using gaming or related apps on social sites, and know what to do if you've been taken
Mark Pincus is an entrepreneur and a leader in the online gaming industry. In 2003, he founded Tribe.net, one of the first social networks. He created Zynga in 2007 giving internet users the ability to play games against each other. The company has become the largest developer of social games on the web. Their games range from casino games to role playing games.
However, if you use social media web sites such as Facebook, you may be more familiar with Zynga by their applications and games including Mafia Wars, Farmville, YoVille and Vampire Lives. Read on if you've always wondered what exactly these games are, why invitations to join are flooding your mailbox and who exactly is profiting from them.
Zynga
Pincus' company Zynga draws more than 100 million visitors a month. Analysts estimate its annual revenue between $100 million to $250 million. Between $33 million and $84 million may come from the special promotions now criticized.
In a recent conference to application developers, Pincus explained exactly how he got so profitable. "From the beginning, the profitability and viability of popular Facebook social networking games Mafia Wars and Farmville were predicated on the backs of scams." He further boasted, "I did every horrible thing in the book just to get revenues."1
These Games - The Scam
Announcements and invitations from games and applications such as Mafia Wars, Farmville, YoVille and Vampires Live clutter my Facebook page for some time. In these games, players compete against each other to complete missions and move up a level. Each level gives you a harder mission. After a certain number of games, your credit is used up. You can then either wait for more play time, or you can purchase more time.
Another option is to accept various offers, most of them with pages of questionaires. However, this may result in accidently falling prey to a variety of scams. Some also install malware and adware impossible to remove. Some even secretly subscribe you to monthly recurring charges. Even worse, not only have you fallen prey to this scam, you then send all of your online friends invitations for the same bait, scamming them too. They fall for the same "offers" and then their friends are attacked as well.
While these games are obviously annoying and inconvenient, the more important question is whether they're legal.
The Lawsuit
Many have fallen prey to what they claim to be misleading ads in these social games. As a result, a lawsuit has been filed against Facebook and Zynga after 41-year old Rebecca Swift was lured into accepting two "special offers" from advertisers to gain extra game credits for the virtual game YoVille.
Afterwards, more than $200 was illegally charged to Swift's credit card over several months. Swift's lawyers claim that thousands of others suffered from similar abuses. They're seeking class action status.
The Scams
The suit claims that some offers in the games prompted a series of unauthorized charges or triggered enrollments in programs without the user's knowledge. More than 100,000 people fell victim to these offers, losing more than $5 million.
Examples of the scams used are:
•Offering an IQ test that requires the players to give out their cell phone number for the results. Afterwards, they're billed for a text messaging service
•An offer asking consumers to sign up for a risk-free trial subscription to a green tea supplement. However, that trial was difficult to cancel and the players ended up with a monthly subscription delivering tea and pills from China
Facebook temporarily suspended one of Zynga's new games, FishVille, while it investigated whether ads in the game violated the network's advertising guidelines. Furthermore, coverage of Pincus' boasting of playing dirty surely won't help him or his company with the charges against them.
What to Do If You've Been Scammed
For now, it's best for you to be careful when looking at the special offers linked to social gaming on Facebook, MySpace and other sites. The Federal Trade Commission is responsible for regulating and overseeing most e-commerce. However, no group regulates the social gaming industry. As a result, these companies have been free to use such scams.
If you think that you've been a victim of unauthorized charges from games, programs or advertisements on Facebook, MySpace or other social media game applications or scams, contact a lawyer or the law firm that is currently representing Rebecca Swift in the class action. You can fill out a free case evaluation here.
Sources
1 Ben Popkin, Mafia Wars CEO Brags About Scamming Users From Day One, The Consumerist, Nov. 9, 2009, available at http://consumerist.com/2009/11/mafia-wars-ceo-brags-about-scamming-users-from-day-one.html, accessed Jan. 13, 2010.
Questions for Your Attorney
•I play Mafia Wars regularly, and my credit card was just billed without my authorization. What can I do?
•I placed a "stop payment" on my credit card as soon as I found out about the scam. The company charged my card, though. Is there any way I can get my money back from the scammers or from the bank?
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The posts on this forum are the opinions of the posters.
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#3092 - 11/14/10 06:25 PM
Re: ZYNGA GAMES
[Re: Michael45]
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Filipe
stranger
Registered: 12/29/09
Posts: 7
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I don´t play this kind of games... I have a PS3 which I use when I feel bored... 
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