I got an e-mail from someone claiming to be launching a new website called BloombergSources dot com. They mention they are working with Brad Stone, the editor of Bloomberg Businessweek, and they want to pay me $2100 for a banner ad. Unfortunately, it’s just another scam.

How the Banner Ad Scam Starts

This banner ad scam is very similar to the Mashable footer scam I wrote about a few months ago. Different names and company, but same scam.

This one started with an e-mail asking about guest posting opportunities. No mention of Bloomberg and nothing looking suspicious. But when I answered e-mail back, the next e-mail is where it got weird.

Bloomberg Sources Fake Website

The next e-mail is where Asher suddenly turns into Brad Stone from Bloomberg and wants to place banner ads on your website.

And here’s where they get tricky- they have created a site that has copied the real Bloomberg website and are saying it will be a new Bloomberg site called Bloomberg Sources.

A quick website search revealed this website was created about a week ago. All the links on this “new” website actually link to the real Bloomberg website, making it look legit if you don’t notice the switch.

And to make it even more believable, if the Gmail address makes you suspicious, you can contact Brad Stone directly on his professional e-mail bradstone@bloombergsources.com. Of course he will get back to you, because it’s coming from the fake website url.

After replying back that I was interested, they sent be their banner request, which was pretty similar to the Mashable scam, where it was just text and an e-mail.

What’s the Point of this Scam?

First, you place the ad for them, and they never pay for it. So, with that, they get free advertising for people to contact them.

If you do contact them, they send you links to Google Docs, where they list lots of websites where you can get guest posts published. They most likely add you to their list when you reply back to their original e-mail asking about guest posts.

What they want is for you to pre-pay for guest posts and ads, which they will likely not be delivering. Or maybe they do deliver them, and this is their sneaky way of adding more sites to their list as a reseller. Either way, I would not trust doing any business with them.

What is Bloomberg?

Bloomberg.com is a global financial services, software, data, and media company. They have several specialty websites under the Bloomberg umbrella, which makes it seem like Bloomberg Sources could be a legitimate addition. However, it is not.

Real Bloomberg divisions are:

1. The Bloomberg Terminal: A powerful software platform used by financial professionals to access real-time market data, news, analytics, trading tools, and more. It’s considered a gold standard for investment firms, banks, and analysts.
2. Bloomberg News: A major provider of financial news and journalism, delivering real-time updates on business, markets, economics, and politics.
3. Bloomberg TV & Radio: These outlets offer 24/7 coverage of global financial markets, often featuring interviews with experts and decision-makers.
4. Bloomberg Markets & Bloomberg Businessweek: These are print and digital publications offering in-depth analysis of finance, business, and economic trends.
5. Bloomberg Indices & Data Services: Bloomberg provides benchmarks like the Bloomberg Barclays bond indices and a vast array of financial datasets used for investment decisions.

Founded by Michael Bloomberg in 1981, the company is a major force in global finance due to its unmatched access to financial information and analytics.

Did They Contact You?

If you were contacted about this scam, or had any dealings with this person, please comment and let me know you found the post. It helps when I know these scam posts are being found! Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what to title them so people can find them.

And this one is such an odd scam! It’s a simple request that doesn’t take much time with a seemingly good payoff. But in the end, wasting your time and website space on this scam is not worth it.

Update: Different Approaches, Same Bloomerberg Scam

I just got another e-mail from someone else with the same Bloomberg sources scam angle! I screenshotted the e-mail below. This one has a great subject line. Very convincing, lol.