Be wary of jobs that sound too good to be true.
One of the worst things that can happen to you when you are looking for a new job or just trying to make some extra money is being scammed. It's sad to think that there are some less than honest people out there who make a living preying on the hopes and dreams of others. Instead of looking for ways to make the world a better place, they look for money making angles wherever they can. The most common job scams are work-from-home business opportunities.
You've probably seen ads for them before. They promise that with a very minimal amount of work and a small fee, they can help almost anyone earn a huge salary, all without having to leave their house. It's sounds great, doesn't it? For people who are struggling financially and whose family obligations make it next to impossible to go to an office everyday, these types of jobs can be an answer to a prayer. The thing is, many of them are just complicated ways for scammers to steal your time and money.
That isn't to say that all work-from-home opportunities are scams. There are many legitimate ways to earn money at home, but most of them require a lot of hard work. With the job market the way it is, more and more people who have been laid off or downsized have started their own businesses out of their living rooms. Some have tried freelancing, while others have found work telecommuting. Even though they work from home, they still have to work. They don't just work an hour or two a day and earn thousands of dollars a month, as many scam jobs promise.
Getting tricked by a scammer can cost more than your time and your pride. Victims of scammers can end up losing money, sometimes it's only $25 and other times it's their life savings. The even unluckier ones can find themselves in serious legal trouble.
So how can you protect yourself from scams when you're looking for a work-from-home opportunity? The most important thing is to do your research. Read everything you can find about the company and trust your instincts. Unfortunately, there isn't any sure-fire test, but there are some warning signs to look out for :
- Jobs that involve check cashing - There are so many versions of this scam and it's probably the one that is the most dangerous. Here's how it work: Scammers recruit people to be "financial managers" or "rental property managers". These "managers" are responsible for accepting checks in the mail, depositing them into their personal account and wiring the money overseas. Naturally, that is after keeping a very generous commission for their trouble. Whatever way it's repackaged, the outcome is the same. The checks are counterfeit and in three or four days when the bank realizes it, and wants their money back, the "manager" is left holding the bag. By that time, the money has already been sent and there is no way to get it back. The victim is then left considerably poorer for their efforts.
- Pyramid (MLM) schemes - I know that this is a touchy subject for a whole lot of people. There are so many that really believe that if you buy into one of these "sales opportunities" that you can really achieve success if you are willing to work at it. These schemes work because the new recruit pays a start up fee and then recruits others to buy into the program. With each person they add under them, they receive a portion of their sales. The goal is to move higher up the pyramid in order to make more money. Eventually, the pyramid collapses and the people closest to the bottom lose their investments. This same pyramid structure can be seen in many different scams from selling "get rich online" programs to high stakes investing. Before you invest in a business, look closely to see if it based on this structure. If so, be very careful and don't invest more than you are willing to lose.
- Work from home Medical Billing - There are legitimate medical billing professionals who work in medical offices and some who even run their own businesses from their homes. For people who have been trained in medical coding and billing, this can be a great career. However, there are many scams that promise incomes of thousands of dollars a week just by processing a small number of insurance claims. These companies will give you all of the start up materials you need and a short training class for a fee. They claim that when you complete their program, they will give you a listing of doctors in your area that you can work with. The people who have been taken in by this scam find that after they have paid the fee, they get an overpriced software package, no training and a list of fictitious leads. If you want to start a career in medical billing, take a career course at a legitimate college or technical school.
- Paying for a job list - You can find ads for this type of scam all over the Internet. Before the digital era, you could see them in the classifieds section of any newspaper. For a fee, they will provide a list of jobs. For example, a website that offers to connect it's members with thousands of legitimate work-from-home opportunities. After you pay the fee, you either get locked out of the website without getting even one legitimate job offer or you just get a list of other work-from-home scams.
- Product assembly - It's hard to believe that this scam is still around. Years ago, you could get rich stuffing envelopes at your kitchen table, but now, you can make money assembling jewlery or other crafts.The victims of these scammers buy a product kit that has complex and barely understandable directions. They are then told that they should assemble the products and send them in to receive payment. Of course, when they send the product in, the either never receive payment or the scammer says that they aren't assembled correctly. This scam leaves its victims with a whole lot of product pieces, huge headaches and no way to get their money back.
Be careful when you are looking for ways to make extra money from home. There are many legitimate opportunities out there, but typically, if a company asks you to use your personal bank account or wants you to pay for a job, they are just trying to get your money. So, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Doing a simple Google search on a company before getting involved is the first step to finding out if it is a scam. Do your research and be careful.
Have you ever seen or fallen for one of these scams? What were your experiences? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for EducationJobsiteBlog and Nexxt. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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