It’s bad enough to be one of the growing number of jobless, but to be scammed by a con artist offering a work at home job can mean complete financial ruin. Most work at home scams fall into one of two categories: The Phishing/Money Laundering type or the Pay A Fee To Get Started type.
The first type can be a straight identity theft scheme where they ask you for personal information such as your bank account numbers, social security numbers, etc. Other times it is a ploy to lure you into illegal activities like money laundering.  The “employer” tells you that they will send you a wire transfer and you get to keep a certain percentage of it and wire the rest to another person (usually overseas). This is illegal and you can be held legally and financially responsible. Take the case of one online job seeker who faced jail time after responding to a work at home ad.
I think we’re all familiar with the scams that claim that they will hire you to work from home, but
you have to pay a fee to get started. As long as this one has been around, there are still people out there falling for this. Think of it this way: You go for a job interview and the interviewer introduces himself and then says, “Before we get started, I’m going to need 39 bucks from you. Just to make sure that you’re serious. “ Wait, what? That would make no sense at all right, and you’d walk right out of there. An online or work at home job is no different.
The Better Business Bureau wrote recently that the jobless are the current target of would-be scammers. They also say that they target senior citizens, the disabled, stay-at-home moms, people with low incomes, and people who are looking to get rich quick. According to the BBB, work-at-home scheme promoters will:
- Never offer regular salaried employment.
- Promise huge profits and big part-time earnings.
- Use personal testimonials but never identify the person so that you could check with them.
- Require money for instructions or merchandise before explaining how the plan operates.
- Assure you of guaranteed markets and a huge demand for your handiwork.
- Overstate claims of product effectiveness.
- Make a high pressure sales pitch and state the offer is available for a limited time.
- Tell you that no experience is necessary.
Your BBB advises the following when looking for a work-at-home job:
- Visit your Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org to find a Reliability Report on the business offering the work opportunity.
- Check references, and where appropriate, check for business licensing.
- If you decide to use a business’ services to start working from home, know exactly what you are paying for and make sure it is in writing.
- Read contracts thoroughly. Make sure verbal promises are in the contract.
- Consider all possible costs (office supplies, software, etc.) and weigh them with the benefits (gas savings, convenience, etc.).
- If the advertisement is Internet based, do not enter any personal information into an e-mail or Web site unless you are positive the offer is not a scam.
- Feel free to ask questions. Legitimate work-at-home opportunities are happy to answer any questions with detailed answers about the company and job.
- Those who are scammed by a work-at-home scheme can contact: Your BBB at www.bbb.org, local state or consumer affairs agencies and the local state attorney general’s office.
Tags: get rich quick, job searching, Scams, work at home, work at home jobs
It’s sad and it’s terrible what these scammers do. Prey on the vulnerable when times are tough and even when they aren’t. It’s like an emotional head game. As long as we have newbies coming aboard the work at home train, we just have to keep repeating and reminding people to be aware and to question everything.
I don’t think a person can be too suspicious or skeptical. It will save you in the long run.
Keep up with the great info Sharon! Your blog is an excellent resource.
That is so true. I still get emails alarmingly often from people who got ripped off by some company claiming to be hiring homeworkers. It is sad because most of the time these are people who are already desperate, which is exactly why they are so vulnerable. It is so frustrating to me that someone can have so little ethics.
So many people look for work-at-home jobs online. And today there are even more people that are going to be looking for jobs online. It’s sad enough to think that the majority of work-at-home jobs advertised are scams; but to think that these scammers are going to be scamming even more people today because of everyone loosing their jobs, it’s just terrible. I agree with you Sharon. How could so many people have so little ethics. What amazes me is that all these scammers get away with it.
I would like to offer some hope. Instead of searching for an work-at-home job online – which I did for a while, but gave up hope – I started my own business. I now have my own Virtual Assistant Business. A Virtual Assistant is an independent entrepreneur who provides a variety of services, virtually (via Internet, email, fax, and phone), to businesses that are in need of support. Many of the services provided are word processing, database management, desktop publishing, email management, web design, and much more. If you are experienced in a field and would like to provide that service to businesses, think about starting your own Virtual Assistant business. At least you won’t get scammed. What ever money you spend will be spent on you, your business, and your future.
It’s a great career choice. I love my Virtual Assistant business. If you are interested in this profession you may want to check out the website http://www.VAnetworking.com. They are a great website for beginning VA’s as well as VA’s who have been in business for years. This website had helped me when I first began my business and I am still a member; enjoying all that they have to offer. Oh and by the way they do offer free membership. So you can check them out and get to know everyone. They are very nice at VAnetworking.
I hope that this helps anyone who is wanting to work from home, but not sure where to get started.
Michelle
MLC Business Solutions
http://www.MLCBusinessSolutions.com
Michelles last blog post..Dec 17, Seasonal Discounts
Hi Michelle,
I ended up doing the exact same thing. When I was first online looking for work, I was not at all interested in starting a business, I just wanted to find a job. I knew that I had valuable skills and experience. I sort of fell into a business opportunity and that led to my starting my own business and I haven’t looked back since.
Hi Sharon,
I would appreciate some information on the best way to become a VA. I have been looking into becoming a VA for the last 3 months, and I am ready for the next step. I have many valuable skills and experience– I just don’t know where to start and how to get that first VA job.
I would love to hear your ideas/feedback.
Thanks,
Janet
Hi Janet,
You’ll find some information and links to some good resources in this blog post on becoming a VA.
Sharon, I really enjoyed and endorse this post. It is such a sad state of affairs when people decide to go so low to the point where they decide to charge people who are desperate to earn some money in order for them to get a “job”. I have posted numerous time in my blogs that once a business opportunity requires that you pay money in order to get the job that it is not worth it because someone can’t be offering you a job and expect you to pay them money in order to secure a job from them. In 99.99% of the cases it is a scam.
I intend to write another post in this regard and will be referencing your post. Good work and I look forward to reading more of your work.
Kraig Graysons last blog post..All Roads Lead Home – The Perfect Family Night Movie
Thanks, Kraig. I appreciate the feedback. It is sad and it’s even worse that when the economy is in trouble and people are struggling, that’s when we see more of these unethical people surfacing.
I agree with you 100% about getting the word out. When I receive emails from people who say that I’ve prevented them from falling for a scam I feel like I’ve accomplished something important.
Hi Sharon,
I came across your blog while searching
for some nice information on Work at home
opportunities because I have a blog on that.
I really like your blog so much and I have
bookmarked it for constant visit.
Keep up the good work.
===
tunde
http://my-work-from-home-oppor.....ogspot.com
tundes last blog post..Article Marketing: Converting Your Writing Into More Income
I recently came across a work at home company called “Arise”. At the bottom of the web page is the BBB logo saying that the company “Arise” is accredited by them. However information from you guys say that you shouldn’t pay for anything to secure a job. Arise says that I have to pay for a background check and then make sure that I’m incorporated. Also I was told that I have to pay for a certain test that cost $99 dollars. Is Arise legit?
Hi Earl. Yes, Arise is a legitimate company but they do require you to pay for a test. This is not unheard of. They also require you to be incorporated as a business from what I understand. You’ll find lots of information on this company at the forums over at http://www.workplacelikehome.com.
The rule of thumb is that an employer asking for a fee should be looked at very, very closely. This is not to say that there aren’t situations when a fee is required. Another example is medical transcription. Many hiring companies require you to purchase your own equipment. The main difference is that the cost is for something that’s required in order to do the job. Scams will usually use the old, “we need you to pay the fee so that we know you’re serious” angle. This is not something that a legitimate employer will do.