To avoid work at home scams, do careful research before you send money. In fact, be wary of anything that requires you to pay. Real work at home employers pay you, not the other way around.
Use just common sense and learn the tricks of con artists running a work at home scam use. Typically, anything that advertises as being a "legitimate" home job is anything but. Check out this list of the typical work at home scams. And these websites can help as well.
The Telltale Signs of a Work at Home Scam
Unusable Contact Information
Scroll to the bottom of a site. Most legitimate companies have links to real contact information and sometimes their address and phone number at the bottom. In a work at home scam, often the only contact information is an email form or email address. There is no way of knowing who, if anyone, receives these emails, but now they have your address.
If there is an email address, what kind is it? If it is gmail, yahoo, hotmail or other free email accounts, be wary. Legitimate companies usually have their own domain. Though, having a domain is certainly no guarantee of legitimacy.
Subscription Services or Membership Organizations
You may have to read the fine print pretty closely to even realize that the charge you are agreeing to with subscription or membership services will be recurring. And often the company will start out with something small like $1.95, which then becomes $39.99 a month after the trial period. But for any recurring fee be sure you are clear on all terms and conditions as well as what the ongoing benefit will be to you.
Sponsored Links or Google Ads
Work-at-home jobs promoted through paid online ads are rarely legitimate. These links labeled "Sponsored Links" or "Sponsored Results" can be found in search engine results from Google, Yahoo, Ask.com, Dogpile and others. Also look out for Google Ads on otherwise legitimate websites, like this one. These ads are placed on pages based on keywords found in the text. Because I am writing about "work-at-home jobs," ads targeting those keyword are likely to be placed on the page in the section labeled "Sponsored Links."
Legitimate employers looking for potential workers usually take a more targeted approach than paying for an ad that reaches thousands of people who simply did an Internet search. But scams must cast a wide net to find prey.
Don't Be Fooled by .org Domains
Anyone can get a .org domain; these can be a work at home scam too. There is no requirement to prove non-profit status. Don't assume a website with a .org domain is a non-profit. Some of these .org websites purport to do consumer reviews of work-at-home sites, and direct people to "legitimate" websites that are most certainly work at home scams.
No Details
If the main point of the website or ad is that you can telecommute or work from home, but it's light on details of what exactly you would be doing, be suspicious. Legitimate telecommuting job ads usually will first advertise the line of work and then mention that telecommuting is possible.
The "Don't-Be-Scammed" Scam
Often websites that use the .org domain (as well as others with different domains) will claim to show you the few legitimate work-at-home jobs out there. Either they are trying to sell you a book or DVD, which is likely to be of questionable value if it arrives at all, or their sole purpose is to point you toward their own work at home scam. They say they've reviewed dozens of work-at-home opportunities and only found two that they recommend. Of course, there are links to these two, but if you evaluate these websites carefully, you'll see that all signs point toward work at home scam.
The Devil's in the Details
Read everything carefully. If it seems unclear exactly what you will receive or would be expected to do, that's probably no accident. Look for asterisks and disclaimers, though often these are added to make a web page look legitimate. Envelope-stuffing schemes are known for deeming work submitted as unacceptable quality and refusing to pay. The clause about how unacceptable work will be rejected is in the informational materials, but the definition of what is unacceptable is not.
Emotional Sales Pitches
This is really where you need to use your own common sense. When websites use an emotional sales pitch (often with a voiceover on the webpage), saying "You deserve this" or showing the fabulous cars and homes of its success stories, be very suspicious.
Really, if their product or opportunity is that great, why must they try to convince you with such an off-topic plea? What you want to hear are details about the opportunity they are presenting … not a rags-to-riches fairy tale.
High Pressure Tactics: "The Next 23 People to Click…"
Or "Free Today Only!" What's the hurry? They are counting on you to make a quick decision to fork over your money. A measured look at their site might reveal suspicious information.
As Seen On…
Some sites will tout mentions in well-known publications, like the USA Today or The New York Times, but then do not provide links. You've got to wonder why they decline to offer proof. If no link is provided, then I assume they are either lying or the coverage was unfavorable. Sometimes they will say well-known companies like Coca-Cola use their services. Their hope is that by simply associating themselves with a trusted brand they will appear more trustworthy.
"Christian" Business Opportunities
Simply because a business says it is "Christian" is no reason to believe it is. Con artists are not above using religion to sell their snake oil. As with the "As Seen On…" scam, they are just trying to associate themselves with something trustworthy. Along these same lines are sites that pepper their web pages with Bible quotes.
And if you do get scammed, don't sit back and take it. Learn how to report a scam.
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Disclaimer: Sponsored Links and Ads on this site for jobs or business opportunities are not endorsed by me. They are automatically generated based on the content of the page. What you should know about Sponsored Links and Ads
