Anyone who has decided to research work at home jobs on the Internet has already fallen victim to, or has seen, the many work from home scams. The Internet is one of the best places to find ways to work from home, but it is also filled with false offers and scam artists.
Scammers understand that many people desire to work from home. With a worldwide economy in constant fluctuation, people are turning more to alternative methods of employment. It is a necessary change, and one that has many possibilities.
Do not let the thought of being scammed stop you from chasing your desire to work from home on the Internet. You simply need to know how to spot a scam so you can stay away from the offer. While this list is not complete, these scammers come out with new things all the time, it provides a guideline on what to look for in any employment or business offer.
How To Spot Work From Home Scams
- Any advertisement that offers tremendous pay for little work is a scam. It does not matter if you are telecommuting or working as a freelancer, jobs on the Internet pay very similar to those in the offline community.
- Any website that has an offer for employment on the Internet should be on the company website. Look at the domain name. If the name is not similar to the company name or if it is hosted on a sub-domain, it is a scam. Businesses do not do business outside of their own website – period.
- Look at the “Contact Us” page. Does it contain a physical address and phone number? Is the phone number in service? Is the email based on that website? You should never interact with a company that does not have a physical address and phone number. If the email is a web based address, such as .gmail or .yahoo, you should avoid contact.
- Any company that requests that you purchase a list or complete an offer to receive the information that you require. It is a scam. This is the Internet and real information is free.
- Any company that offers telecommuting positions (off site employment) but does not require a resume or an interview is a scam. These people are only looking for personal information. Telecommuting positions all require you to go through an interview process like an off line job.
- Any company that wants to charge you to find a position. Job listing services are free.
- A website that requests personal information or credit card information prior to making an offer of employment is a scam.
- Companies that promote businesses without providing detailed information about the business are a scam. The largest scams under this category are envelop stuffing and rebate processing.
- Companies that require you to provide a list of email addresses prior to receiving the information you need is illegitimate. These sites are collecting names for mailing lists and have nothing to offer.
- Any company that tells you that you need to purchase a list of companies that are hiring is a scam. Companies do not publish employment needs, they place classified advertisements for the position.
- Any company offering to make you rich overnight is a scam.
- Any company telling you that there is no experience necessary to find work in a field that you know requires experience is a rip-off.
- Companies that demand you purchase specific products to complete their work, such as home assembly products are usually a scam. Please note that not all home assembly is a scam, but a majority of it is. You should thoroughly check out the company before committing to this type of work.
The best way to avoid being scammed on the Internet is to use your instincts. If it sounds too good to be true, it is most likely a scam. Research any business that you intend to work for as an employee or as a freelancer before making the commitment. A couple of hours of research is the best defense against scammers.
