There are plenty of legitimate work at home opportunities out there for anyone looking for one, but there are also countless scams that will rob you of your time, money, dignity and your faith in whether or not you really can work from home successfully. Below are several key ways to avoid all the WAH scams out there…
Do your due diligence
Know exactly who you are dealing with before you get involved with them. Many companies do not actually hire you directly – instead they sell you a list of other companies that MIGHT hire you, or they might just be trying to recruit you into an opportunity or something else like that. Make sure you know what you are getting in to.
Email them, call them, search forums and other websites for information about them, etc… Don’t stop until you have your questions fully answered. All legitimate companies will be happy to answer your questions, so it’s a huge red flag if they won’t.
Stay grounded
Don’t get some pie in the sky dream or kid yourself that you’re going to quickly make a lot of money in your new work at home venture. A work at home job is still a “job” and requires you to work to gradually increase your income.
Never answer unsolicited (spam) emails
Spammers are the scum of the earth and you will never do yourself any good by opening or answering one of their emails. Anytime you see an email offering you some work at home opportunity, ask yourself where the email came from. How did the sender find you? Did you sign up to receive these notifications, or might it be spam? Does it address you personally? Does it mention a referral from anyone you know? Is it written professionally or is it full of spelling and grammar mistakes?
If you just get a random email offering you work, money, or saying you won something there is a high chance it’s a scam or a virus or something else you don’t want. I recommend not even opening these emails. I never do!
Never pay for a work at home job
If you’re doing a job, you should be getting paid for it, not the other way around. A legitimate company looking to hire you will not ask you for money to get the job. There are legitimate home based business opportunities that you will usually have to pay to be a part of. But that’s something completely different. If you are looking for an actual “job” that you do online (not a home business) then you shouldn’t ever pay for it.
Ask for references
Ask around job forums and find several other people who are already doing the work you’re considering taking on. Talk to them to see if it really is what it professes to be and, even more importantly, whether they’re satisfied with the results. Also ask whether or not they feel that the company has been keeping their promises and paying for the work.
Check the law
Make sure you don’t get yourself tangled up in some illegal scheme that you’ll later regret for more reasons than one. Find out if you need to obtain a certification or a license in order to do the proposed work legally. You may also want to make sure your local zoning board permits you to operate a business from your home (if relevant).
More Tips For Avoiding The WAH Job Scams
There are many red flags that say to me, “This job is a scam!” when I see them. And when I refer to jobs, I mean the one that has an employer, but you do it from home.
Here’s a list of what to look for to avoid the work at home job scams.
1. If it looks to good to be true, then it usually is. Always go with your gut instincts. If you’re questioning it because something looks fishy or just doesn’t seem right, then most likely it’s a scam. Ask around the various work at home forums or type in your favorite search engine the company’s name+scam.
2. Earn tons of money in a short amount of time. You will see $300-$500+ in just 2-3 hours per day or something more outrageous than that. Doesn’t ask for resume or job skills or experience. Um… NOT! Seriously, if you can make that kind of money, why aren’t we all doing it?
3. Loud, colorful, screaming websites. A lot of hype and not much else. Websites that are the colors of the rainbow, have highlighted words, bold and huge fonts cannot possibly be taken seriously.
4. Training materials or registration fees. This is a sure sign it’s a scam. Legitimate employers do not ask for fees! Though there are exceptions to this rule such as background checks and equipment required for the job.
5. Free email address. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a scam. Many legitimate employers use a free email address to avoid clogging up their company’s email system, but it should at least make you think and look into it further.
6. Free webhosting. Many scammers will use free web hosts. I know of only a few legit companies that use a free webhost. With that said, it’s not an absolute guarantee that it is a scam but it does jump out as a red flag because if they can’t pay for web hosting, how are they suppose pay you?
7. No contact information. There should be at least an email address, a phone (or toll-free) number or physical address.
8. Poorly written English. This is tip off. Almost a sure sign it’s a scam or at least worth investigating more.
9. Money processing. No. No. No. Never accept any jobs that require you to accept payment into your account for transfer later to another bank account.
10. Stuffing envelopes. Again, no such thing. This one has been around the block many times and is very well-known as bullshit!
Anyway, these are just some of the main signs to avoid. Always do your due diligence and never be desperate because that is when you will fall prey to scams.
Ok now you have some tips to help you avoid scams of all kinds in the WAH world. Don’t let yourself get involved in any work at home scams. If you do you will find yourself out money, time and maybe even in trouble with the law. Knowing how to identify these scams before you fall victim to one will save you a lot of headaches ahead of time.