Avoiding Work from Home Scams

If you’re considering finding a job that allows you to work remotely, you’ll need to know how to tell the difference between a legitimate job posting and a scam. Work-from-home scams have circulated for a few years now and there are several warning signs that you may be able to pick out by reading the advertisement. If you’re using a reputable job posting website service, you’ll be less likely to encounter scams. However, you should always review postings scrupulously; some websites may take a while to remove bad ads.

Investigate Pay

Once you’ve read the listing, contact the company to find out how and when you are paid for your work. The pay might be based on a regular salary, commission, or on a per project basis. Ask if the employer is going to pay you via PayPal, check, or direct deposit. Be wary of answers that seem either too vague or too good to be true. If you can, negotiate a weekly or bi-weekly pay arrangement, according to the work or hours you’ve logged in the previous week. While this may be difficult for companies that claim to pay upon completion of a project, you don’t want to put yourself in the position where you’ve put in hundreds of hours of work and you’re uncertain if you’ll be paid.

Avoid “Get Rich Quick” Schemes

Job listings that guarantee that you will get rich quickly should be avoided. They may display numerous money signs or promise that you will make over $1,000 per week working part-time. These are scams. Working from home is no more likely to make you rich than working anywhere else, and companies that claim you will get rich are likely fraudulent.

Don’t Send Money

A valid employer will never ask you to send money so that you can work. Even if the rest of the company’s outfit seems legitimate, you should never have to pay to offer your services.

Do not send money to a work-from-home company under any circumstances.

Be Wary of Kits, Equipment, and Directory Fees

Some purported work-from-home companies may ask you to purchase a kit to get started with the work. Even if the kit is legitimate, it probably isn’t worth your time. Other companies may ask you to pay a fee to join a job search directory or get hired. While some legitimate companies, such as those that hire customer service agents, may ask you to purchase equipment, you should be wary of making any kind of monetary investment when seeking a work-from-home job.

Do Your Research

Spend some time researching the company online. You may find helpful websites that list the names of scams. If the company doesn’t have its own professional website, this should be a red flag. If you are still unsure of the company’s legitimacy after your online research, request a reference from one of their previous employees or contractor. Try to ask detailed questions about the work, as the reference could also be a fake.