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More than any other question, "How do I find a legit work-from-home job?" is the one I'm asked most.
Last fall I wrote a post about how to avoid work from home scams and another listing a couple of legit work-from-home opportunities for customer service reps. Because scamming folks out of their hard-earned time and money never seems to go out of style (if anything, scams increase when times are tough), I thought the topic warranted another visit.
Staffcentrix, an East Coast training firm that teaches people how to work from home, recently put out a list of the top work-at-home scams for 2009. The common thread among all these scams? You have to send money to get the job (or the get-rich-quick secret). And often, once you have, the work isn't anything close to the job described in the ad you answered.
Take those rebate processing and auction-listing processing jobs you can do from home. You may think you're applying for a data entry gig. But once you've forked over $100, $200, or however much they've convinced you to part with, you discover that you've just signed up for a sales job that pays in commission only.
Then there are package forwarding or product reshipping jobs, which the FBI says are on the rise. Basically you're "hired" to receive and repackage electronics and other goods, with the hiring company either reimbursing your postal fees with a bogus check or stiffing you altogether. To make matters worse, the goods may very well be stolen, meaning that on top of being scammed out of your own cash you could find yourself in legal hot water.
The FBI cites mystery shopping as another popular work-from-home scam. In this illegit gig, the "employer" sends you a bogus check to use for your shopping and asks you to wire the remainder of the funds back. And voila -- you're bilked again!
Moral of the story: You shouldn't have to pay or front a potential employer money. When it comes to work from home jobs on the Web, most are bogus. In fact, Staffcentrix says 54 out of 55 of them are.
For free, pre-screened, scam-free work-from-home job listings, see Rat Race Rebellion. Note that you get what you pay for; not all jobs on this site pay wonderfully, though I do know a few people who found home-based, short-term projects on this site that they were happy with. Also, disregard the ads on the site; those aren't necessarily scam-free.
If you're willing to pay for pre-screened, home-based, top-quality job listings, see proven sites like FlexJobs ($49.95/year; $14.95/month) and Hire My Mom ($99/year; $29.95/quarter).
Freelance writer Michelle Goodman is the author of "My So-Called Freelance Life" and "The Anti 9-to-5 Guide." E-mail her at ninetothrive@nwjobs.com.
By Louisep on April 6, 2009 12:07 PM
Good article. Only thing, the ratio of bogus jobs to real ones is 54 in 55. 1 in 55 is the ratio of REAL jobs.
By Michelle Goodman on April 6, 2009 12:25 PM
Louise, thanks for the catch. Will fix now. :)
By Jaxon on June 20, 2009 7:58 PM
While exiting, remember it takes hard work.
- Avoid any offer that promises you’ll make a lot of money for very little work.
- Don’t rely on a money-back guarantee. Con artists rarely give money back.
- Be wary of testimonials or endorsements.
- See if the Better Business Bureau has a Reliability Report on the company.
- Never give a credit card, debit card or checking account number to any person or company that promises employment. If they wantyou to pay them it’s a scam!
- Keep a positive attitude. You are likely to fail a few times before you learn the ropes.
A comprehensive list can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/WorkTipsOnline
By Diane on July 14, 2009 9:37 AM
avoid any employers who do not put things in writing,
check with BBB on every potential employer
see if company terry nickell and dimes employees
check to see independently any clients that are disappointed with business, really listen to them
do not work for anyone who claims massive profit without real work.
conmen on rise, thanks to horrible economy
By Mary on August 20, 2009 6:58 AM
I ran into a bogus Work at home job. Data Money Online. You don't pay anything until you start making money. Well, it didn't work out so good, as I couldn't navigate the website to get the access I was promised. I cancelled my account!