Working From Home? Here’s How To Avoid Work At Home Scams

There are millions of people who want to earn a nice income with minimum effort from the comfort of their home. With the advent of internet, home based job and business opportunities are increasing day by day.

Though there are thousands of legitimate companies that offer real work at home jobs to people, there are also scammers on the prowl for easy prey. Since working at home is attractive, false job offers are prevalent on the net. Some common work at home scams are very obvious – like envelope-stuffing.

Work at home scams take many forms and cost victims thousands of dollars and also valuable time. But there are some characteristics that are common to such companies and that you must be aware of if you want to avoid getting involved with such enterprises.

Warning Signs Of Work At Home Scams

For instance, most do not guarantee regular salaried employment for home based workers. They do not mention how many hours you will need to work without pay. Others require you to spend money on instructions before getting the job. Some companies require paid training.

In order to avoid work at home scammers, you must scrutinize the company before accepting any job. Legitimate companies will provide all the information you need in writing.

Here are some tips to avoid falling a victim to work at home scams:

1. If you need to provide personal information, avoid giving it to a stranger or unknown company. Provide personal information to the company only after you confirm that it is legitimate.

2. Check the reviews or news about the company by typing the name of the company in the search box of the Better Business Bureau or check online work from home forums for any complaints about that company, and avoid further contact with its representatives.

3. There is no easy road to wealth. Any job requires some effort to earn better income. Therefore beware of companies that promise to make you rich overnight, there is no such thing.

Reshipping Fraud

Reshipping fraud is becoming a common work at home scam. In this type of job, home based workers are asked to receive, repack and then mail the merchandise to a foreign address.

They are promised a substantial amount of money. But what the workers may not realize is that the merchandise was paid for with stolen credit cards and will therefore become an accessory to receiving and mailing of stolen goods without their knowledge.

The worker receives the merchandize, repackages with her own funds and is told it will be repaid at time of pay day. It gets worse! They are then told, their pay will be via cashier’s check, but strangely it is for more than they are owed.

The worker is told to deposit the check and send the difference to the employer’s overseas bank account. Eventually, the cashier’s check bounces and they owe their bank the amount of the whole check.

Do Your Due Diligence

If you want to select a legitimate work at home job, do not accept any job offer that promises to provide high income for a part time job. Some companies would promise you get rich quick schemes. Remember only hard work and dedication can help you earn a good income from home.

Do not send money to companies that ask you to pay for start-up kits,. Legitimate companies do not charge anything to hire you. If you are not sure about the legitimacy of a company, ask for references. If the company is not willing to provide references, then beware!

As with everything else in life, remember that if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.

© Naaree

This article may be reprinted with a live link to www.naaree.com

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