While the Internet has opened up a world of opportunity for people seeking to work from home, I'm hearing more and more stories lately of people being scammed out of their hard-earned money by some Internet huckster. It's unfortunate, but even as the Web has created a telecommuting boom, it has also spawned a new breed of cons.
It pays to be cautious and do your homework before jumping into any potential job or business opportunity. You should always check the company's history with the Better Business Bureau. And it never hurts to Google the company's name and see what pops up. But what if the company is new and relatively unheard of?
There are some warning signs you can look for when answering an online ad for a home business or employment. Some of the hallmarks of a work at home scam are:
First: Promising the moon. Exaggerated claims of income, earnings, or profits. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Second: No Experience Necessary. Most jobs - well, most good jobs - require some experience.
Third: Asking that you send money for instructions or products before fully disclosing what the business is about. If the person you're communicating with is not upfront about the name of the company and the type of business it is, back away.
Fourth: They assure you there is a huge demand for the product you'll be selling or promise to provide leads.
If you've been scammed while looking for employment or think you've come across a scam, report it to The National Fraud Information Center at 1-800-876-7060. You might just save someone else the heartbreak.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Be Alert to The Warning Signs of a Work at Home Scam
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11 comments:
Thanks for the warning! I get these offers on a daily basis, and I've learned to ignore them.
The thing I've learned since I started my own business is, there is no easy way to get money. It's hard work! But you know what? That's OK!!!
Thanks for getting the warning out. I know I've been burned before and it's kinda funny because when it's happening there is always that little voice in the back of your head telling you somethings not right, but because you think "This is the internet, it's not the same as real life" you go right ahead and get burned. Michal is right...hard work is the ONLY way to make money, online or off.
I have a real dislike for scammers, they are effectively stealing from people as well as poisoning the market for legitimate businesses. But I think over time, people are catching on to these obvious signs, hopefully it will become unprofitable for the scamemrs and they will move on.
Thanks for the advice, I came across a few of these scams. They sounded too good to be true so thank god i didn't act on it.
With a strain on the economy you are going to see more scams popping up with people trying anything to make money from unsuspecting people.
It is so easy to fall victim to these. You just have to remember there is never something for nothing.
It is certainly buyer beware out here on the internet. I’m always interested in time saving tools, especially for internet marketing, but I find that I have a hard time trusting anything that is new. When you hunt for information or reviews then 90% of the time you end up on an affiliate site. If I keep hearing good things about a scheme or tool over a long period of time then I may be interested – otherwise I find it is just best to keep putting in hard work and avoid getting distracted by the latest fad or life changing scheme.
Unfortunately this is the reality on the Internet. I've been scammed a few times looking for good services. The sad thing is I don't think I have been scammed for the last time either although I'm more careful now. Good sum up for knowing the scams though!
If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. A lot of people are being lured into these scams because they don't take the time to have a reality check first. When we come across these types of nonsense, we should ask ourselves, 'Is it really POSSIBLE FOR ME to earn that much legitimately over a very short period of time DOING NOTHING?' If the answer is a resounding NO, then it's not worth it.
You're so right. I happened to stumble upon your blog cuz I myself always look for new ways to make money online free, but with all the scams lately, sometimes.. in fact.. at all times, it's so hard to know what's real from scam!
Doing research about something is very important before going headfirst! It's not only scary in that you can lose your money, but there are so many crazy people out there, you can actually lose your life as well!
Awesome post. I hope everyone that reads it takes heed to your warnings.
TriNi @ make money online free
Its a shame that you even have to write a post like this but the spammers and scammers are everywhere.
A sure fire sign of a scam is that they want you to send them money before giving you the info you need to make money. There are lots of data entry and survey sites like this out there so beware.
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