Many people are investing a lot of their time trying to find Work From Home jobs nowadays. Having a flexible work schedule is really a great advantage. Also, even if most of the times it is not the dream picture everyone has in mind of being next to a swimming pool, chilling under the sun while working, still, being able to create your own workspace with your own vibes, not having to interact that much with co-workers that may have made your life harder in the past or the fact that you are really getting rid of the need to commute in order to work make WFH a desirable option for most people.
The rise in demand for such works has also increased the scams in this area, with more and more people reporting they have fallen for such malicious acts every day. No matter the form of appearance they may appear as, we are here to help you see through the mirror they cover their acts with and be able to identify any scam job when you see it. We know there are still real WFH opportunities out there, the trick is knowing how to spot the honest offers among fake promises.
What is a WFH job scam and how does it work?
There are always people that try to benefit themselves through the fact that some others lack experience in some areas. Their purpose ? Steal as many as they can, personal information or financial assets, whatever they can benefit from, they want it.
To achieve their goal, scammers will take advantage of any means they can use. They may pretend to be a well-known company or a reputable person, in order to earn your trust and then use it against you. Especially now, because of the pandemic we are going through, people are way more desperate to find such jobs and this makes us easy targets. Seeing how eager we are to do everything that is possible to land such a job, their plot is half completed. All they need to do is highlight what we need to hear, while we are lurring ourselves into the trap.
How to distinguish a fake job posting?
- Too good to be true!
- Paying to work?
- Looking desperate to hire you!
- Asking personal information too early in the process?
- Spelling or grammatical errors!
1. Too good to be true!
We all have witnessed ads while browsing the internet, where their description seemed exceptionally promising. Texts like << Make 500$ in a minute just clicking on your phone>> or <<Do you want to make 300$ per hour just by sitting on your couch? Do it now by *following mentioned steps* and get this job for yourself>> are flooding the internet every day. So, follow your instincts and avoid any posting offering you a chance to become rich within minutes.
2. Paying to work?
One common practice that is used is to ask you for money upfront. They can support it in many ways by creating any kind of realistic looking excuse. Things though are not supposed to work this way, the employer is supposed to pay you and not the opposite. However, keep in mind that certain respectable online job forums may require you to pay a monthly fee in order to have access to their listings or purchase their training programs. To make this distinction, proper research has to be conducted regarding the reputation of the company.
3. Looking desperate to hire you!
When a potential employer has to recruit you right away, it can be a big red flag of a Work From Home fraud. The decision regarding if you want the job or not should be made by you and then get accepted or not by the employer. Being pressured to get hired for a job at the moment can be a sign of malicious intentions that a person may hide.
4. Asking personal information too early in the process?
Scammers are jostling for your personal information online in order to commit theft or steal your identity. It is normal for an employer to ask for your resume, your contact information or your address, but trying to get too deep in that should be a warning sign. If an employer is trying to obtain your bank account information or your full social security number without even being hired, it is most likely to be a scam. Their presentation can be deceiving so always keep this in mind!
5. Spelling or grammatical errors!
While most respectable companies hire people specialized in the specific area, in order to write their job listings, scammers prefer to do everything themselves due to the nature of their purpose. If you fall upon a listing with obvious grammatical or spelling errors, restrain yourself from applying to it right away. There is a chance for it to be a scam. The same goes for any listing that looks way too unprofessional.
How to protect yourself from a Work From Home scam
- Asking a lot of questions is a great technique. They are usually prepared for it, but the more you ask the more the chances to hit the jackpot. How , by who and when will I get paid? What and how much is the cost for the program? What will I obtain from it also? What are the responsibilities of this job and what is it about? Where are your headquarters? Even the simplest question may raise an alarm by the response it will get.
- Doing online research should be a step that you should never ignore. Searching about the company-individual that offers the job and its reputation may reveal things that otherwise you would not be aware of. Negative critics or scam reports often come up when executing such research, but on the other side, you may find out that a job that you previously thought is a scam, turns out to be a real opportunity with great reputation.
- Navigate through their webpage. Even if it looks really professional, make sure that everything works well. It is not that uncommon for a scam site to look professional but most of the links that help you navigate through it do not work at all.
- Consider that you can get scammed. We all believe that we could never fall for it and this is one of the reasons that many of us did in the end. Scammers may be mean but they are not stupid. Even more, day by day they are getting better at it. So do not let your guard down just because you see a well made website, good communication and most of all, good offers. Always search for more, even if there is no suspicion about it.
- It would be a nice addition to your research if you visit Better Business Bureau’s scam track. This non-profit organization has been helping people for quite a while on tracking scams going around from time to time. Researching the employing company’s name or any contact shown within their site, will bring up any scam that has been reported regarding them.
Are you looking for a legitimate WFH job opportunity?
If you are constantly looking for a legitimate Work From Home job opportunity but have not been able to find one, having to struggle with scams or complex processes, we are here to help you. Our team, consisting of people with great experience in remote working, can help you find the job you are looking for. We will review your working profile and your requirements, conduct a deep research within the vast network and then connect you with trustful remarkable companies. Do not forget, we will present you our proposal, but it is always up to YOU to decide whether you want it or not. If you want to chase your dream, click the button below!
Vaggelis Moutsios
Vaggelis Moutsios is a newly inspired author and a book lover since a young age. Born in Agrinio, Greece, graduate in Physical Education and Sport Science at Democritus University of Thrace, he decided to make a turn to his professional career. Remote work and the freedom it provides earned him. Following his passion for writing combined with his 6 years experience in the WFH market, he dedicated himself into introducing this world to more and more people.
