Beware Work From Home Scams
February 8, 2008 by Yvonne Russell
Sue Shellenbarger of The Wall Street Journal Online answers a reader question about telecommuting -
Question: I saw your story on how more employers are hiring people to telecommute right from their first day of work. Can I find these high-quality salaried work-at-home jobs through Internet job boards? — P.P., Queens, N.Y..
Much of Shellenbarger’s advice also applies to work from home opportunities. The main points include
- Read and screen postings carefully. Not all will be legitimate.
- Don’t pay anyone any money for a work from home opportunity. They should be paying you.
- Don’t disclose Social Security or financial details until you’ve had your attorney sight the contract
- Look up the company on the net and include “fraud” or “scam” in the search
b5 media’s Craigslist Curmudgeon is a great source for learning to read job ads with a critical eye, particularly at Craigslist. Craigslist also has a feature where readers can flag an ad they feel is misleading or fraudulent.
You see these ads all the time on Monster.com. Most are requiring a ‘fee’ for training or setup.
Thanks for the tip Cameron. Where online jobs are concerned, due dilligence is wise. You should never ever pay a fee.
They should be paying you.