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In this post, I will discuss the darker side of working from home: online scams. Hand in hand with all the benefits comes the opportunity for dishonest individuals and groups to take advantage of and mislead job seekers.
To stay safe and be aware of their practices, you will need to have a type of knowledge that can protect you and make you doubt whenever it is necessary to do so.
Scams would waste your time in the best possible case, and in the worst case, you would lose a lot of money.
Best Tips to Detect Online Scam Jobs
Here is a story...
As a person who ended up in both cases, I have learned these lessons the hard way. When I first started looking for a job online, the first thing I tried was a simple Google search.
That was back in 2008. And this ended up with many companies offering data entry jobs, completing forms, etc.
The catch was that you needed to pay a certain amount to get access to a platform for job offers, and then you could start right away and earn quite a nice amount. Do you see the scheme here?
If you are new to freelancing and working from home, it is common to get misled. Even when something is obviously suspicious, the time you spend just looking for a job could make you emotionally drained and vulnerable to "good offers". Who wants to solve all the issues with just a few clicks? Anyone?
Unfortunately, in the real world, good things take time and effort. Magic happens not instantly but because of hard work, dedication, the right timing, and the right mindset.
What should you be careful about?
Too good to be true
As the old saying goes, if something is too good to be true, it probably is. Nobody will give you the most straightforward job with the highest possible payment because you are a cutie.
And how would anybody know if you are attractive if you are just a random visitor on an online website offering jobs?
To determine if something is too good, try to eliminate your emotions from the equations and assess the situation with a cold heart and straight thinking.
If you didn't want a fantastic offer to be true so badly, how would it look from the perspective of an observer with no attachments? If it sounds suspicious, it deserves further investigation before even trying it.
Check Website Reliability
In the modern world, it's becoming more difficult to cheat, as the moment you do it, your victim will complain about it publicly on the Internet. Job seekers can use this fact to determine whether a company is legit. Here is how to do it:
☑ An online search for website reviews: opinions of people who claim they have been cheated is a huge red flag.
This is the type of company you should immediately stop involving yourself with, as you may also lose money.
Remember that scammers are often very experienced in what they do, and even if you are pretty familiar with the tricks, you never know how they can turn things around in their favor.
☑ Get a trust score on Scamadviser: everything not in Green should be avoided, or at least get a deeper check. Pay attention to the reasons why it is not safe.
If there is a valid reason to believe some dangerous activity is happening, staying away is wiser. As this scam checker website uses automated algorithms, it may not be the most accurate source of information, but if you analyze the results, you will get your answer.
☑ Social media accounts of the company: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or any other network could give you additional information about what is happening with this business.
This is a good sign if their social media accounts are active and people comment positively on their pages. Beware of how many people complain about them and why they are frustrated.
If it is something small, know it, but don't give up on a company just because some people didn't like a minor issue they had with them.
Contact the potential scammer directly
If you have passed through the first two methods and still need additional information, the go-to here is sending them an email or calling them.
If contact information is provided on the website, try it and see what happens. An example email can contain your greetings, an introduction, and any questions or concerns.
Be straight and to the point, and wait for their reply, if any. If the company replies by asking you to invest money to get hired, please don't respond and disengage from communicating with this business.
Remember: No legit company would ask you for money before you even earned it.
It just doesn't make sense. It is not logical to ask for money from someone looking for money. Most such companies try to get you to pay them, and when it comes to their turn, they will never live up to what they promised.
They would either disappear or send you some documents that are just informational and don't solve your problem of finding a job in any way.
Finding a job requires an investment. There is no doubt about it. You must invest in your knowledge, qualifications, communication skills, productivity, and work efficiency. But there are better approaches to landing a job than paying money immediately.
Earnings are unjustified and huge
I have come across websites that offer payment for completing mini-tasks. This is a standard way of providing jobs for freelancers. The difference between a scammer and a legit website might be the payment remuneration. An example of this scheme:
Most reliable and trustworthy websites provide $0.25 - $0.50 per simple task consisting of a few clicks, checking some information, etc.
If a company claims they pay $1 - $2 for a similar job, accumulating in your account, it raises many questions. A math calculation reveals this is four times more. But why?
Another red flag for this exact situation is the minimum withdrawal amount. If it is too high, this can mean only one thing.
They want you to stay engaged with them for as long as possible before you realize they will not pay. Indeed, it is tempting to watch your money grow with little effort, but if you find out this website didn't pay anybody, draw the conclusions yourself.
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