There are a lot of office triggers I can’t stand. Like the fluorescent lighting, the persistent distraction from pointless meetings and other coworkers, and the whole thing about getting dressed in the morning.
That last part is a joke, but it’s true. I am pretty lazy. That is why I found ways to work from home more and even snagged a couple of 100% work-from-home jobs in the past (but working in I.T. is perfect for that).
Before this, my last job was at a company that contracted with the V.A. and was a 100% remote office. Everyone who worked for them worked from all different parts of the country. The President lived in Miami, the V.P. in North Carolina, HR in Colorado, an engineer who lived in Florida, and I in Missouri.
Do you know where I found that job? Indeed. That is one of the legit online job boards you can usually depend on to find excellent opportunities.
Yes, a lot on the internet is very scammy — especially ads for work-from-home jobs and scams. But not every listing on a legit online job board is legit. Work from home scams is abundant online. They squeeze into every platform possible, and you might fall for one if you are not careful.
Red Flags to Look Out For
Let’s talk about what characteristics to look out for with work-from-home scams. It doesn’t matter if you want to work remote part-time as a side hustle or find a full-time remote job; you need to look out for the sleazeballs!
The Job Posting and Description Lacks Detail
When I was surfing Indeed for remote jobs, I was surprised to see how many jobs seemed…so empty. The company name would be familiar or seemed legit, so I would click it, thinking it would be a fantastic gig.
Instead, I found listings that were maybe a paragraph long and vague in detail. Of course, this was a little over three years ago when fewer remote jobs were available on job boards like Indeed, and these sorts of scenarios are less frequent (but still do happen).
If you see vague job listings anywhere online (not just job boards) that lack detail, are generic or seem fishy, it’s most likely a work from the home scam – it is best to steer clear.
They Require Payment Up Front
Alright, we have all heard of a site called FlexJobs, where they do require a monthly subscription to use their job board of remote and telecommuting jobs. They are the exception that you should never pay upfront for a job because they sell their platform as the product (not the actual position).
If a work-from-home job ever requires you to pay any fees upfront to get started working, that’s an immediate red flag.
Don’t pay to work. Work to get paid.
You Can’t Find Any Information About The Company.
On job boards like indeed, where you surf their jobs using the “remote” location filter, you will see a rating under each company name on each listing. Pay attention to these.
Glassdoor does this, too, where employees can rate how well it is to work for a certain company and post reviews. I love this feature as it gives us some additional insight into what might be expected from a job listing.
If a company has no reviews or information about it, do a quick Google search. If they have no internet presence and you can’t find anything about it; otherwise, chances are they are not a legitimate employer.
Always do your research and fair vetting of the company you want to apply for a position at!
When Things Are Too Good to Be True, They Usually Are
If the position pays $100,000 a year for 20 hours a week (that can be done from home), no experience necessary, start tomorrow with no on-call and pick your schedule; please don’t do it. That isn’t a good sign.
I have never heard of a job where you can work remote, part-time, make six figures, and have no experience. It doesn’t happen because if it did, I am sure the United States’ unemployment rate would be much lower.
If you see aspects of a job listing that seem too good to be true, turn to the trusted internet and start doing your research. The Better Business Bureau is great for researching these and avoiding work-from-home scams.
Specific Jobs That Are Bogus
Along with looking out for specific red flags online and on job boards, a couple of “work from home jobs” work home scams are entirely bogus.
Medical Billing
While medical billing is a legitimate job, it isn’t done remotely. Medical billers usually work directly for physicians, medical facilities, or
insurance providers and traditionally required to be on site.
Envelope Stuffing
Ah, I’ve seen this one far too many times. The idea with envelope stuffing is you send in some money to receive your envelopes and whatever you are told to send out. Then you “get $2” for each envelope you mail, but you are just trying to rope others to send you $2. I don’t get it, but these opportunities’ claims of high earnings are entirely false.
Mystery Shopping
While some mystery shopping jobs from companies like Bestmark are legitimate, many aren’t.
The scammy ones are ones you haven’t heard of, offer false certifications, and ask for money to “wire.” This is when they ask you to deposit money so they can wire it back, which is a fake check scam.
How to Find Legitimate Work From Home Jobs
Besides taking the tips mentioned above, the following job boards and websites are usually safe to look for work-from-home opportunities.
- Indeed
- Glassdoor
- FlexJobs
- AngelList
- Stack Overflow
- Working Nomads
- Virtual Vocations
In addition to these, you can also contract out your skills as a freelancer using sites like Fiverr and Upwork (which are also 100% free to use and get started on). Setting up passive income streams can be generated from anywhere with something like a blog, course, ebook, podcast, etc.
Conclusion
The thing is, the internet is as shady as it is incredible. There will always be people out there trying to turn a trick. If you know what to look for and have realistic expectations when searching online for work-from-home jobs, you will avoid most of these work-from-home scams.
However, if you find yourself in the middle of one, you can take these next steps:
- Alert all of your financial institutions.
- File a complaint with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission). Report it to the BBB Scam Tracker.
- Contact the Attorney General’s office in your state to see if any home worker laws protect you.
If that is where you are currently, take action immediately. And if you are at the start of your remote work job search, I wish you luck!
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
Featured Image Credit: Pexels.