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11 Signs of an Online Job Scam
In a recent post, I wrote about falling for an online scam while I was starting to build my work-from-home career.
I wanted to revisit that topic here with a few more things to watch out for while looking for ways to work from home or earn money with online jobs.
Signs of a “Make Money Online” Scam
Be very wary of the following promises:
- Lots of money within days or weeks!
- No experience is needed!!!
- Easy to operate/run/do (maybe even in your sleep)!
- Work a couple of hours and watch the money roll in!
- Once you get started, you’re set for life!!
If the above claims were true, wouldn’t more people be trying it and claiming that it works?
There is obviously a reason why people are so wary of promises like these …
Because many times, they are nothing but online scams.
The antivirus company, Norton, offers this information about job scams:
Online job scams are another way for scammers to gain access to either your personal information, your money or your bank account or credit card data. These scams prey upon people searching online sites for new jobs.
Because job seekers are often desperate to find a position, they might overlook certain red flags that something is not right with an online listing.
Online job scams come in several types. The Federal Trade Commission says that some scammers will try to phish bank account or credit card numbers out of you.
Others will encourage you to pay for certification or training materials, often for jobs that don’t really exist. Still others will try to trick you into cashing fraudulent checks.
Scammers post their fake job listings on some of the internet’s most popular boards, the same platforms that many legitimate employers use.
You might be asking, “How do the scammers get away with this?”
Well, with the money they make before people catch onto them, they probably have the money to hire lawyers.
