Be choosy when applying for work at home jobs. As you probably know, there are plenty of scams out there . I hope this article empowers you.
Don’t pay
You shouldn’t have to pay to work. Some sites offer you a list of work at home jobs for a fee. There is so much free information available here and on the web, that you should not have to pay. You are looking for work because you need money. Take it easy on spending money. There are jobs that require you to buy specialized equipment, such as a foot pedal to take transcription or a headphone for a phone. Some work at home jobs require you to have a high speed connection instead of dial-up to work with them. Those are legitimate requests, and if you buy these products or services you should be confident that you will make enough money to cover the cost of doing business and have money left over.
Be Careful Working for Individuals
There are good people out there who need extra help and would be interested in hiring you. But I urge you to avoid working for individuals you do not know. My main concern is that to legally work in the United States, you will need to report your income. The person you work for will ask for your social security number and other personal information for income tax purposes. Now, an unscrupulous person can do all sorts of things with this information. Legitimate companies will ask you to fill out a W-9 form, or a similar form for taxes. You must provide personal information, including your social security number on this form. I’ve filled out this form for bona fide companies and have had no problem. I’ve also had an individual who wanted me to write for him ask me for my social security number without a W-2 form. That raised a red flag, and I’m glad that I refused to work for him. I didn’t give him my social security number.
Be Wary of Jobs that Tout Easy Money
Working from home is rarely easy. It’s work. Money will not just come rolling in. Be wary of any company or individuals, claiming that you can get easy money quickly.
Don’t Wire Money
Never wire money to the company. It’s not safe. If the company asks you to wire money to anyone, don’t do it. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Read this article from MSNBC News.
Research the Company
It’s a good rule of thumb to check the company’s standing with the Better Business Bureau. Not all scam-jobs are listed with the Better Business Bureau, but someone who may have been victimized by the job in question could have reported the incident.
You should also check the company with the Rip Off Report. You can search through thousands of reports to find out if the company that you would like to work for is listed. You can also file a report if you are scammed.
Posted by Claudine in Work at Home Scams