7 Tips for Avoiding Work from Home Scams

Let’s face it; the market is flooded with work from home scams. Whether they’re trying to steal your identity, take your hard-earned money, or just get you to do a few hours of work for free, it’s easy to get caught up in a bad situation. Luckily enough, though, it’s just as easy avoiding work from home scams and finding legitimate opportunities. Follow these quick tips to help ensure you’re earning money… not losing it.

Too Good to Be True

If an opportunity sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Trust me… if it was possible to make thousands of dollars per week doing practically no work, everyone would sign up. You may think you found an opportunity early, but that’s highly unlikely in today’s age where information travels at the speed of light.

Look for opportunities that make logical sense and where the compensation is reasonable and fair.

Background Check Not Required

All legitimate companies will take reasonable steps to protect themselves and ensure applicants are legitimate and trustworthy. If there’s no background check or other requirements for validating your identity, then the opportunity really has no idea who you are.

Look for opportunities where a background check is required (on their dime; you shouldn’t be paying for this!) Plus, most reputable background checking companies/agencies will do their own validation to ensure the company they’re working for is legitimate which keeps you even safer.

Requires Investment

If they’re asking you for money, then that’s how they make money… by selling you their product, service, information, etc. Any legitimate online company will never ask you for application fees or other funds to get started.

Look for opportunities where you’re not required to send funds. After all, you’re in this to receive money, right?

Everyone Can Do It

If it’s a job that everyone can do, and everyone gets accepted, red flags should be going up. Not only does this mean you have no job security (if anyone can do it, why can’t they just replace you with someone else for cheaper?), it also means they have no standards and care little about the service or product they’re providing.

Look for opportunities where you’re evaluated on your skills, capabilities, or experience. Yes, these opportunities are likely harder to get, but they’re also likely to be around for the long haul.

Unknown/New Company

If the company is brand new or you can’t find information about them, you should definitely be wary. Ask them for references you can validate. Use sites such as LinkedIn, Glassdoor, etc. to learn more about what others have to say and the types of people doing the work.

Look for opportunities with a strong social media presence, professional websites, and lots of independent reviews on reputable sites such as Glassdoor.

Unreasonable Payment Timeline

If the opportunity requires weeks or months of time/work upfront before you’ll be paid, you should be concerned.

Look for opportunities where you can validate that you’ll be paid within a week or two of starting.

Unsafe Payment Methods

Opportunities that require your debit/credit card and/or bank information should concern you. These payment methods work both ways… they can take money just as easily as they can send money. Payment via BitCoin or other cryptocurrencies should also cause alarm.

Look for opportunities that pay you via a reputable and secure payment method such as PayPal. 

Bonus Tip

Legitimate companies almost never recruit or payout exclusively based on you referring other users; this practice just isn’t financially sustainable. If the opportunity is paying most of your earnings for signing up new users, proceed carefully.