scamGrowing up I recall hearing stories from adults about standing in the unemployment line. Times have changed and instead of standing in the unemployment line people who have lost their jobs have a new line to worry about; the scams and frauds targeting them from online. As with so many other things it is truly sad to think that there are people out there that target others who are already down on their luck, but that is the reality of our society. We have all seen or heard of emails or ads for different work at home job opportunities, promising you can quadruple your old salary while working a quarter of the time. Unfortunately as the number of jobless rise in this country the amount of scams targeting the unemployed or underemployed are on the rise.

Protect Yourself From Online Job Scams

If you have lost your job or are simply looking to supplement your income there are steps you can take to protect yourself from falling for a scam.

  • Do your homework- Before you even contemplate contacting the company or responding to an ad, take a few moments to see if the company has a rating on the Better Business Bureau. If there is a report on the BBB take note to the number and nature of complaints lodged against them (if any) to get a better feel for the type of business you are dealing with. In addition you can also do an internet search on the company looking specifically both a physical address or business listing to ensure they are a “real” business.  Last but not least see if you can find any reviews or comments on forums from other people who may have worked for or with the company.
  • Don’t pay upfront- Many of these fraudulent businesses make their money by requiring you to purchase a product that will “teach” you how to make money. Before you can move on to making thousands of dollars per week you will have to pay for their “secret” tips or strategies to increase your income. It is no secret that 9/10 of these programs are scams.
  • Why isn’t everyone doing this- If the job entails doing something so simple that anyone can do it, while earning huge amounts of cash ask yourself, “why isn’t everyone doing it?”. If everyone could make hundreds of dollars taking surveys or stuffing envelopes we would not have to worry about a recession.
  • What are the job requirements- While there are companies that do in-house training specific to their job most postings that require no experience or worse -no resume are likely a fraud. Who would hire you to work for them and pay you large amounts of money without knowing your background or work experience? The answer: a company that doesn’t intend to pay you at all.
  • Use Common Sense- When it comes right down to it, if a job sounds to go to be true-it probably is, avoid wasting your time on get rich quick schemes and invest that time researching legitimate companies that can offer you “real” employment opportunities.


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