Work-from-home jobs are desirable for all these reasons.
And more especially amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Our team has compiled alist of creative waysyou can fatten your bank account this week.
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This is a long list, so dont get overwhelmed.
Well keep it updated as offers changes or expire.
Plus, we talked to the experts for their tips for how to avoid becoming a victim.
Who Gets Scammed?
Unfortunately, being the target of a work-from-home scam does not make you special.
But it also doesnt make you a dummy it can happen to anyone.
Did you know?
It preys on people when theyre at a vulnerable point in their life, Hutt said.
Plus, its easier for scammers to extract vital information when pretending to be employers.
Theres other scams where that wouldnt come up naturally, Hutt said.
What Can Scammers Do With Your Information?
Because these scammers can easily extract your most personal identifying information, the consequences can be terrifying.
Regarding stealing your money, perhaps your employer sends you a check for any expenses.
(Think mystery shopping: Go out and buy these things and Ill pay you.)
You go to deposit the check, and its a fake.
Or maybe the employer wants to make a direct deposit.
Dont share that information.
The second bucket includes identity theft.
This might occur when you set up automatic, direct deposits for paychecks.
Your mobile number can be used for all kinds of frauds, he said.
Giving your date of birth and cell phone number puts you in jeopardy of identity theft.
A company offers to pay you to spend just a few minutes taking online surveys.
Youll sign up and answer a few questions about yourself.
There are legitimate opportunities to do this, but you have to know what to look for.
Weve even compiled alist of the best paid online survey sites.
These companies promise youll earn up to $100 a day working for less than an hour.
This is a scam.
Heres the kicker: To sign up, youll pay a one-time membership fee a major red flag.
Also, do you want to contribute to social media spam?!
But they typically pay in gift cards, prize entries or a few dollars a month.
A company will get in touch over the phone to help you sign up for a work-from-home business opportunity.
Heres how it works: Theyll sell you brand-name products at below retail value.
Just order your products, and theyll be delivered to your door.
Youll pay cash on delivery, so no credit card required.
Then you resell the products for a profit.
Welcome to Scammed City.
Typically, youll kick off the box to find unusable junk, and youll never get a refund.
The COD requirement is also a problem, because you have to pay before inspecting the products.
Know how to sew?
These companies hire you to assemble aprons and other clothing at home.
You purchase the materials, the company mails them to your door, you assemble and mail them back.
Your items have to pass inspection before youre paid.
That upfront payment for materials is also a red flag.
Mystery shopping is a fun and simple way to make extra money but you have to vet the opportunities.
Dont ever pay a fee to sign up, and dont wire money as part of an audit.
Either of those should tip you off its a scam.
For legitimate opportunities,check out our list of the best mystery shopping companies.
Want to work for yourself and set your own schedule?
This company will pay you a 20% to 50% commission to sell health and beauty products.
Youll pay $25 for a starter kit, including your training materials.
There are legitimate opportunities for direct sales, includingselling with Avon.
Skepticism isnt unwarranted, though.
Many companies have turned the multi-level marketing structure into a pyramid scheme which is a scam.
The key difference is the product: Are you selling something?
Or are you mainly (or only) getting paid to recruit other sales reps?
The latter is a scam.
This would make you a mule, which is illegal and could lead to criminal charges, warned Det.
Tim Lohman with Ventura County Sheriffs Department.
The victim will accept packages from shipping companies like UPS, FedEx, etc., Lohman said.
The products are all bought with stolen credit cards.
The checks contain stolen account numbers, Lohman said.
He said thesework-from-home scamsare typically a fencing operation for a bigger criminal ring.
However, her email address read [email protected], and its addressed to undisclosed-recipients.
Core Business Technology Solutions website has a careers page.
But, surprise this job wasnt listed and none of the other opportunities are work-from-home ones.
Sharon says the company received the recipients name and email through his schools directory.
Perhaps this is possible, but schools dont just let anyone into their student directories.
It says the job is part of an empowerment program for students.
A quick Google search returns no record of a Core BTS Empowerment Program.
The email launches into (a few) details about the position.
A common sign of a scam are spelling errors and obvious grammatical mistakes.
That title doesnt even come up in a Google search.
This seems awfully generous for a position that only needs a few hours of your time.
For an added too-good-to-be-true factor, the next section talks bonuses.
and cell phone number.
Then youll hear from your supervisor.
Hutt talked us through how you could avoid falling into these traps.
Say a company needs you to send over $30 for said uniform.
Thats not common protocol.
Usually, companies just take those expenses out of your first paycheck.
Same goes for background checks, so-called starter kits and other expenses.
And never, ever submit your information to the company itself for a background check.
There are so many awful ways these scams can pan out.
Or they might need a Social Security number to fill out the W-2 that can lead to identity theft.
Common scams can be found in those classic entry-level, work-from-home customer service gigs no training required.
If its too easy, its more likely to be a scam, Hutt said.
Scammers will pretend to be legitimate companies, Hutt said.
They might steal the brand.
If its target.jobs.com, thats a red flag.
you’re able to also stick any URL or email address into Google.
Put quotation marks on either side, and search.
Articles warning against scams might pop up.
Google everything, Hutt said.
Also use that scam tracker I mentioned above to search the companys name.
Hutt said face-to-face interactions are best.
Of course, thats not always the case with work-from-home jobs, so be wary.
Hutt said the more skeptical you are, the easier it will be to detect a scam.
What to Do If You Find or Are a Victim of a Work-From-Home Job Scam
Report it.
Hutt said this is exactly why the Better Business Bureau developed itsBBB Scam Tracker.
One victim reported on the site that the scam cost them $1,750.
They send you a check that messes up your bank account
So what if youre like this victim?
Hutt said if youve lost money, start by filing a police report.
And if youve had your identity stolen or suspect it the Federal Trade Commission runsIdentityTheft.gov.
Here, you report your theft and get a free recovery plan thatll outline your next steps.
How to Find Legit Work-From-Home Jobs
Now you know how to find a scam.
But how do you find a job?
Funny you should ask, because The Penny Hoarder has alegit work-from-home job portal.
We post new opportunities all the time andwe vet them, too.
And sure, you’re able to try sites like Craigslist to find jobs.
But because most online classified sites dont monitor postings, you must be extra careful.
One key is to see if you spot the same listing in multiple cities, Hutt says.
And a little skepticism can go a long way toward helping you find the perfectly legit work-from-home opportunity.
Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
Staff writers Nicole Dow and Tiffany Wendeln Connors and contributor Dana Sitar contributed to this report.
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