Spam, scams, and schemes.
Current circumstances being what they are, an entirely at-home job probably sounds pretty tempting right now. Certainly, those of us who were already working work-from-home positions are subject to far less of the volatility currently plaguing the economy. If you’ve got a skill that can be utilized over the internet like writing, art, remote maintenance, or whatever else, by all means, now’s a great time to look for remote positions. Unfortunately, because it’s such a great time, the scammers are currently out in force trying to snag any job seekers they can in their web of lies.
The first rule of looking at job listings online is that if the company has to clarify that they are not a scam or pyramid scheme, then they’re totally a scam or pyramid scheme. Be on the lookout for tempting language like “paid nicely” or “job that runs itself.” If these yahoos aren’t flat-out scam artists looking to steal your information, then they’re trying to rope you into working full-time for next to nothing. Remember the old standby: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Another thing to watch out for is menial labor like stuffing envelopes or assembling crafts. These kinds of scams will usually just flat-out lie about how much you can make by signing on with them. They’re similar to pyramid schemes in that they usually require you to buy in in some manner, as well as commit to working for them for a set period of time. There is no reality where mailing circulars will make you $3,000 in a week.
Lastly, if you receive any sort of unsolicited job offer or “career advancement grant,” just chuck it. It’s already worrying enough when random people get a hold of your email address; you most definitely do not want any part of whatever they’re offering you. There are only two kinds of businesses that send unsolicited job offers: fake ones, and unbelievably desperate ones, and you shouldn’t work with either.
