Get Creative With Jobs At Home
Do you love to work, but dread the thought of working in an office? Does your mind wander as soon as you enter that sterile environment? Are you passionate about creativity and have vivid imaginings in your head? If so, there is hope! There are plenty of jobs at home that allow you to incorporate all those fabulous skills into your work. You just need to know where to look.
That's why we've put together this post all about how to find these jobs, what they entail, and why they're so awesome. We'll give you a few examples of how to look for these jobs, and some tips for applying. Then we'll discuss the best kinds of companies to look for, and what kind of things to watch out for. Finally we'll talk about how to be sure you're getting paid appropriately.
First off, let's make it clear from the get-go that this post is not about finding home-based scams or anything like that. We assume that if you're here on Working Solutions, you have your head screwed on straight enough not to fall into a Nigerian money-laundering scheme or any other kind of scam.
But on the other hand, a lot of people do not. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) maintains a list of 10 things that every job seeker should know before accepting any offer of employment . Let's look at each one and make sure that you're aware of potential problems before you dive in.
10 Phishing Scams To Avoid
Your email inbox is full to bursting with offers for work from home jobs. They're promising flexibility and security, but what's the real scoop? You need to be aware of these ten scams-because they really are out there scamming people just like you!
1. Stealing your personal information.
It's almost impossible to do legitimate work at home without sending your contact information to someone. Email addresses, phone numbers, and addresses are all valuable to dishonest employers-and they will not hesitate to take yours.
If you do business on the web, you should never supply out your personal information like credit card numbers and bank account numbers unless you have taken several precautions. They include:
Calling the company from a number you know is trusted and asking for confirmation on a non-work number of the organization calling you. Writing down the name of the person calling and title used. Look up their company online including phone number and any "for sale" sites which may list offices as for sale at no charge. Contact the organization's headquarters and tell them you have a problem. They will usually send out an automated email confirming that they are not a company you should do business with.
2. Threatening bankruptcy.
Scammers like to threaten people with bankruptcy in order to swindle them out of their money, but it doesn't work very often. Scam artists may threaten bankruptcy if you don't pay them for some work or services, or if you don't comply with their instructions. In one study, 80% of those who were threatened with bankruptcy by scammers did not pay them a penny! Scammers are trying to scare people into action, not finding ways to steal your money!
3. Scams About Money You Didn't Won't Pay.
Most of the scams that involve money come in one of two varieties:
You will make a lot of money in a short time and can spare that much. There is an opportunity to make a lot of money, but you will have to pay them immediately or face dire consequences. You must hurry as your time is running out or it won't be possible any longer. The sooner you act, the more it is worth.
4. Scams About Financial Aid.
If you are interested in an internet job, then it's probably best to check with the company first before sending money. It may be possible that they have already made arrangements with other companies for payment of wages. Sometimes colleges or universities have agreements with each other to guarantee a certain percentage of welfare checks and allotments in exchange for work-study students' labor. If you are unsure of the veracity of a job offer, do not send money or pay by any other means until you have heard from the company and received confirmation that they are legitimate and will actually be paying you. You can check out this site for more information on financial aid:
5. Phishing for Personal Information.
This scam is the most common type of internet fraud, and targets people in every walk of life. Phishing can take several forms, from requests from your "bank" asking you to supply your account information, or a warning from the IRS that you will be audited if you do not send them a copy of your W-2 form. In some cases, even a law enforcement agency will contact you by phone and ask for personal information to verify that you are not a criminal who is using a stolen phone number. It is critical that you are secure in your identity and be sure you are checking out the legitimacy of the person.
Interfaces like these that look like those from banking institutions, or check-cashing places, are just too good to be true. They want access to your personal financial information, and will not hesitate to do so. And don't believe anyone who offers to verify your information in return for a "small payment." There's no reason to give them money-and they will not send you anything either!
6. Using Deceptive Names or "Fraudulent" Form Letters.
Like any other business, online businesses use names that sound legitimate. The most common is the name of a company that doesn't exist, or uses the name of an actual company with a variation in spelling or punctuation. Sometimes even an individual name is used, like "John Smith" for "John Smith Corporation" or "Pamela Jones" for "Pamela Jones & Associates."
7. Filing Your Worker's Compensation Claim and Faking Accidents!.
Most people who hire people to work from home do not have companies with workers' compensation insurance. That is because worker's comp premiums are very expensive, and it is more cost-effective to pay their employees in cash than to purchase insurance coverage for them. If you do business with one of these companies, and they tell you that you are required to have full coverage, get it in writing. They do not have to provide it, and they can't require it of you-unless they provide you with written proof that they are requiring you to carry the insurance and show them an annual statement of the premium paid.
8. Threatening Deportation is a Common Scam.
If this happens to you, stop immediately and consult an immigration attorney who is familiar with the laws relating to work at home jobs. Some people being scammed into this type of activity actually believe they will be arrested by immigration officers if they fail to comply with their employers' demands for money or information.
Conclusion:
The Internet is an exciting place, and as with any place, there are some people out there who take advantage of it for their own selfish motives. There are also scammers that are out to direct traffic to their own websites for fraudulent purposes. It's best not to believe everything you read or hear. After you have checked out the company in question and verified that they really exist by going to their business address or phone number, you can proceed with your investigations-and decide what action needs to be taken!
We've written about how to choose a legitimate internet job. A popular scam is the "Work at Home Scam.