How To Recognize And Avoid Work From Home Scams
How To Recognize And Avoid Work From Home Scams Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply. Close
invite you to get to work stuffing envelopes, processing billing forms for medical offices, filling out online surveys, doing typing or data entry, or assembling crafts. The common thread is that you’ll be asked to pay something upfront for supplies, certifications, coaching or client leads — or sent a check to cover such expenses, which . In return you may get a load of useless information, or nothing at all, or a demand that you place more ads to into the scheme. The BBB issued a about a new twist on this con, with supposed job recruiters offering targets an interview if they download a messaging app such as Telegram. After answering a few questions on the app, you get an offer, a contract, and a request for your personal data and banking information. More involved cons promise to set you up in an online business — again, for a price, which can rapidly escalate into the thousands of dollars as one paid “training program” leads to another. One such operation, a Malaysian company called My Online Business Education, agreed in February 2020 to to settle claims that it defrauded thousands of would-be entrepreneurs with costly business-coaching programs before being busted by the FTC. There are out there. The trick is knowing how to spot the real opportunities in a sea of empty — and costly — promises. , and with the Better Business Bureau in your community and the area where the company is located.Do learn about the FTC’s , which requires companies to disclose key information about business opportunities they are selling, to provide references and to back up claims about how much you can earn.Do ask detailed questions, such as these that the FTC recommends:How will I be paid? By salary or by commission?Who will pay me, and when will the checks start?What is the total cost of the program, and what will I get for my money? Do check that job sites specializing in remote work screen the openings and companies listed. Don’t assume a work-at-home offer is on the level because you saw it in a trusted newspaper or on a legitimate job website. It could still be a scam. If you spot a suspicious listing, report it to the publication or site.Don’t believe website testimonials. Fake work-at-home sites are full of personal stories of people (often struggling single moms) making thousands of dollars a month because they took advantage of this amazing opportunity.Don’t sign a contract or make a payment without doing homework about the company making the offer.Don’t stick around if there’s any suggestion that your earnings are based primarily on recruiting other people to join the operation — it’s probably a pyramid scheme. Groceries 20% off a Freshly meal delivery subscription See more Groceries offers >
Work-From-Home Scams
Beware of Job Offer Scams Identifying work-from-home scams can be tricky, especially as they often appear alongside legitimate opportunities on popular job-search websites. And if you’re a retiree looking to or a worker by the , it can be awfully tempting to follow those leads. Who wouldn’t like to earn big money stuffing envelopes or posting online ads from the comfort of your couch or get all the tools and training needed to start a lucrative home-based business? Few of these offers ever lead to actual income. Instead, they’re liable to leave you with a lighter bank account or even heavily in debt. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Federal officials about such scams spiking during the pandemic as millions of people who searched for new employment. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 104,000 consumer complaints about sham job and business opportunities in 2021, nearly three times the number reported in pre-COVID 2019. The median loss in those cases was $1,991, among the highest for fraud categories tracked by the FTC. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) says employment frauds pose the second-highest scam risk for .invite you to get to work stuffing envelopes, processing billing forms for medical offices, filling out online surveys, doing typing or data entry, or assembling crafts. The common thread is that you’ll be asked to pay something upfront for supplies, certifications, coaching or client leads — or sent a check to cover such expenses, which . In return you may get a load of useless information, or nothing at all, or a demand that you place more ads to into the scheme. The BBB issued a about a new twist on this con, with supposed job recruiters offering targets an interview if they download a messaging app such as Telegram. After answering a few questions on the app, you get an offer, a contract, and a request for your personal data and banking information. More involved cons promise to set you up in an online business — again, for a price, which can rapidly escalate into the thousands of dollars as one paid “training program” leads to another. One such operation, a Malaysian company called My Online Business Education, agreed in February 2020 to to settle claims that it defrauded thousands of would-be entrepreneurs with costly business-coaching programs before being busted by the FTC. There are out there. The trick is knowing how to spot the real opportunities in a sea of empty — and costly — promises. , and with the Better Business Bureau in your community and the area where the company is located.Do learn about the FTC’s , which requires companies to disclose key information about business opportunities they are selling, to provide references and to back up claims about how much you can earn.Do ask detailed questions, such as these that the FTC recommends:How will I be paid? By salary or by commission?Who will pay me, and when will the checks start?What is the total cost of the program, and what will I get for my money? Do check that job sites specializing in remote work screen the openings and companies listed. Don’t assume a work-at-home offer is on the level because you saw it in a trusted newspaper or on a legitimate job website. It could still be a scam. If you spot a suspicious listing, report it to the publication or site.Don’t believe website testimonials. Fake work-at-home sites are full of personal stories of people (often struggling single moms) making thousands of dollars a month because they took advantage of this amazing opportunity.Don’t sign a contract or make a payment without doing homework about the company making the offer.Don’t stick around if there’s any suggestion that your earnings are based primarily on recruiting other people to join the operation — it’s probably a pyramid scheme. Groceries 20% off a Freshly meal delivery subscription See more Groceries offers >