Avoid Work at Home Scams
Be choosy when applying for work-at home jobs. As you probably
know, there are plenty of scams out there. The following are
some guidelines you should use when deciding on whether to apply
to certain work at home jobs. I hope this article empowers you.
Don't pay
You shouldn't have to pay to work. Some sites offer you a list
of work-at-home jobs for a fee. There is so much free
information available on the web that you should not have to
pay. You are looking for work because you need money. Limit your
spending! There are jobs that require you to buy specialized
equipment, such as a foot pedal to take transcription or a
headphone for a phone. Some work-at-home jobs require you to
have a high speed connection instead of a dial-up connection.
These are legitimate requests, and if you buy these products or
services you should be confident that you will make enough money
to cover the cost of doing business and make a profit.
Be Careful of Working for Individuals
There are good people out there who need extra help and would be
interested in hiring you. But it's best to avoid working for
individuals you have met on the Internet. The main concern is
that to legally work in the United States, you will need to
report your income to the IRS. An individual who hires you will
ask for your social security number and other personal
information for income tax purposes. A dishonest person would
have the perfect opportunity to steal your identity and your
money. Legitimate companies will ask you to fill out a form, for
example, a W-9 form, for taxes. I've filled out W-9 forms from
bona fide companies and have had no problem. I've also had an
individual ask me to e-mail my social security number without a
W-9 form. That raised a red flag, and I'm glad that I refused to
work for him. I didn't give him my social security number. I'm
not saying that you should never work for individuals, just be
extra careful if you are new to consulting or working from home.
Be Wary of Jobs that Tout Easy Money
Working from home is rarely easy money. It's work. Your work can
be enjoyable, but all of your financial problems will not be
solved in a week. Be wary of any company or individuals,
claiming that you can get easy money quickly.
Don't Wire Money
Never wire money to the company. It's too easy to lose your
money or get caught up in a scam. If the company asks you to
wire money to any other company or individual, don't do it. Be
safe. Don't be sorry.
Research the Company
Always check the company's standing with the Better Business
Bureau (http://www.bbb.org). Not all scam-jobs are listed with
the Better Business Bureau, but the organization may have
received reports from others who were victimized.
You should also check out the company with the Rip Off Report
(http://www.ripoffreport.com/default.asp). You can search
through thousands of reports to find out if the company that you
would like to work for is listed. You can also file a report if
you are scammed.