6 Latest Work-From-Home scams to Avoid:
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Reshipping or reselling items
- These scams typically appear around the holidays when package mail is at its peak. Scammers post employment ads looking for people to receive items, inspect the goods, and then ship them to another address. In these cases, the goods have most likely been purchased with a stolen credit card, and that in turn makes you an unwitting accomplice to a felony crime. Beware of job listings for package handlers, shipping coordinator, or package processing assistant. These jobs offer what seems to be great pay for simple work. Most cases, once you ship the items these fake employers will vanish, wasting your time and any money you may have spent out of pocket for supplies. This is especially true if they offer payment after you ship the items. Bottom line, never accept packages from someone you don’t know. If someone offers you money to repackage or reship items, this is almost always a scam.
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Virtual personal assistant job scams.
- These scams typically include a potential employer that needs an assistant to make purchases for them. The employer sends money and requests that the employee return some of it using payment apps, gift cards, or wire transfers. However, once the employee returns the money, the original check will bounce leaving the victim stuck with an overdrawn account and fees. Be extremely cautious with employers who are always busy or traveling. Don’t fall for some sob story or the employer asking you to return some funds so they can be donated to charities. Ignore any job that sends you money when you have done no work. Bottom line, never return money from a check one of these fake employers send you. If someone sends you a random check and asks you to return funds, it is always a scam.
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Mystery shopper scams
- These scams promise to pay participants to shop and report on their experiences. Sometimes, these scammers may send mystery shoppers checks to cover expenses or ask participants to pay to start the job. When the checks bounce and you are out of money, these scammers will be nowhere to be found. Be wary of jobs that charge you money upfront. Scammers may offer training, credentials, or products for you to buy that have little or no value. You should be paid for your time, not the other way around. Bypass job postings from the Mystery Shopping Professionals Association (MSPA). Fraudulent listings sometimes use the MSPA name to sound official, however, this association does not hire mystery shoppers directly. Bottom line, ignore jobs that ask you to pay to work. Mystery shopping jobs that ask you to return unused funds are always scams.
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Start your own online business job scams.
- These scams involve a fraudulent business coach or fake recruiter in a pyramid scam. You will be asked to purchase educational materials or sell goods and recruit new business owners. The goods will be worthless and you will only be making money by scamming someone else. Look out for any get rich quick schemes. They never work and are almost always a scam. Be on guard for business coaches who preach a proven system. If there was a way to guarantee success everyone would do it. Bottom line, if it sounds too good to be true it usually is.
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Medical billing or data entry job scams.
- These scams take different approaches. While some sell fraudulent apps, training programs, or certifications, others ask for personal information that can lead to identity theft. Still others combine this scam with the fake check scam to rob new employees. Be careful of opportunities you didn’t apply for. If you get an email or an offer through snail mail that you didn’t solicit, chances are very high that it is a scam. Steer clear of any jobs that conduct interviews solely on messaging apps and/or text messages. This tactic is used to make it more difficult to track these scammers. Bottom line, never give you information or money to companies without doing your due diligence. While there are legitimate data entry jobs out there, it is up to you to spot the fraud.
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Fraudulent recruiters who promise positions
- These scams prey on job seekers by offering appealing but fake job offers. Applicants go through an interview process and then are directed to an onboarding portal. Once you submit the contract with all your personal information, you will most likely never hear from these people again. Disregard any opportunities that send immediate job offers. These companies can be convincing with legit looking websites, official looking documents, and company names. Real companies go through a proper interview process. If it feels too fast, it is a scam. Be on the alert for recruiters that don’t have official company email addresses. Bottom line, investigate every job offer carefully. Look into the employer’s background and look them up on the BBB website. Legit companies or recruitment services will have public phone numbers to call and verify.
With any work from home job, please pay attention to the warning signs, get as much information as possible, protect your finances, and protect your identity. Work from home scams are a reality, even more so in a post Covid world. Always remember if it looks or sounds too good to be true it most certainly is! By knowing what to look for, you will save yourself time and money and avoid the heartache of falling for a work from home scam.
