SCAMS
- HOW CAN I TELL WHICH JOBS ARE NOT FOR REAL?
by Rachel Goldstein
owner
of Allfreelancework.com
- 1000s of freelance jobs
The internet
and newspapers are filled with scams. In fact, sometimes it is hard for
me to even market AllFreelance.com - because many people see "Work at
Home" and they instantly think that I am trying to sell them a "scam job".
This article will outline how to tell which jobs are scams before you
invest your time and heart into any venture.
Have you
ever seen something like this in the classified ads section?
$5000/$6000
A Week From Home
Work from home, work part-time or
Full-time. Your Choice. No Experience
Necessary. SASE to PO Box 1455, etc.
It sounds
too good to be true, doesn't it? Lets face it, who makes this much money
in one week other than doctors and lawyers? If it sounds too good to
be true, than it IS! Another thing that you might take notice of with
the above job listing is "SASE to PO Box 1455". The reason the job poster
wants you to send an envelope is because he is going to probably send
to you more information about the job, mainly an order form so you can
buy the supplies to begin working. NEVER send money to anyone offering
you a job. Another rule of thumb is to never apply for a job that you
have to send a self-addressed envelope without mention of having to
send your resume too.
Here are
a few examples of Scam Jobs:
1.
Envelope Stuffing -
The envelope stuffing scam has been around for as long as I can remember.
The way this job works is that the job seeker will see an ad in the
newspaper for something like this: "Make 100s of Dollars Stuffing Envelopes
from Your Home". This person will send a self-addressed envelope with
$5 - $30 to the individual who posted the job. In return the job poster
will send to the job seeker information on how he/she can also post
these ads and make money. It is all a big scam, there wasn't ever any
"actual" envelope stuffing position open. The individual who started
this envelope stuffing scam in the first place gets about 95% of whatever
profits are made from this "ad posting". This "scammer" might even refuse
to pay you any money at all because you didn't adhere to strict guidelines
(even if you did).
2.
Assembly of Crafts -
In this scam, you will need to purchase hundreds of dollars in supplies
in order to start your craft business. You will need to spend countless
hours assembling crafts by hands. In most cases you will not get paid
for what you have submitted. In many instances, craftworkers will receive
back a letter saying that the crafts didn't meet their quality standards.
In fact these fraudulent craft operators never intended to pay the money.
All that was intended was to sell to you the machinery for your home
craft business.
3.
MLM / Pyramid Schemes - (doesn't apply to mlms that acutally
sell a product like Quixtar and Agway)
MLM and Pyramid schemes are like chain letters. Chain letters are letters
that you send out to a set number of people. These people are supposed
to also send the letter out to a set number of people, so on, and so
on. Pyramid schemes are based on chain letters. This is how they work.
You pay to get into a pyramid / mlm scheme. You are then in someone's
downline… this means all of the money that you make adds into this person's
profits, as well as your own. The way that you make money is to build
your downline by recruiting others into the scheme. These people need
to do the same, and so on and so on. The problem is that you sell "nothing",
you sell "commissions" only. This is illegal. Plus profits that are
claimed to add up from this is not true.
4.
Medical Business Opportunities -
In the classified ads you may see a job listing for Medical Claims /
Billing Processing. The marketing materials say that you can earn substantial
incomes working either part-time or full-time from your own home. They
also claim that you don't need to find clients, their salespeople will
do the selling for you. This is rarely true. The price for the software,
training and technical support usually goes up to $8000. The FTC claims
that the references that are given on start of this business opportunities
are "shills" - individuals hired to give great references. So be careful.
"The
Federal Trade Commission suggests that consumers follow the following
steps before buying into any business opportunity:
- Get
all earnings claims in writing.
- Interview
references provided by the promoter of the business opportunity.
- Study
the business opportunity's franchise disclosure document.
- Ask
the Attorney General's office, state or county consumer protection
agency and Better Business Bureau in the area in which the business
opportunity promoter is based and where you live whether the promoter
has a history of unresolved complaints.
- If
the business opportunity involves selling products from well-known
companies, call the legal department of the company whose merchandise
is being promoted. Find out whether the business opportunity and its
promoter are affiliated with the company.
- Consult
an attorney, accountant or other business advisor before you put any
money down or sign any papers. " (FTC)
If you
have already been entrapped in a scheme and you want to complain to
higher authorities, complain to your state's attorney general, local
Better Business Bureau, local post office, or a local consumer protection
offices. Scams are illegal. You can do your part to save others from
being scammed by these scammers.
The most
important precautionary measure is -
1.DON'T
MAIL MONEY TO ANY EMPLOYER - IT IS MOST LIKELY A SCAM.
2.
DON'T SEND A SASE ENVELOPE UNLESS SENDING A RESUME AND PORTFOLIO
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