Question:

My background is in information technology, but I'm looking for a legitimate home-based job. I'm concerned about signing up for some scam. How do I tell them apart from the real opportunities?

First Answer:

I've been scammed plenty of times. And I do mean plenty! By now I can smell a scam a mile away. Right? No, not always. It seems that the smarter I get the smarter the scammers seem to get. So, how the heck can I protect myself?

You see, when I decided that I wanted (needed) to work from home, I did not want (or need) to pay tens or hundreds of dollars to get a job. Nor did I wish to recruit tens or hundreds of people in order to get paid for whatever job I did get. All I wanted was to write a better resume than the next candidate, and to conduct a more convincing interview than my competition. You know, like I used to do in the "real" world.

Over time I learned that there is no 100%, sure-fire way to protect myself from being sucked in by a scam; but there are a few guidelines I learned to follow, which lower my risks. I'd like to share them with you.

Guideline #1) Don't pay for employment. If I'm asked to pay anything--even one penny--I scratch out the job ad.

Guideline #2) Pay attention to the ad's verbiage. If an advertisement contains any of the following words or phrases, I cross it out:

• Downline, Upline, Powerline
• Quick, Easy, No-work (huh?)
• Cash machine
• Self-replicating
• No experience (eh?)
• Unlimited income potential
• Free details (That's probably all that'll be free!)
• Residual income
• Turnkey
• Multi-level, Ground-level, Levels deep
• Tiers
• Big money fast
• Make money while you sleep (I've never been paid to sleep on the job!)

Guideline #3) Don't apply to a company that hires "internationally". Chances are great that the "company" is really a person who happens to have an upline, a downline, or whatever.

Guideline #4) Don't send a SASE (self-addressed-stamped-envelope) for information on a job position. If the company can't afford to buy stamps, it can't afford to pay you. At least, not for very long!

Guideline #5) Don't call a 900 number for information about a job position. This is obviously the same as paying for information.

Guideline #6) Don't pay the hiring company for materials you need to get the job done. Either you have it or you don't. If you don't, you probably aren't qualified for the job, then.

Guideline #7) Read an entire ad carefully before writing or calling the hiring person. There might be fine print somewhere with the words Upline, Downline, or whatever!

Guideline #8) Find out how long a company has been in business before agreeing to work for them. Your hard-earned pay might end up being their grocery money because they didn't budget their start-up money properly.

Guideline #9) Check a company out with sources like the Better Business Bureau. Although companies listed there pay to be there, if complaints do come in they will be listed, too.

Guideline #10) Join groups such as Telework Moms (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/teleworkmoms/) , where everyone is in the same boat that you are. Members love to blast a scam if they know of one. That alone will save you a lot of time, and give you some support while you continue your search.

These guidelines are the same ones that I use over and over again as I research jobs and job sites for Mommy's Place.NET with the hope of helping another stay-at-home mom avoid the emotional and financial pain of being scammed and find real employment from home. And they really are easy to follow.

But perhaps my absolute final guideline is this: Don't ever feel so desperate to find home employment that you ignore or overlook indications that something is a scam. Scammers prey on people's--particularly women's--desperation. Know that you are not alone. Don't make what you might think of as a desperate situation worse by being sucked in to a scam.

-- Pamela La Gioia, home-based employment expert and owner of Mommy's Place.NET

Second Answer:

As you question suggests, you're probably already well aware that there is no lack of work-at-home "opportunities" being touted on the Internet because, if you're like most of us, you get dozens of e-mails a day pushing get-rich-quick schemes and too-good-to-be-true work-at-home offers. The question is, which opportunities are legitimate. While there could be legitimate opportunities among those e-mails, the best bet is to ignore anyone who spams you. Same goes for those opportunities you see posted on little signs stuck in the ground along the road or plastered onto telephone poles. You can find lots of good opportunities on the Internet, but you can also find lots of scams. Research judiciously, and read some good articles on avoiding scams, such as 10 Tips for Avoiding Scams, 6 Common Scams You'll Find on the Internet, How to Avoid Home Business Scams, and A Word About Scams.

These tips come from my article, Your Home-Based Career: A Key Resource Guide, where you may find more ideas.

-- Katharine Hansen, former speechwriter and college instructor who provides content for the Web site, Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and prepares job-search correspondence as chief writer for Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters

Third Answer:

You're quite right to be concerned. Here are a few tips on identifying legitimate opportunities:

1. Another term for the type of home-based work that you are seeking is "telecommuting." When you're doing a search for situations, use (and look for) key words such as telecommuting, freelance, free agent/agency.
2. Words such as "part time" and "home work" or "home based" are the ones that should raise at least yellow flags about their legitimacy.
3. The scam sites are going to ask you to send them money for their lists. That should be another tip that someone else is profiting from you before you've done anything to gain the lead.
4. Go to the reputable freelance and free agency sites and register with them for work by posting your resume and bidding on posted projects.
5. Look for company websites that are in the industry you want to work in and check their Careers links to see what they have offered. Also remember to check with their Human Resources department to find out if they use free agents or seasonal telecommuters.

Best wishes to you for success.

-- Yvonne LaRose, career and professional development coach, Career and Executive Recruiting Advice

Fourth Answer:

With new scams being revealed every day on the news I can understand your concern. Start by investigating every opportunity with the better business bureau and checking references. One of the best ways to secure home-based work is through employers that know you, your work and your level of commitment. Why not approach this the same way you would for an on-site position - networking. It is always better to find work via a referral and/or with someone you know and trust. If all else fails remember if it's too good to believe - don't believe it!

If you are still wondering, work with a professional coach who can guide you through the process easier and faster. I am offering a 20% discount on one month of coaching to anyone who mentions this article.

-- Janine A. Schindler, Professional Coach and owner of the Jas Coaching Company

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