WINNEMUCCA - Would you like to quit your job? Or perhaps you just need more income to build a college fund, buy a new home or go on your dream vacation. Most Americans have seen advertisements with lines like these for work opportunities that can be done at home, and while there are legitimate telecommuting jobs, work at home scams still abound.
"In 2011 the Better Business Bureau received more than half a million inquiries on work at home companies, and in the past 36 months, more than 10,000 complaints have been filed with Better Business Bureaus nationwide," said Timothy Johnston, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Northern Nevada.
There are several warning signs indicating a work at home opportunity is a scam. Beware of any organization that does not want potential employees or freelance workers looking to coordinate with them to take the time to research the business.
"Don't be in a hurry to accept an unsolicited offer of work or to make a business investment, particularly if the other party is asking you to spend your money on the deal," Johnston stated. "Talk it over with a friend, family member, accountant or lawyer. If anyone tries to convince you this is a limited time offer and you have to act now, tell them to forget it. High pressure is a big sign that something's wrong."
Johnston further noted that any legitimate and ethical business will not hesitate to provide detailed information and advised checking any business out with the Better Business Bureau in their area.
Depending on the nature and location of the workplace, new hires may need to purchase special clothing or other materials in order to perform their duties. Most direct sales companies require the purchase of a kit to join the sales team. Johnston stressed that legitimate business expenses such as these are not the same as paying the company for training, paying for kits to assemble products that must then be sold back to the company, buying the company's software or lists or paying any type of fee to work for the business.
"Bottom line, you shouldn't have to pay money to get a job," he warned.
Going for a job that is intellectually, emotionally and physically easy to do may be tempting, especially for those who already have a career and are seeking a second job to fulfill a financial need, or for those who do a lot of demanding and difficult unpaid work, such as stay at home parents, graduate students and full-time volunteers. There is nothing wrong with looking for the job that would be the least taxing for a person in these situations, but a company offering work that seems excessively simple or that promises a substantial income for little to no effort of any kind is likely to be a scam.
"Common work at home schemes include envelope stuffing, product assembly, medical billing and package forwarding," Johnston added. He explained that jobs presented as easy packaging, assembly or billing jobs not only feature high pressure and fees, the actual work is not really filling a need. Envelope stuffing jobs are nothing more than schemes to get workers to help the company hook more people, products assembled from company kits are always rejected and the medical billing firm's promised "customer lists" are fake or out of date. Package forwarding is also not a service any legitimate company would need, and may even be a way to pin transporting stolen goods on the scam victim without his or her knowledge.
"Be especially cautious of offers that claim you can make big money with no experience," Johnston further cautioned. "Those kinds of jobs just aren't out there."
Reluctance to provide information about the company teamed with pressure to join quickly, asking for money and promises of getting paid for work that seems much too easy may be the main warning signs that indicate a scam, but Johnston also emphasized the importance of trusting one's instincts and avoiding job opportunities that seem shady or strange for any reason.
"Be cautious of anyone who interviews you only over the phone, who asks you to wire money for any reason or who asks you to fill out an online application or credit report that asks for sensitive personal information like your Social Security or bank account numbers," he warned. "While we often want to believe the impossible, our body or gut will often tell us 'no.' In this case, listen to your instincts."
For current information concerning new consumer protection laws, the latest known work from home scams or to research a job offer in northern Nevada, visit http://reno.bbb.org.
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