The onset of this digital era has paved the way for remote jobs. This provides huge relief to women especially, allowing them to transform into work from home moms and become earning members of their families. The number of remote jobs is increasing at a rapid rate, with 3.4% of Americans currently working from home.
Unfortunately, the rapidly growing remote job industry has also given leeway to a host of remote job scams that try to covertly extract crucial financial and personal information from workers.
If you’re new to the virtual world of job hunting, you may not be aware of the standard hiring procedures that take place online, and end up falling prey to these internet job scams. This does not mean you should shy away from applying for jobs altogether. We will let you in on some ways to spot red flags pointing towards work from home scams.
Remote Job Scam: Red Flags
Here is a list of 6 warning signs that separate legit remote work from remote job scams.
1. Asking For Pre-Payment
Moms, while you may be used to your kids asking for money all the time, that is not the case with employers! A company asking for your personal Credit Card information is downright shady. This may seem obvious at the moment, but when you’re desperately searching for remote work, many of you may come across a posted job that tries to obtain this information in a very sly, less obvious way. This is not a legit job posting, it’s a scam.
2. Using Your Personal Bank Account to Send Money
You may come across a job that may seem legit. That is until you receive a large sum of money in the form of a check. They’ll ask you to deposit the check immediately into your bank account and then forward a portion of it to another account. You might think, “Awesome, I’m making a good chunk of pay here, and helping someone else get paid in the process.” Wrong!
The check you received is fake. The bank will subtract the amount that you “kept” for yourself and you lose your own money that you had just transferred to another account. This is called money laundering and this is 100% illegal. Do not wire money from your bank to entertain any such requests.
3. You Have to Pay Them to Start Training or Buy Equipment
A legit company will not ask you for money. Period. If you walked into an office job and they asked you to hand over $40 for a headset you have to use to do your job, you would think that is a shady request, right? So why do it just because the office is now your home?
Keeping that in mind, it’s different if they require you to have a certain type of equipment, such as a computer, a functioning headset, or a certain internet speed, a quiet office space, a special course certificate, or certain platforms to be installed on your computer to carry out the position. However, they will mention this as a requirement to doing the job correctly, and sure, you may fork out a few more bucks each month for a higher speed internet, or take a course on virtual assistance but you will not be required to directly pay them for any of these special requirements.
Keep in mind, it is different if the company charges you if they sent you equipment when you started the job and then you fail to return said equipment when your position is terminated from either end. However, this will be noted upfront when you start the position, and they will provide resources such as packing material, labels, and any shipping costs for you to send back.
4. Too Good to be True
Let’s face it, legit work from home jobs will not offer huge salaries for super easy work. Work from home does not mean you get to sit on your couch watching tv while making a huge paycheck. Do not be lured by emails claiming they will pay you handsomely for no experience and no tangible work.
Don’t let this warning get you down about the pay for working a virtual job. The majority of real remote jobs have great pay rates. You often will make the same, if not more than what you would make working in an office. Realistically, you can find many remote positions that offer between $18-$30 per hour (and more, if you fill a specialty position that requires more skill or knowledge). However, this requires you actually getting work done.
5. Congratulatory Emails for Jobs You Never Applied To
If you get a ‘Congratulations! You got the job. Click the link.’ kind of email, chuck it into the bin. Of course, only if you never applied for such a job.
Even if a company wants to hire you, they will have someone call in for your resume or a meeting. You won’t be hired straight away so steer clear of clicking on any links to avoid scams.
You should also look around at the email to decide if something seems a bit scammy about it. Check to see if there is contact information in the email, like the company address and phone number. Also, notice the verbiage used or if there are numerous grammatical errors. If anything seems “off,” or a bit unprofessional, you can almost bet they are not legit.
6. Little to No Job Description and Requirements
When an employer posts a job listing, they will most often write out a description of the company. And they will most certainly list the requirements they need in their candidates. Most will be specific down to a tee.
When you find a job listing that does not mention specifically what the company does, or where you can learn more about the job, beware. But the biggest red flag to watch for is if the only job requirements they list are very broad descriptions that most anyone can fit. Some examples of broad requirements include: You must be 18 years of age, you must own a computer/iPhone, must be a citizen, must have access to a phone line, and others like these.
Overall, if the job description is vague or you have no hint about who the company is, or what they do, stay away.
How to Find Legit Remote Work
By now, you may feel stressed about falling for one of these unscrupulous schemes. However, with a little guidance, you can feel confident in your job search and land a legit work from home job.
1. Searching the Web
Job Boards:
When searching for legit remote work, it’s best to use website job boards. There are many options on the web, and finding the right one that falls within the niche you’re searching for works best. In this case, the niche is remote, freelance, virtual, or telecommute jobs. TheMomOffice.com is a great example of a remote job board. It lists only virtual jobs you can apply to without having to sift through all other in-office jobs out there.
When you come across a job board that may be new to you, you can search the internet by looking for the keyword “[name of job board] + reviews” to see if a large number of bad reviews pop up as a red flag. You may also want to check and see that the job board charges employers a fee to post their listings. This is a system to filter out the bots or scams, leaving room for only the legitimate companies.
Some of the job boards may also charge their job seekers to either search for jobs or post their resume. This system is in place to help employers who paid a decent amount of money have only serious candidates apply.
When job boards allow free access for both the employer and the job seeker, it doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t use the job board. However, you will find that it may take a lot longer to be contacted by anybody as you are now competing with a much larger pool of applicants. This also means the employer is receiving a large number of resumes and applications, so they may never even see yours come through. So, if you’re serious about finding a remote job, you can start to understand why paying the small job search/post resume fee for using the job board website may be more understandable.
Using Your Search Bar
When using Google or just by searching the internet for work from home jobs, you are more likely to run into the scams or deadends. However, if you are going to utilize this as your search method, be cautious of which keywords you enter to do so.
Keywords to Use
- Remote work
- Location Independent
- Legit work from home jobs
Keywords to Avoid:
- Quick money
- Easy money making jobs
- Make money from home
- Become rich in X days
- Make money online
Avoid using keywords of this nature as they are most frequently used by frauds to lure you in.
2. Do Your Homework
Since most remote jobs will not have a physical office you can go visit, you should do as much research as you can online. Look up the company name and find its official website.
You can even use reliable sites like Glassdoor for past employee experiences and check the ‘Company Review’ section to gauge the legitimacy of the organization.
If a representative contacts you, look them up on LinkedIn since the majority of professionals use the platform these days.
3. Speak With a Real Person
When someone is interested in hiring you, they will want to interview you by actually speaking with you. Be sure and schedule a meeting on the phone, or better yet on zoom or skype. These days, employers want to put a face on the voice, and you should want that too.
It’s best to know exactly who you are about to work for. If you are offered the position without an interview, this is a big red flag (another warning sign here). After all, you are potentially about to devote your time and energy every day to work for this person.
This is a great time to ask any questions you may have. Try to have most of your questions written down ahead of time. Any legit employer will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have. And know that it is okay to ask for clarification on the description, the hours or the pay for the job they are looking to hire for.
4. Sign a Contract
Most remote employers will have you sign a contract of employment. Make sure you check all the terms and conditions and if they abide by what was discussed with you over email or phone previously. Keep a copy or print the original contract to always have on hand. Do not be afraid to speak up if something is mistyped or the terms are different than what was originally agreed upon.
5. Secure Your Payment Method
Most small remote job companies will ask for your PayPal account and make payments through it. Larger companies might open an account for you, but ensure that the mode of payment is secured. DO NOT provide your credit card information, as companies don’t require any of that to pay you!
If you are new to working remotely, you may feel more comfortable opening a separate account with your bank specifically for payments each month, especially if you work more than one remote position.
6. Trust Your Gut
Finally, as the most obvious tip here, always trust your gut. There’s a reason for a woman’s intuition. Use it! If something just does not feel right, you become uncomfortable in the hiring process with someone, or something makes you pause at any point of the process, trust that.
Guard your personal information and anything that may lead to making it easier for fraudulent activity to occur.
Know the difference between something that might just be your dream remote job versus something that is just too good to be true.
Report a Job Scam
Do yourself and other moms due diligence. Any time you come across an online job scam, report to the FTC and contribute to a safer digital space!
There you have it. Hopefully, by now, you feel more confident going into your job searches. You now understand how to avoid and how to spot a scam when job searching. We wish all you moms the best of luck in getting the job of your choice!