How to Determine if a Job Offer is a Scam

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You will learn how to tell when a job offer you have found online is legit. There are several ways to determine this and I will point out the highlights for you.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Yourself

Step1

Tacky and cheap Step 1:

Look at the format of the website offering the job.
If the website is tacky and looks like an individual with no web designing experience made it then its probably a scam website. Most scam websites look almost identical in format.
Also, If there are lots of pictures of good looking, happy people in or around fancy sports cars and million dollar homes that's another sign of a scam.

Step2

Step 2

If the site wants to charge you money that is the next sign that something is up. Read the FAQs you will be able to get more information on what the job details and a lot of time they will even tell you that after your initial cost you will have to shell out more money.

Step3

Step 3:

If the site is clean and professional and the FAQs describes a job that you really think you want to do then check the company on the Better Business Bureau. Its BBB.com and its a free service. There you can see if the company is a BBB member, if customers have filed complaints and if the company has resolved or tried to resolve the matter. Good companies will be BBB member most of the time and they will have a small amount of complaints or will have tried to resolve all complaints.

Step4

Step 4:

If the company checks out on the BBB or you didn't get enough info from them, do a web search on the company. A lot of time if its a scam other people have put up websites and forums that inform people that that company is scamming people.

Step5

Step 5:

Contact the company, ask them lots of question like how much do I get paid, will you pay me directly, how often am I paid, is work guaranteed, and why aren't you a BBB member. There tons of questions you can ask and just see if and how they respond to them. Lots of scam site don't even respond back to your emails.

Step6

Step 6:

And last but not least... If you have finally decided that the job isn't a scam and they want you to pay a fee make sure they have a money back policy. If you ever feel like you were scammed try contacting them several times then file a complaint with their Chamber of Commerce or the BBB.

Step7

Here are some links to other helpful sites...

http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/workathomehelp/a/homescam.htm
http://www.aarp.org/money/wise_consumer/scams/a2002-10-02-FraudsWorkatHome.html
http://www.reviewopedia.com/rebate-processor.htm

Tips & Warnings

Tip: If for any reason you just feel like its a scam no matter how everything checks out, WALK AWAY! If your gut says no then its probably right.
Warning these are just tips on how to avoid job scams. I make no guarantees if you follow all these steps that you won't get scammed.
Warning the intent of this ehow article is to get information out to those who are searching for online jobs. I do not intend to offend or slander any business.