Work At Home Jobs Scam Alert

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Work At Home Scam Alert

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WARNING! Work At Home Jobs Scam

I’ve been scammed more than once by work at home offers. Honestly, more than I want to admit. This last scam that hooked me came close to landing me in jail and having $1, 995 dollars stolen from me.

I’m going to choke up the embarrassment of it all and disclose the details of the latest work at home job scam that I fortunately diverted. People, who are looking forlegitimate opportunities to work from home and make some predictable, solid income, will need to know how to spot a work at home job scam. The scam that I am about to tell you is one that made me a victim to criminal fraud. So pay close attention and learn how to spot work at home job scams that could unknowingly make you a party to a crime and liable.

Here is my story in short.

I was signed up for numerous online job search engines that drop handfuls of job alerts in my inbox daily. As I clicked through my job alerts, I eventually landed on the Washington Post Jobs search engine after following a link from a job posting that said “Data Entry” job.

Since the job offer was on a reputable site like Washington Post, I initially trusted it without question. Now that I know better, I want you to look at the two job postings from Washington Post to the right and let me point out the warning signs that you can notice at a glance and those that are hidden but will arise later during the application process.

Online Jobs Postings at WashingtonPost.com

These two work at home jobs posted at WashingtonPost.com turned out to be two scams.

Source: WashingtonPost.com

Source: WashingtonPost.com

The Anatomy of a Work At Home Job Scam

1. The job offer was presented via a reputable, trustworthy medium, Ie. national newspaper, united states post office, may be also, email claiming to be a bank, or even .gov websites
2. The qualifications stated “no experience required”
3. The company was not disclosed and in the case where it was disclosed, it was not verifiable, Ie. I googled “Xperia” and no such company name could be found.
4. Communication was done via mobile text messaging and email and never over the phone or in person, Ie. The phone number of the text messages was a google voice number that I have learned are used in these scams because they are not traceable, Ie. The email address of the job offer in this case is service401@hotmail.com which is not a company email address but a personal address. RED FLAG! Legitimate job offers will come via the companies email system.
5. The application process was all done via email and included quite an extensive line of questions. Check for these warning signs. If they did not pass the valid email address test then don’t waste your time with completing the application. The valid email address test is two steps. First note the ISP provider of the email. If it is not a company then you can safely assume it’s a scam. For example, service401@hotmail.com (personal email) compared to service401@xperia.com (company email). Second, if a company ISP is attached then google the company name and examine their website and contact them personally and asked for the person named in the email, if any, before continuing with their application.
6. The job training they were going to give me included them giving me my own home equipment and a start-up salary. They actually mailed me a certified check to pay for me to buy the equipment plus my first week’s pay totaling $1,985.
7. The monetary package was mailed certified mail and insured via the United States postal service. (Everything seemed legit). So look for these warning signs when it comes to their offer to pay you.

• In my email they used the language - “TEST OF DUTY/TRUST.” This means they will mail you a monetary package to test your honest in handling company funds and your ability to carry out your assigned duty as they have outlined and will include with the package.
• The certified check you receive will come with instructions. Notice if the instructions is on company letterhead. All legitimate company’s communicate using their own custom letterhead.
• DON’T ASSUME BECAUSE IT’S A CERTIFIED BANK CHECK THAT IT IS VALID! (like I did). My enclosed instructions said to deposit the check into my bank account and wait 24 hours for the money to clear. AGAIN DON’T ASSUME THAT BECAUSE THE MONEY CLEARED THAT THE CERTIFIED CHECK IS VALID (like I did!) This is what you should do immediately. Stop and call the bank that the certified check is from. In my case, the bank name was Golden1 Credit Union. I located their number online. I gave them the check number and asked them to verify if the check is valid. They did it for me right on the spot on the phone. They verified the check was NOT valid.

Returned Check from My Bank Stamped "Fictitious", ie. FRAUD

This is the returned check from this work at home job scam that I averted.

Western Union discovered this was work at home job scam and assisted me in averting it. Thanks Western Union!

Source: westernunion.com

Work At Home Job FRAUD Proven And Averted

Finally the undeniable truth comes out. CRIMINAL FRAUD diverted. Felony Count #1 – Mail Fraud; #2 – Cyber Crimes; #3 Check Counterfeiting, and whatever else.

Earlier I said that I had come close to landing in jail and having $1, 985 stolen from me. Here is that part of the story.

I was not aware of the fraud as I was going through the job application process. So I followed the instructions to the letter as I would when applying for any job. I received the certified check and deposited it into my bank account. The next day when it cleared I took the money minus my start up pay of $250 that I was told to keep to Western Union. Yes, I had $1,735 in my hands ready to give it to the Western Union teller as instructed to mail it off to a “delivery agent “ who was supposed to send me computer equipment upon receipt of the money that I was about to send him.

It was the Western Union teller that spotted the fraud. I asked her if there was a charge to send money using the “money option.” The instructions said to use the “money option,” however, I did not understand what that meant. Another thing that was confusing is that there was no mention of deducting the cost to send the money from the total of $1,735. I thought it strange that the instructions did not mention that portion as they appeared to be clear and thorough.

My question confused the teller and she asked to see the instructions that I was reading from. At first glance, she spotted the FRAUD. She went through the trouble of explaining to me how these frauds operate and advised me against following through with these instructions until I could verify through the bank that the check was valid. She called the bank herself and asked them to confirm if her suspicions were true. Upon closer examination of the certified check, the bank confirmed that, yes, the check was fraudulent. She hung up the phone and advised me to return the money to the bank.

If I had mailed that money to the “delivery agent”, I would have had to pay that amount back to the bank because that check did bounce. I would have had no recourse after sending it because once the “delivery agent” picked up the cash, it would virtually be untraceable. (FYI, the “delivery agent” is actually the same person that allegedly was hiring me trying to get me to send them some money.)

I returned the money to bank. Then, I reported the incident to the local police and to Washington Post.

This is a warning to you to be on alert for work at home jobs scams that could rob you of thousands of your hard earned dollars or in the worst case scenario, also land you in jail. Be careful to do your research to learn what a legitimate work at home job opportunity looks like. Then you can avoid being scammed.

Test Your Susceptibility To Being Scammed by Work At Home Offers

Legitimate Online Jobs Without A Fee

Like many I have searched for countless hours looking for legitimate jobs to do from home. After months of research I have compiled a list of jobs that are available and willing to hire you (with absolutely no cost!)Online jobs still require a basic resume, so make sure you have your resume ready.

"Data Entry" Jobs

Most use the term "data entry" when searching for jobs online. There are few legitimate jobs that you'll find in this category. Most non-telephone jobs will be classified into three categories:

Typists- Some companies refer to what I consider "data entry" positions as typists and transcription positions. Most require you to take a few simple quizzes and typing tests. They also may require employees to file their own taxes.

• Quicktate- Requires you to provide a basic resume and references and once an account has been validated you'll be asked to take additional quizzes.

Medical billing and coding-Like any medical billing and transcription careers most jobs require experience. Through research I've found a few websites that are looking for part-time and full-time employees with at least two years experience:

• Nuance Transcription Services- There are three distinct areas that applicants can apply for: acute care, radiology, and quality control editor.

• SoftScript- Duties include transcribing acute care, clinic, radiology, and/or pathology.

Public records data services-Companies seeking information on bankruptcyand liens often hire locally and require employees to go to county courthouses to find specific information for clients. The applications for these types of jobs usually asks questions regarding how far you're willing to travel and what towns you're close to.

• Sinlark Research- Is looking for individuals to go to local courthouses and provide information regarding public records.

• Information Technologies Inc.- Looking for court abstractors and data collectors.

Telephone and Virtual Customer Service

Essentially companies are looking for individuals to work from home and communicate with their customers. Some are as simple as answering questions about specific hotels to selling health and life insurance. From what I've found most require you to have a land line telephone, fax, webcam, and specific computer requirements.

• Working Solutions- offers an option regarding the type of work you would like to do (telephone, non-telephone work.) Requires a basic test, a voice test and a phone interview.
• VOT- Virtual Office Temps- offers jobs in different aspects of typing, transcription and customer service.
• LiveOps- Offers employment in customer service (inbound and outbound.)
• ACD Direct- Is seeking inbound and outbound agents, especially in the holiday season.
• Cloud10- is looking for "at home professionals" to work in their virtual call center answering inbound calls.

You'll find that it will be easier to obtain a job working with a company that requires telecommunication. The equipment can be costly and it's not something I would recommend trying without any previous call center experience. Also keep in mind that you never need to pay a fee to apply for a job-- I wish you all the best and please leave feedback of your experiences with these specific companies!

Legitimate Online Jobs - Do They Exist?

Searching for legitimate online jobs is an exhausting experience. There are so many scams, it's not hard to see why so many people feel real online jobs don't exist.

I will list several proven online and work at home jobs, offered by realcompanies, but first I want to explain how an individual can be taken in different directions.

The term "online job" can have several meanings, depending on your personal criteria, current employment status, and your desire to either work at home or in an out of home environment. There are jobs that are done online, online business opportunities, and businesses that provide online services. But what are the differences between the three?

A job that is done online, whether as an employee of a legitimate company or as a consultant (aka freelancer) providing an online service, is a job where an individual has negotiated with their employer, or predetermined the fact to their client, to allow the opportunity to do the assigned work online - typically at home. These are truly legitimate work at home jobs. As an employee, the employer takes care of any payroll issues, including employment taxes. As a consultant, you are responsible for self employment tax issues. Many companies who seek individuals to fulfill online jobs do not consider individuals as employees, but rather consultants.

An online business opportunity allows an individual to feel as though they own a business. However, the individual more than likely has paid a start-up, or sign-up, fee. Online business opportunities are mostly in the direct sales arena, and - in my opinion - are not worth the money invested. Most of these "opportunities" consist of a company sponsored website where an individual promotes products or services. The hidden truth: many of these "opportunities" expect you to recruit other people into the "opportunity". I don't like online business opportunities; most of them are scams - no real opportunity comes out of the deal, except to those accepting the fees. People are easily lured into the lies of earning a high income.

A business that provides online services is an actual business started by an individual. The business is something in which the individual has a great deal of interest and truly enjoys the work. The individual provides the service online to clients.

For the sake of this article, I am going to concentrate on online jobs and list actual companies who are in need of people who seek legitimate "work from home" jobs. As I come upon more companies who seek online workers, I will add to the below lists. It is worth mentioning that, due to the need of their clients, some companies may require the needs of individuals on a sporadic basis. However, it is my finding that call center, customer service, and general bookkeeping online jobs are the most stable.

LEGITIMATE ONLINE JOBS:

Call Center / Customer Service Jobs

• Brighten Communications A business-to-business telemarketing company specializing in the outsourcing of lead generation. The clients you will be making calls on behalf of represent professional organizations in industries such as finance, brokerage, and high-tech.
• Customer Care Group Hiring actual employees, not independent contractors, Customer Care Group is a virtual company hiring customer service reps. They claim salaries are never less than $10.00 per hour.
• Customer Loyalty Concepts You will be contacting existing newspaper subscribers selling a variety of services.
• Hilton At Home A leading reservations and customer care service company, they have created a work at home environment that embraces the principles of individuality, flexibility, and stimulating work.
• Home Shopping Network (aka HSN) They currently offer Work at Home opportunities in St. Petersburg FL, Roanoke VA, and Nashville TN. As an HSN Customer Care Representative, you can enjoy both the convenience of home-based employment and the benefits of working for an established, people-oriented employer.
• LiveOps Outsourcing call center solutions using work at home agents. $30.00 fee for credit and background check.
• On Point @ Home A different kind of work-at-home experience, they combine the convenience of working from home with many of the advantages of a traditional office environment.
• Service Call Management Seeking at-home agents to serve customers by taking telephone and e-mail orders.
• Service 800 Looking for motivated individuals who want to work at home conducting telephone interviews with customers who have recently had a service experience. Currently only hiring in the states of Florida, Minnesota, Texas, and Wisconsin.
• West At Home West agents handle client's interaction with their customers, from customer care and live chat to email and incoming sales calls.
• Working Solutions A long-standing company, Working Solutions.com offers many legitimate - NO FEE - home based opportunities.

Data Entry

Data entry jobs are very hard to come by. As a close alternative to data entry, try applying for a work from home job in the transcription arena.

• Capital Typing An outsourcing company providing virtual office support, including data entry. They are looking for talented people to join their team.
• Dion Data Solutions Complete an apilcation, and - if approved - you will be contacted to provide work at home data management services for them. NO FEES TO JOIN.
• Executive Assistance Although they mainly seek virtual assistants (VA), there are some clients who are in need of contractors to perform data entry as part of their VA tasks.
• Micro job sites, such as Amazon Mechanical Turk and Microworkers are great places to find simple data entry jobs.

Bookkeeping

• A/R Recovery Work at home collecting Accounts Receivable.
• Balance Your Books Provide A/P, A/R, payroll and general support for clients.
• Bateman & Co. Seeking "telecommuting" staff accountants. CPA required, with at least 3 years of prior public accounting experience. They will furnish the necessary software.
• BookkeepingJobs.com A community providing new bookkeeping opportunities every day.
• Compass Advisors A nationwide executive search firm serving the financial services industry.
• VT Audit If you have experience in processing payroll, or you have worked with bills of lading in shipping and receiving, you can join our team of home based auditors.

Transcription Services

• Absolute Document Services Seeking corporate, medical, and legal transcriptionists to work at home.
• Accutran Global Legitimate online jobs doing medical, legal, financial, investigation, interviews, and focus group transcription.
• American High-Tech Transcription, Inc. Looking for independent contractors for general transcription work such as interviews and police reports.
• Cambridge Transcripions Part time positions available, either on-site or off-site providing corporate or legal transcription.
• Tiger Fish Provide transcription services: video, editing and legal transcription.

Virtual Assistant Jobs

• Corporate Concierges Looking for virtual assistants to perform a wide range of services: appointment setting, on-site filing, event coordination, website management...the list goes on.
• Executive Assistance (Canada) They are always seeking people to add to their team of VAs.
• Team Double Click They offer a wide range of administrative jobs: Virtual Assistants, Real Estate Assistants, Telemarketers...jsut to name a few positions. However, they do not have jobs that are strictly typing or data entry.
• Troy Research They currently seek a Survey Production Coordinator to work as an independent contractor. On occasion, they hire individuals as employees.
• Virtual Staffing Team Always on the lookout for new team members.

How to make a dead sea mud body wrap at home?

How does a mud mask exfoliate the skin? And finally What is the side effects of salt water on the skin? because I read some warning about these products from the reviews at side effects of a water softener.

Regards.

Reta Vong

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