Plus, you can save a lot of money by not having to commute into an office or spend big bucks for work clothes and all the other miscellaneous costs that go along with an in-office job.
But first, you have to find a real online job. And therein lies the rub.
Unfortunately, job scams proliferate the online job pool. Savvy scammers know how much people want to work from home, and posing as real professional hiring managers, recruiters, and potential bosses, they scam innocent job seekers out of precious personal financial information—and sometimes their life savings. And when you consider that for every one legitimate work-from-home job, there are approximately 60 job scams, it can make you want to give up your job search even before you’ve gotten started.
Take heart, job seekers. There are ways to find a real online job and avoid the scams. Here’s how.
1. Trust your gut.
One of the single best ways to avoid a job scam is to listen to your instincts.
That can be hard when you’ve been out of work for a while and a plum position seems to fall smack dab into your lap. But think about the job and how you were approached about it in an objective light. If something just feels off, or you feel uncomfortable for any reason (e.g., the job recruiter is pushy or demanding, or you don’t have a clear understanding of the job responsibilities), don’t feel badly about walking away from it.
More than likely, your instincts are right. And remember, there are plenty of real online jobs out there to choose from. This won’t be your one and only opportunity to work remotely so don’t feel intimidated or pressured into doing something you don’t feel comfortable with.
2. Do some research.
Let’s say a “recruiter” contacts you and wants you to apply for a job. He says that based on your skills and work experience, you’d be perfect for a position he’s trying to fill.
That doesn’t mean that the job is legitimate (or the recruiter is who he claims to be). There’s nothing wrong with doing your due diligence on both the recruiter and the job. Conduct research online to see if you can find out any info on the recruiter/hiring manager to determine if he’s really for real. You should be able to find an online trail verifying the person is who he says he is; if not, reconsider if you want to move forward with the job process.
3. Connect with the company directly.
A hiring manager might reach out to you with a potential job. He might offer all the details about the job but not the biggest one of all—the company that the job is with. Although he might say he can’t disclose the company the job is with for fear that he’ll lose the potential commission associated with placing you in the position, you should know for certain the name of the company you’re interviewing for.
If the hiring manager won’t tell you, it could be a sign that you’re in the middle of a scam. So contact the company that you might be working for to verify that a) the job recruiter is working for them and b) that the job you’re applying for exists.
4. Question the communication.
There’s no question that the job interview process has evolved over the years.
Job applications are rarely printed on fancy schmancy paper stock and mailed in anymore. Almost everything is done online, from job applications to interviews, which are happening more frequently via videoconferencing, particularly for remote positions. But what isn’t common (and can be a clue that you might be the potential victim of a job scam) is certain methods of communication.
Any hiring manager or boss worth his salt is not going to conduct a job interview via instant message, email, or both. Most often, you might be initially contacted by email, but after that, you should still have a phone or video interview—or both.
5. Know the signs of a scam.
While job scammers have adapted their tactics over time, there are still some hard-and-fast signs that a job is a scam. Here are some basic signs of a job scam:
- You’re asked for personal financial information—such as your Social Security number, your bank account, your home address and phone number, your date of birth, etc.—early on in the job interview process.
- The job pays a lot of money for little work. After all, if it sounds too good to be true, it almost always is.
- The job posting has glaring grammatical or spelling errors.
- The contact email address is personal (e.g., johnsmith38439483@gmail.com) or one that mimics a real company’s email address (e.g., johnsmith@dellcomputercompany.com).
- A recruiter offers you the job immediately without verifying your work experience or doesn’t ask for references.
It’s unlikely that job scammers will ever go away, but there are ways to protect yourself from falling prey to a scam. Using reputable job search boards (like FlexJobs) and knowing what to look for can all help you find a real online job—sans job scams.
Readers, how concerned are you looking for a real online job? Are you concerned about job scams? Have you ever been a victim of one? Let us know about your experiences in the comments below!
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