Work From Home Scams and How to avoid them

Before starting MoodyWork.com, I use to work in the banking industry. I would meet account holders who lost money as well as their bank accounts because they became a victim of a Work From Home Scam. Some people were just looking for a second income.

 Whereas the others were on a fixed income and were so desperate to get a job, they could not see the signs that the work-from-home job was a scam. So here are some examples of Work from Home Scams and How to Avoid them.

 

The Account Manager Position

Also Known as Payment Processor. Usually, you will get offered this postion by email without ever applying for the postion. There often is no interview process. All you will need to do is provide your checking account and routing number or your online banking username and password.

The idea is if you let the new employer deposit money into your account and transfer a portion of those funds to their client, you will get a commission. You also may be asked to buy Gift Cards with some of the money deposited into your account and send them to a third party or the employer.

Facilitating this transaction can be considered to be Money Laundering, which is illegal. Your bank account will hide where the money came from and where it’s going. Most likely, your financial institution will close your bank account, and you may face criminal charges.

The Quality Control Assistant Position

Also known as Logistic Coordinator or Package Processing Assistant. Usually, you will get offered this postion by email as well without ever applying for the postion. Your job will be to receive packages and reship the merchandise to a particular destination.

You will need to provide your home address to facilitate the acceptance of illegal merchandise to reship merchandise to a different destination. Your payment may be by gift card, deposit, or check.

The Product Assembler Position

Your job will be to Assemble Products and test how they work. The difference with this job offer is you will have to make a financial investment to participate.

You may get the products to assemble and test, but you will not get paid for your work. Basically, you have paid your employer to give you a job and not the other way around.

The Secret Shopper Position

Also known as a Mystery Shopper. The way these positions work is you will be paid by a check before you start work. The check will be delivered by the Post Office. Your job will be to pose as a secret shopper and buy products and report your experience purchasing those products.

The check will look legit because it will show it comes from a well-known bank. When depositing the check into the bank, the check initially clears because the funds are available at the time. Once the check initially clears, you will be instructed by your employer to transfer some money back to them by external transfer, wire transfer, postal money order, or gift card.

Within ten days of you depositing the check, a stop payment will be placed or reported stolen. Your account then becomes overdrawn for the amount of the check and return fees. You will then be responsible for the amount lost by your financial institution because the check bounced and or possible jail time.

How to Avoid Being Scammed

If your gut is telling you that this job offer is too good to be true, do a Google Search about the employer to see if anyone else has reported this employer as a scam.

You can also go to the Better Business Bureau to see if the employer is legit. If you or anyone becomes a victim of any of these scams, please report it to the Better Business Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, and the FBI for Help!

Hopefully, you will now be able to identify work-from-home scams and know how to avoid them. Remember, the best way to avoid becoming a victim of a work-from-home scam is to use common sense. The process of getting hired for a work-from-home job is no different if you were trying to get hired to work in a physical building. As the saying goes, if it is too good to be true, it probably is.

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