By Adrienne Erin
Online Career Tips Contributor
You’re smart; you’re educated; you’re streetwise. So how did you fall for a job scam? The truth lies within the fact we’re all human and enticed by the lure of financial well-being. When we’re seeking new ways to make money to pay our mounting bills, we tend to overlook the “red flags” that should make us think twice. Instead, we’re ignited by panic to dive right in… and oftentimes get burned. Rather than looking into legitimate ways to get the dollars we need, we put our faith in people and companies we shouldn’t.
If you’re a job seeker and you want to increase your income, avoid the following three job scams like the plague. Sure, they’ll tempt you – how could you not be tempted by “easy” money? – but you’ll wind up wasting your time and potentially making your financial situation much worse.
Job Scam #1: You Pay Us, We Pay You More
It sounds so crazy: You loan someone a little bit of money, and he or she gives you more money in return. We’re not talking about a low interest rate of 5 percent, either. We’re talking about you sending someone $50, and getting $100 a few days later. Who wouldn’t be interested, right?
Unless you are a loan shark and you have a method of getting back your investment, you’re never getting your money back. You’d do much better looking into borrower outreach services if you need a little help paying creditors. The amazing aspect of this scam is that a lot of well-educated people fall for it because it’s couched in mystery. Often, the scammer will imply that he or she has discovered a “secret.” In all honesty, the only secret is they are going to take your money and never repay you.
Job Scam #2: Sign up, and We’ll Deposit Money Into Your Bank Account
One reporter admitted she was desperately in need of a paycheck and fell for a scam that promised her money for signing up for free web-based trials. Not only did she input her personal data for those free trials, but she also spent time doing it rather than doing legitimate work.
Surprise, surprise… she never got paid, and a few strange charges appeared on some of her statements. Though she cannot prove the scammer used her information for nefarious purposes, she was pretty sure of it. Craigslist has a page dedicated to avoiding scams, and the suggestions include never giving out personal data or wiring money to someone you don’t know. As she noted in her article, she’ll never do it again.
Job Scam #3: Write From Home and Make Thousands Each Month… Even if You Aren’t a Writer!
Guess what; if you aren’t a writer, you’re not going to make thousands each month by writing. Even if you are a writer, you’re still not going to make thousands each month unless you work really, really hard. These types of scams prey on people’s desire to jump into a field they aren’t familiar with, where the opportunities are seemingly endless.
While it’s true that writers are needed, you aren’t going to be paid well unless you know what you’re doing. Plus, plenty of these job scams are actually just trying to get you to sign up so other people sign up for “writing” jobs. They pay you pennies as you become part of the machine. It’s a Ponzi scheme, and you’re an unsuspecting pawn. Sure, someone will be making money, but it won’t be you.
All That Glitters Isn’t Gold, but That Doesn’t Make You a Fool for Following the Glow.
In the end, you have to remember the adage: If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. Put another way, if it seems too good to be true, it’s probably a scam. There is no such thing as “free” money, and there’s no reason to believe that a stranger would have any legal means of getting you an income for doing virtually nothing. However, if you fall for a scammer’s promises, don’t beat yourself up. Just move on and learn from the experience.
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