Working from home is something many people aspire to do, but there are a lot of scams that you need to look out for.
The Federal Trade Commission just announced that a federal court temporarily halted an alleged work-at-home scheme that failed to live up to its promises.
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FTC warns of work-from-home job scam
The defendants operated under a number of brand names, according to the FTC:
- Work At Home EDU
- Work At Home Program
- Work At Home Ecademy
- Work At Home University
- Work At Home Revenue
- Work at Home Institute
The FTC said Work At Home EDU made false claims that people could earn “hundreds of dollars, per hour from home, without any special skills or experience” by paying for a $97 work-at-home program — a huge red flag.
The operation targeted people who were using the internet to search for legitimate work-from-home jobs.
“The defendants used online ‘native’ advertising ‘ promotional content that resembles the non-advertising material beside it ‘ to reach consumers who were researching work-at-home opportunities on the internet. For example, they placed a link to their Work At Home EDU website near an article about working from home on the website Forbes.com,” according to an FTC news release.
When you’re searching for a work-at-home job, be skeptical of any opportunity that promises to make you rich. These questions from the FTC can also help you determine if a program is legit:
- What tasks will I have to perform? Are any other steps involved?
- What is the total cost of this work-at-home program? What will I get for my money?
- Will I be paid a salary or commission?
- Who will pay me? When will I get my first paycheck?
- What is the basis for your claims about my likely earnings? What documents can you show me to prove your claims are true before I give you any money?
It’s also a good idea to run a Google search like “Company XYZ scam” or “Company XYZ reviews” to see what comes up.
If you’re looking for a work-from-home job, there are plenty of gigs to help supplement your existing income. See Clark’s list of legitimate work-at-home job opportunities.
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