© Don Hankins


If you read my post earlier this week, I talked about my experience with a job scam. So now I want to share with you some ways to recognize a job scam and what to do if run across one.

1. There's no salary but you can make ridiculous amounts of money. Anything that promises huge amounts of cash with hardly any work has scam written all over it.

2. Anything involving money up front. If you have to pay a fee or investment to get started or the work involves exchanging money, then you should be wary.

3. If something feels wrong, ask for more information. If how you'll be paid isn't listed in a job posting, don't be afraid to ask.

4. Watch out for broken English. However stereotypical it might sound, many scams try to lure Westerners. The first contact or posting will be written in English, but the contact or follow-up will be written in far less-than-perfect English.

5. No direct contact information. If you can't talk to someone on the phone, or mail a letter, it's probably not legitimate.

If you see something that looks like a scam, or accidentally find yourself in one, be sure to report it to the right authorities. First, it's a good idea to get as much information as you can. Check out the job at SCAM.COM a forum about work-from-home scams.

Then report the scam to these organizations: Internet Crime Complaint Center, the Better Business Bureau, and the Federal Trade Commission.

By putting out the information about the scam you are protecting yourself and other people.

The last tip: just ask questions. The more you know, the less likely you are to be deceived.

Do you have other tips for avoiding work-from-home scams?