So you’ve decided to work from home. Even though you’ve heard all about watching out for the work at home job scam, you think you’ll be able to safely navigate the internet world to find the perfect job for you. Then you find that listing, and you think it might be just the thing you needed. It could be the perfect job, if only you can take the time to apply and make it work for you. It sounds amazing; the hours and pay are great, and the opportunity for growth is remarkably good… Is is really a great job, or just another work at home job scam?

What’s the catch? All work at home job scam companies will have some sort of catch in their ads. It’ll cost you X amount to sign up, or you’ll need this much money for the training package. Maybe it’s free, buy you’re expected to NOT sign any contracts and produce a whole month of work before being paid. Companies are getting much better at pulling the wool over your eyes, because they know that we’re getting better at finding the scams out there. Once, I was given a “job” where I worked myself to death doing these tiny little Q & A things, and made some pretty good money. However, about 3 weeks or so into the job, I get told the contract has ended, and that we’re done, just waiting on final pay. Then, when that happens, I wait. And I wait. And I lose $250 that I was owed because I got hosed by not signing a contract or some sort of legal agreement that I had to be paid. I was hard up for work, naiive, and will never fall for that again.

So if you think you’ve found a work at home job scam, move on. Don’t even bother investigating it; just go with your gut. If your gut says “run away”, don’t look back. However, if it just seems like luck that you didn’t think you deserved, research the company, their policies, and make sure that you have some sort of contract or binding agreement. For me, I work with companies in the long term and have contracts with them. If it’s a project based job, I require half payment up front, before work begins. Then we both have something to lose, so we both do our job. I do the work to get the rest of my money, and they pay me so that they can reassure me that they’re legit. After time, I’ve acquired a couple of gigs that are more personal, and that don’t require me to get money up front anymore. But you can NEVER be too careful.

When it comes to avoiding a work at home job scam, these are just some things that you should keep in mind, along with the golden rule of working from home:

IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT IS.