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Avoiding Home Typing and Word
Processing Employment Scams
Over the past few years, the Internet has
opened up many opportunities for employment
that were never before available. Internet
telecommuting (or “work-from-home”)
opportunities have made it possible for
people to work from home, often while
raising families or going to school. While
this can certainly seem an attractive option
to those who do not wish or are unable to
commute, it has unfortunately given rise to
many different scams. Typing and word
processing jobs often fall into this
category.
If a home clerical job is advertised on the Internet by a reputable company, or
by one that you can check out, it is probably legitimate. However, some
“outsourcing” companies claim to offer these same home typing and word
processing positions for legitimate companies. These are the advertisements to
watch out for. Oftentimes, the company will claim to have a lot of work, for
which they need several employees. The stated responsibilities often include
typing, word processing, and data entry, all of which can be performed from your
home.
The scam comes into play when it is time to fill out the application; you will
be asked to make a payment that will serve as an application fee. Some companies
will even tell you that this fee will cover certain software programs needed to
complete the work. It is important to remember that legitimate companies do not
typically charge an application fee, or ask potential employees to pay for
software. If one does, it is most likely a scam.
Real clerical outsourcing firms do not charge application fees, and most provide
software free of charge, or allow you to use programs you already own such as
Microsoft Word or Excel. If a fee is charged and you want to find out its
relevance, ask that it be deducted from your first paycheck. Legitimate
outsourcing firms also accept credit cards, so if one tells you to send cash or
a money order, that company is probably not legitimate.
These scam companies generally give victims the following timeline: you will
fill out the application, make your payment, be sent work that you will complete
and return, and then get paid. But oftentimes the work is never sent, and your
money is never returned. When the company is questioned about the work that “is
to arrive any day,” the victim is told that work will be on the way soon. But it
never comes.
While these scams are usually offered via the Internet, they are also advertised
through the mail. Beware of anyone who charges you fees you would not normally
pay. Ask plenty of questions about any fee, no matter how small, before paying a
penny.
