Feb 09 2009
With the economy in freefall, work at home scams are on the rise
“Work at least as hard on your own behalf as you do for any employers and you will prosper beyond your peers…”
The tally is in; just short of 600,000 jobs lost in January of 2009. That’s an appreciable chunk of the 1.5 million jobs that the U.S. economy has disappeared in the past three months. So maybe we didn’t really need NPR to tell us that the economy is in freefall . But they were nice enough to, and you can even listen to it on line .
With all those people beating the streets looking for income, it’s probably not a surprise that work-at-home scams are on the rise —and not just in America; it’s getting press in the U.K. too. Hungry, frightened people stampede easily and when they can’t make their housing costs and put the food they are used to on their tables they are more likely to be taken in by things that, in better circumstances, they would likely know are too good to be true. Opportunistic bottom-feeders know this, and they are ramping up their efforts to lay hold of the few sheckels still rattling around in the bottom of the pot.
You can just about bet that anything that poses as a money-making opportunity which materializes unrequested in your e-mail box or your mail box is a scam. Possibly 90% of what comes up in a basic search engine if you search for “make money at home”, “home employment” “work from home” is also at best questionable. You MUST check anything you find with the BBB, and I recommend searching for the company name on ripoffreport.com and sites like it.
There are some things that you can start shifting in your lifestyle and outlook whether or not you’ve gotten the ax…yet. There is a new paradigm taking shape, and the go-go economy is just not there any more. That’s fine; ultimately, it probably wasn’t good for anyone or anything involved. You could start by taking a long look at a cheap publication called “Live On $10,000 a Year or Less “. Even if you don’t shell out the ten dollars to download it, looking through the chapter titles can give you a place to start necessary discussions over the kitchen table. Have you already made lifestyle changes…ones that you can see as better choices instead of deprivations? What aspects of your lifestyle are you adjusting? Can you make some suggestions here for other readers?
this is one of the best, most honest articles I’ve seen in awhile. You are so right on. I get TONS of emails every day telling me I can make money on Google or Craigslist, work from home as a mystery shopper, or any number of other offers. I know they are a ripoff, but way too many people believe them and wind up writing about it on ripoffreport.com. And, it’s only going to get worse. People will start taking riskier chances, and if they don’t do their homework, they’ll realize too late how bad it is. This kind of information needs to get out there, out everywhere. Spread the word! Continue to tell people to be sure they check out companies at ripoff report and other sites, at least google, just to see if anything’s been written yet. A report doesn’t always mean they’re a bad company–people just need to look and use good judgment. Thanks!
Hang on, hang on…
Please don’t label everything as a scam without knowing what you are talking about. A journo on my local paper has just got a rocket from me for saying something similar.
I do online surveys, I do mystery shopping and I get paid regularly and reliably by the companies I work for. I’m happy to put a list on My Greetings To You (http://mygreetings2u.blogspot.com)
I just cashed a cheque for doing online surveys. It does take a while to build up enough to earn a cheque for some companies, others pay you via Paypal for every survey and product evaluation.
I have been out this very afternoon and done a couple of mystery shops and have notifications of more available to check out. I have to think whether the fee and expenses/reimbursement offered is worth the journey and the time. Sometimes, like today, I have to do two close together and think about travel/parking costs as well as time to ensure it is financially viable.
I also have 3 network marketing businesses, all of them companies with good track records. My businesses are GDI, SendoutCards and most recently Xocai, which has just launched in the UK and looks very promising - a business based on chocolate is just about made in heaven as far as I’m concerned!
You CAN make money in NM/MLM, and I am not denying you should not do your research and I am not trying to say that it is a piece of (chocolate!) cake. But to condemn everything out of hand isn’t fair either.
Just remember that there are loads of companies out there that have been operating this way for years, both sides of the Atlantic.
Think of names like Avon, Shaklee, Kleeneze, Betterware, Ann Summers, Body Shop - just to name a few that have been going for many years and are well known and respected.
Some have startup costs and/or a monthly purchase or sales volume requirement, others don’t. Some involve a lot of time and physical effort leaving catalogues on doorsteps and collecting at a later date, knocking on doors etc and people throw catalogues in the bin or recycling and can be downright nasty and rude to you.
Others, like GDI - providing websites and domain names - are mostly promoted online and via your own website and blog, so you need the knowledge and the time to do this effectively.
I wasn’t suggesting that everything is a scam; as a matter of fact, one of the linked articles in the post listed five reputable companies. The problem comes from people feeling more needy, and scammers smelling that. There are a lot of borderline scams, too; your best bet before investing your time and certainly before investing your money would be to engage in a simple checking them out process. If there is no physical address for the company, that’s a huge red flag. If they have no standing with the BBB or the OnLine BBB, that’s another huge red flag. Doing a simple Google search with the company name or URL in quotes can be very revealing; don’t forget to use the blog search feature on Google, too.
It’s mostly a matter of not skipping the process of discernment, no matter how panicked one is about one’s finances.
One thing I will say is that the Today network has wonderful work at home writers who very conscientiously put in good job tips. I have applied for a few and gotten a few good leads that bring us in residual money. (Today I’m just goofing off and visiting other Today bloggers.) I don’t write on the subject personally, but I visit them daily and have gotten good, solid money made from their hard researched leads.
You have a good blog. Takes time to catch on, I’m sure. Trying pingomatic.com every time you put your blog in and you’ll find out over time people will flock to you. You’ve got good content and that’s what catches on.
Best wishes.
Thanks, wearmanyhats! This is my first foray into the blogosphere and I must say it’s proving to be more of an education than I had expected. Your vote of confidence means worlds to me. There are some great blogs on Today.com and yours, by the way, is one of the best.
Welcome to my blog roll!
I’ve been using http://www.pingmyblog.com which also pings pingomatic. I’m futzing around with the social bookmarking sites but finding them quite frustrating. The whole SEO thing can kind of rock you back on your heels once you get a grasp of the undertaking, LOL!