By Joseph Palumbo III
With our economy still in disarray, more people are telling me they are considering work-from-home opportunities for two reasons. First, job security has become an issue and is on Queens residents’ minds. Second, with the Internet, work-from-home ventures can be a beacon of light for people getting laid off. Unfortunately, with home careers rising, there are lots of scams to watch for.
Requests for money upfront are generally scams. You pay a fee for either “sales leads” or “materials,” but receive instructions on how to place an advertisement like the one you paid for. This is illegal because there is no service or product being offered.
“Get rich quick” offers are normally scams. Be cautious about ads offering huge amounts of money for easy work or little of your time. Real money is made with real hours doing real work. If there is a number to call and you cannot reach anyone or get generic mobile messages, stay clear.
Stay away from post office boxes because real companies want to be found. If you speak with someone, ask for a few references to call. Ask direct questions, like “How long have you been with the companyi” or “How long have you been doing this and how much have you madei” If you get round-about or too-good-to-be-true answers, it is probably a planted reference and a scam.
So How’s Business regarding not getting scammed when looking for a work-from-home businessi Do not misunderstand me or let me sour you on such opportunities. There are solid opportunities, but they require work. Ask yourself: If it was that easy, why isn’t everyone doing iti The rules to live by when looking for a quality work-from-home opportunity is to get as much information as you can. If the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There is never a substitute for hard work.
Contact Joe Palumbo at 516-297-4034 or jp@c21amhomes.com.
