NYPIRG
9 Murray Street, 3rd Flr
New York, NY 10007
212-349-6460
Get Street Smart about Work-at-Home Scams
If you've already been the victim of a work at home scam, visit our Report Online Scams and Frauds section.
If you choose to respond to a Work-at-Home ad watch out for these warning signs:
Claims of Exorbitant Pay:
The old too-good-to-be-true adage applies here. Real employers don't pay thousands of dollars per week for unskilled at-home labor.
Out-of-Pocket Expenses:
If you must make a purchase or investment in order to start the program or job, suspect fraud. Legitimate employers don't charge employees to hire them.
Emailed Ads:
Unsolicited emails (spam) seldom contain legitimate offers. Work-at-Home spam is no different.
Advance Pay:
Be wary of advances on work you haven't
done yet. Some scammers use Work-at-Home schemes to perpetrate counterfeit
check scams. They send a check for part of your first month's pay, then
contact you claiming that you were overpaid and need to return part of the
payment. After you have sent the money, you discover that the original check
bounced and you are left to deal with the repercussions, which may include
federal check fraud charges.
