How to Spot Data Entry Job Scams

Posted by in Administrative & Clerical Services


In these tough economic times, with real unemployment hovering around 15 percent, job scams are popping up everywhere. This is particularly true in the clerical field, which attracts those hit hardest by unemployment--people with little or no college experience, GED-only applicants, and the "outplaced" elderly.
 
Most of us have seen the ads: “Earn money typing from your home,” ”Make hundreds a day just filling out forms,” or “Stay-at-home mom earns hundreds typing.” While there are some legitimate data entry jobs out there, job postings in the paper and on the Internet are filled with scam entries. So how do you spot the scams from the real jobs? Here are some tips:

 

There's an application fee. This is a big red flag. These fees usually start low, around $15, and can be as high as $49. Higher fees are usually masked by offers of “online training,” “educational CDs,” or “training manuals.” The entity offering the job will insist that these are necessary to “bring you up to speed” with “their system.”

They ask you to buy their equipment. This is a veiled attempt to get you to buy or rent their transcription or data entry equipment or software. It’s similar to the red flag above, except now you’re anteing hundreds of dollars. In most cases, these companies are just trying to unload old, outdated equipment that they picked up from an auction or going-out-of-business sale. The data entry job offer is simply a ruse to unload this outdated equipment. After a week or so, they will simply say that the job market has dried up and there’s no more data entry work for you—leaving you with the overpriced, outdated equipment. A legitimate company will give you the option to buy or rent the equipment you’ll need from other sources. 
 
They offer 50 cents per name and address. Address an envelope or label and earn 50 cents per address. Really? Sounds like a “hundreds of dollars a day” opportunity, right? Wrong. These days, computers and inexpensive label printers can do the same thing for pennies per address, and at the rate of hundreds of addresses per minute. Why would they pay you hundreds of dollars a day for the same job? 

Look for a square deal and avoid the pyramid. Many of these data entry “jobs” are simply pyramid scams in disguise. Like the popular envelope-stuffing scam, after you’ve paid your “application” or “training” fee, you’ll get instructions on how to set up the same scam, enticing others to send you money to start them on their "road to riches" in data entry.
 
If you have any comments or suggestions about working from home, include them in the comments section below. 
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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson

    @Gina M. thanks for your comments. There are tons of legit work-from-home positions. One key to look for is if they say - this is a legitimate job. If it's legit, why do they have to say that? You just have to do your due diligence before applying to any of them. Do a search on the Internet to see what you can find out about the company. If it's not legit, you will find results for that, too. Try checking them out on LinkedIn or maybe even GlassDoor. Just know that you never should pay for a job!

  • Gina M.
    Gina M.

    Well, thats the scams but you said there are legit work from home jobs. How do you find them? What is the key of finding them?

  • Suzy M
    Suzy M
    The scam that got me was the one where you hired for a company, with a very well-built website, to do some order entry, some correspondence, etc.,,for a branch office about to open up in my city. They need me to buy my "equipment" so they send me a cashier's check which I then deposit into my bank account then withdraw the next day and send to a third party via Western Union.  The equipment never shows up and my account was reduced by $2,350 to reimburse my bank for the cashiers check it cashed.
  • Kathie  S
    Kathie  S
    Would love to work from home however there is so many scams and people asking for money it is hard to trust which one is legit. If you can advise which one is legit please advise as I would like to apply
  • Moses U
    Moses U
    Thanks for the information. Nobody is above learning and many will get wise by this information
  • Colleen G
    Colleen G
    I have seen all of these postings. I would love to work from home and make decent money, but I know that most of the ones out there are scams. If you can tell me which ones are legitimate I would apply for one.
  • Jacqueline L
    Jacqueline L
    I find myself back in the position of looking for a job at 61.I am considering a work at home opportunity. Thank you for your suggestions. Not looking to be scammed
  • Gale B
    Gale B
    I have looked at a number of these work from home jobs. Thank you for pointing out how to tell if they are legitimate.I am still interested in work from home but want it to be with a stable company.
  • Sandra G
    Sandra G
    Why do businesses want  to know your credit scores? Or is that just for there sponsors to get a piece of the pie?
  • Susan B
    Susan B
    Excellent advice!  Excellent information!Thank you!
  • Alex Kecskes
    Alex Kecskes
    Hilarie--The good work-at-home jobs are taken by those who dig and network to find them.  They are rarely advertised.  I wish you the best of luck.
  • Mary S
    Mary S
    We all need help avoiding the scams.  I appreciated the candor of the article.
  • hilarie m
    hilarie m
    I wish I could just find one legit work at home job and be able to start now. please help
  • Caroline P
    Caroline P
    I hear about the scams all the time. I'd like to hear about the legitimate work from home opportunities.
  • Sheri B
    Sheri B
    This was a very helpful article. I wish I had read the before I signed up for many home business jobs.
  • Helen Stemp
    Helen Stemp
    Thanks for the information.  I was hoping to find a work at home job due to some disabilities but have been leary to try.
  • Gloria O
    Gloria O
    I was just offered a home job and nothing came out of it, but i didn't pay anything either but after reading this it just made me more alert for those key words or phrase so ty
  • Harriet O
    Harriet O
    I always appreciate sites like this that help with suggestions to avoid scams.  I was laid off March 2, 2012 from an 8 year job that had good benefits and pay.  I knew in February that this was coming and I started looking for legitimate  home work.  Unfortunately, I ran into a lot of scams and after I had maxed our credit cards, I am about ready to give up on this idea.  I just hate to drive over 100 miles round trip in mountain roads to work in the city.  I was amazed how smooth these people could be as they are picking your wallet.  Affiliate marketing is the biggest scam I have ever seen.  You can put out a fortune and not get anything for it.  Watch out for e-mails that promise things like $100.00 per hour to work from home or make over $1mil per year working from home.  Too good to be true.
  • Lillian A R
    Lillian A R
    Thanks, this has been an eye opener. I've almost been tempted myself, but something always holds me back. I guess is common sense, and yet it so easy to fall prey to some of these offers.
  • Sarah B
    Sarah B
    Thanks for the article, I'm really tired of clicking on data entry job postings and getting a MLM site.  I've been looking into Affiliate marketing but I'm so nervous about getting started and since I've expressed interest online I'm bombarded by 100s of Affiliate Marketing Packages, Its hard to weed out the legitimate ones from bogus ones.  Any suggestions?
  • Beverly D
    Beverly D
    I thank you for this about scams. I was almost scammed by a company doing data entry and also ask me to pay 450.00 for the installer  while interviewer wanted a passport not my license. If I had that kind of money I would not need a job
  • Alex Kecskes
    Alex Kecskes
    Good comments all.  Thanks for sharing. The scammers are getting more and more creative. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  And nothing is ever FREE.
  • Galia G
    Galia G
    Thanks for the informative article.  Unfortunately, these scams have been around for as long as mankind has.  It's sad that people think others are plain stupid.   I received a couple of beauties last week. The first one was an e-mail & fax telling me that the gentleman sending it was the son of a recently-deceased African president who just inherited $90 million and wants me to help him invest it in the States, requesting I give him my account number so he could deposit the money.  Right. The second one was also an e-mail from a woman claiming she has seen my profile on the internet, liked what she read and photo she saw,  and decided that I was the one she wants to give her $10 million to upon her death. She stated she was given no more than 3 months to live and has no one. Cute. Huh?  I DON'T EVEN HAVE A PROFILE ON THE INTERNET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Bottom line:: Don't fall for any of these scams.  WE ARE NOT STUPID!!
  • James Comstock
    James Comstock
    I'm with Julialee....why can't someone just come up with the list of legitimate companies and provide their links.  Of course...soon these legits opps would be overloaded so...I think unless you are willing to buy and sell on ebay or other sites....using your own resources...chances are...there are no really legit opps on the internet.  If it seems too good to be true....well...you know the rest!
  • Carol L
    Carol L
    I've heard that people can make a lot of money working at home but I know there are a lot of scams out there.  I was offered a position of guide for foreign students.  They asked for my checking account number and I give that out to NO ONE.  I reported them as a scam because I had seen that a lot of people were believing these people.

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