By: Tammy Embrich

Have you been scammed by a (so called) Data Entry position? Have you spent your hard-earned money on scams such as these?

I’m sure all of us have been a fallen victim for one scam or another. Everyone is searching for Data Entry jobs on the Internet today. They’re all searching for that one legitimate job offer.

The World Wide Web is literally cluttered with “Data Entry” scams. You see the headlines…

Work At Home–Easy Data Entry!
Data Entry From Home–$300 to $500 Weekly!
Simple Data Entry From Home!

Unfortunately, we’ve all seen all of these and more. So..how can you tell if it’s a scam?

Here are the number one signs of a Data Entry scam:

1) Registration fees
2) No contact information
3) Statement saying you will make $xxx amount of dollars in a short time
4) Free hosted website

YOU should always research any Data Entry or any type of job before applying. You can research a company at the sites below:
 
http://www.fraud.org/
http://www.scambusters.com/
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/scam_alerts/scam_alerts.htm
http://www.econsumer.gov/english/
http://search.bbb.org/
http://www.ripoffreport.com

Or, you can do a search on a particular company by typing in the name of the company and the word “scam” in your favorite search engine.

A “real job” is when YOU work for an employer/company, and are not charged any registration or start-up fees. Now, there are a few exceptions to this rule…

Here are a couple of examples: A Transcription job may require you to have a foot pedal. You may also be requested to have a background check.

The important thing to remember here is again, always do your own research on any company. And also remember…use your instincts, if it looks too good to be true, then it most probably is.
There really are legitimate “Data Entry” positions out there…they are just snatched up very quickly. Quite frankly…it really is a matter of being at the right place at the right time.

The legitimate positions actually require you to have “Data Entry” experience and of course, the required equipment…which would include: Internet access, a broadband connection, email account, and sometimes some software is required. The employer will also ask you to submit a resume.

A resume is a brief written summary of your skills and experience. It is an overview of who you are and a tool to present yourself to employers. The goal of a well-written resume is to gain a job interview. Write a brief description of your experience and skills. Write your resume to describe how your skills will meet the employer’s needs. Make it attractive, emphasize your most recent jobs, and always proofread it for grammar, punctuation and spelling errors.

Also, it is well advised to include a cover letter that accompanies your resume. The cover letter should pursuade the employer to read your resume. Present yourself as professionally as possible. Most often, the reason for being rejected from an employer is due to a poorly written resume and cover letter. Always pay close attention to your resume and cover letter and check and re-check them for any errors before submitting to an empoyer.

Here are two excellent Resume Writing Tutorials:

http://www.acinet.org/resume/resume_intro.asp
http://www.careerbabe.com/resume.html

Some important tips:

Never give up, always do your own research on a given company before applying, and keep applying. There are legitimate “Data Entry” jobs out there. It’s just a matter of finding them.

Much success to you!

Article written by: Tammy Embrich

Tammy is an Internet Marketer and is the owner of:
WAH Opportunities
And owner of: Real WAH Jobs

Tammy’s two work at home websites focus on free telecommute job leads and more.

By: Bruce T. Woodward

We have all seen the “buy my e-book at a specially discounted super-duper low price of $49.99 and learn the secrets to making a million dollars overnight” advertisements that claim that they can sell those very same e-books for one, two, three and sometimes more hundred dollars. Simply stated, they can’t. From the position of an experienced online entrepreneur and internet marketer, if they could sell it for more they would.

It is not that we are greedy money hungry people, but it is capitalism. It is what makes capitalism work. You do not give away a Lamborghini Diablo (a two-hundred plus thousand dollar car) for one hundred bucks because you pass a guy on the street that does not have a car. It is not that you are a bad person, but it would be silly to do so.

The same can be said about anything with true worth and value, even e-books and other online marketing tools. If you spend the time as an author to research it and to put it together in words for your readers, you are going to want the most compensation that you can get out of it. If you, the author, thinks that it is a twenty dollar book, you are going to sell it for twenty bucks.

The illusion that it is “on sale” or that the author/publisher wants to give it “only” to you for a reduced price is an age-old tactic in internet marketing. The same as “You can get it for the next twenty minutes for twenty dollars, then the price will go up to $199, so get it NOW!” These are nothing more than HTML code and java scripts. Similar to the television advertisements of “buy in the next ten minutes and we will give you twice as much” only to see the same commercial an hour later!

Now, with all of this said, I am not saying that twenty dollar e-books are bad things. I am saying, do not get your hopes too high for huge profits from one twenty dollar e-book as often times it is a lead in to wanting you to buy more. Just remember the adage if it seems too good to be true, it probably is ; and that you get what you pay for.

One of the easiest ways to avoid scams though is a little research. It is absolutely amazing what you can find on Google and other search engines these days, and it is easier than ever to find information on just about any product that you are looking to buy/invest in.

If you find that e-book, that training package, that other product of whatever kind that you are seeking and the sales pitch has gotten you hooked and you are ready to hit that “Buy Now” button, WAIT. Open another tab in IE 7 (IE 6 would be new window) and go to Google (or your favorite search engine) and simply copy and paste either the name of the author or the name of the product into the search field and look at the results. More often than not, people are more likely to spend the time to post to message boards or blogs or wherever else available if they feel that they have been scammed on a product, and search engines are the best way to locate the boards and bad reviews (and even the good ones) if they exist.

There are a couple of other ways as well. You can look for reliability seals. Unfortunately, most of them are buy-ins, so, for the most part, if you pay the membership fee you will have access to the seal, regardless of your reputation … but it is an advancement on helping consumers decide what to bad.

If you are still unsure about the product email (or otherwise contact) the author/producer. Profiting4Less.com has my contact information right on the main page, where if you have any questions about any products on the site, you can email me (and yes, it is my personal email address). Expect the same from other reputable authors/publishers. Again, that is definitely not to say that if there is no contact information they are scammers, but it is re-assuring to have contact information there.

Also look for the guarantees. Most of the programs at Profiting4Less.com has guarantees because we and the author/publishers believe in the content. If the seller believes in the consumer and the product, he/she/they will offer a guarantee on that product(s).

With a little diligence and investigative techniques, you can help protect yourself from the scammers out there.

About The Author:

Bruce T. Woodward

Profiting4Less.com
Travel 4 Less

Bruce has been in the Internet Marketing business for almost ten years and owns and operates Profiting4less.com and Travel 4 Less.

By: Dany

The goals of scam baiting carry the pleasure of baiters and their readers. To that end, a general status symbol among scam baiters is the collection or display of a photographic “trophy,” a picture apparently taken of the scammer, typically while holding custom made signs, or in odd poses with exact props (such as placing a fish on one’s head). Other trophies could include documents such as oaths and the pseudo legal documents, taken as the 419 scamr as a step forward towards a hopeless goal.

There are handfuls on common sense basic rules, which a scam baiter should follow:

1. The first rules is to have a good anti-virus software running on your system all the time and do keep the virus definitions ready. This is must for any computer which has internet connection but it is most significant for the scam baiting.
2. Make sure you don’t believe in anything, which a scammer tells you until you know it is true. In case scammer tells you “here is my photo” you could argue it isn’t. If on Monday the scammer tells you its Monday, check the calendar. It’s possibly Tuesday.

3. Next you should make sure that you do not give any real personal information to the scammer. This needs to be very obvious. Any actual personal information carries your real name, real address, place of work, real bank account number, and personal e-mail address and so on.

4. Remember you should never go to meet any scammer in person, regardless of their location given. As most scammers are just nothing more than pretty cheat artists, there had been many cases of muggings, kidnappings and also murder of people who had gone to meet with 419 scammers. Please do not do it.

5. And the most important rule is, you should never involve directly any innocent third parties in your scam bait. No matter how much you may hate you boss or your ex-spouse, don’t take revenge through this. You should not take on the identity of any real person existing or do not send a scammer to meet with any real person.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleJoe.com

Dany Siraz is an expert in analyzing and describing the spam’s that are making the people to fall as prey without awareness, especially the Nigerian 419 scams. He had published many articles about describing the way of spam producers to fraud the people especially through e-mails, and had advised the best ways and tips to escape from these spam frauds. For further more details of Nigerian 419 scam visit to www.nigerianspam.com/.

By: Ben Welch

In a forum devoted to education and careers, a blog devoted to this topic was inevitable - home-based business scams. Anyone who has an email account has gotten an email - if not a thousand - like this:

Earn an Extra $5K+ per month!
Make your financial dreams happen!
Free information and training package!

Usually, the email includes a testimonial or two from people “just like you.”

Before I started this business, I used to [insert bad career here]. But I started working [insert home-based business opportunity here] and made $2500 my first month! By my sixth month, I was making $11,000. This business is a dream come true!

Some of these emails can be fairly persuasive, especially if it’s been a tight month. I mean, who wouldn’t want to earn a little extra money? Then I think of the old adage, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” and I realize I’m probably dealing with a home-based business scam. At that point, the email becomes ridiculous.

But the truth is that thousands - if not tens of thousands - of people fall for these scams every day. Sadly, for many of these people, that decision will be disastrous. Home-based business scams tend to target people who can ill afford such a misstep - the sick and disabled, the elderly, stay-at-home mothers, low-income families, and people lacking a college education. (Note: it’s not that people without college educations are less intelligent per se; rather, because they don’t have college degrees, chances are they are more inclined to take risks.)

For anyone who’s ever received these emails - or who every will - let me identify five of the most common and pernicious home business scams, which I’ve gleaned from several websites issuing similar warnings. Think of it as a public service announcement.

1. Multi-level Marketing (MLM)

Basically, multi-level marketing entails selling some kind of product or service but also rewards the participant for recruiting other people to join. Typically, early recruits are paid by the entry fees gleaned from new recruits, who in turn must collect their rewards from others. Each level feeds (or builds) off the one after it, which is why MLMs are sometimes referred to as “pyramid schemes.” Granted, not all MLMs are true pyramid schemes - which is illegal in most states - but most MLMs still rely on deception in order to succeed. As such, beware of MLM “opportunities” that promise large incomes for selling dubious products and recruiting fellow distributors.

2. Reshipping Fraud

Reshipping involves receiving mail merchandise and then repackaging and reshipping it for a substantial profit. Sounds easy, right? The only problem is that the merchandise was paid for with stolen credit cards, which means you - the reshipper - are acting as a “fence” for stolen goods. Reshipping fraud is relatively new to the realm of home-business fraud; as such, reshipping “opportunities” still appear in legitimate newspapers and websites, which lend them an air of credibility. Don’t be fooled. Reshipping fraud is not only illegal but also dangerous.

3. Craft Assembly

The variations on this scam are legion, but essentially it involves a company outsourcing the assembly of its product to you. All you need is a start-up kit and raw materials, which you purchase from the company, of course, and which you can do at home. Once you’ve assembled the products - toys, magnets, jewelry - you send it back to the company only to find that your products “fail to meet specifications.” You’re left with a bunch of useless products and no one to sell them to. Beware.

4. Medical Billing

The basic sales pitch with medical billing is that the health care industry is inundated with unprocessed paper claims and there’s a need for someone - you - to process these claims electronically. The beauty of this scam is that it’s true - there is a need and you can make money processing claims. The training you receive from promoters, while overpriced, will be legitimate. The only problem is that once you’ve finished your training you have to generate your own business. That’s where the scam comes in - promoters tend to over-hype their ability to get you contacts within the medical community. The fact is that few medical-billing entrepreneurs are able to attract clients and earn a reasonable income. The truth is that the medical billing market revolves around several large firms and competition is stiff.

And finally…

5. Envelope Stuffing

The doyen of home-based business scams has been around since the 1920s. One website even referred to it as the “cockroach you just can’t eliminate.” Basically, this scam involves you sending off a fee to learn how to make money stuffing envelopes from home. Shortly thereafter, you get a letter telling you to place a similar envelope-stuffing ad in magazines and newspapers. That way, people will send money to you to learn how to make money stuffing envelopes. You, in turn, send them a similar letter about placing envelope-stuffing ads in other magazines and newspapers. In short, the way you earn money stuffing envelopes is by propagating the envelope-stuffing scam.

To conclude, let me just observe what these home-based business scams have in common: it’s true that they lie, exaggerate, and misrepresent their products and services. That being said, the only reason they work is because people let themselves be carried away by delusions of “getting rich quick” or “making easy money.” In other words, these scams, like all confidence games, feed off of greed and, in some cases, desperation. Don’t be a victim. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember that the only foolproof ways to increase your earning potential are hard work and education.

Article Source: http://www.article-buzz.com

Benjamin Welch has been a college instructor in writing and composition for nearly six years. When he’s not teaching or playing golf, he offers career and job advice for students and professionals at www.classesandcareers.net and www.classesandcareers.net/job-finder.php.

By: Stephen Kreutzer

Working at home is very popular. As with anything that is popular there are people out there who like to try to scam those looking for work at home jobs. Scams can sometimes be hard to recognize, but if a person knows what to look for they can raise their chances of not being caught in a work at home scam. A popular way to get taken by a scam work at home company is when they ask a person to pay them money.

The first key that a work at home opportunity may be a scam is that the company asks for money up front. This is also something that can be confusing because some legitimate companies ask for money, too. The main rule abut paying money is that if the job were not work at home would it be reasonable to pay money up front to work with this company. If it is a job where the person is required to keep an inventory of products than it is reasonable to pay something upfront for the inventory. However, if the payment is for administrative fees that is a red flag. A work at home job is like any other job. Nobody would pay a company to process their employment papers, so it is unreasonable for a work at home company to request payment for this purpose.

What usually happens when a company is running a scam by asking for money up front is that the hopeful work at home employee loses their money and gets no real job in return. Many scam companies try to use the trick that they will refund the money after a person has worked for them for so long. Once a person pays the money and begins working for the company they learn there really is no refund. In these cases the work at home employee usually also finds out the job duties are completely different from what they were originally told. The whole concept is the scam company makes their main income off potential work at home employees, not through a real business.

Almost any good reference on working at home will mention not to ever pay money for a work at home job. It may seem like common sense, but can be confusing for someone who is new to the work at home industry. Many of these scams seem real and also come across as a way to make big money fast. This type of money scam is the biggest of all work at home scams.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleJoe.com

Stephen Kreutzer is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides home business tips on Home Business Roundup.