This is a guest post by Valentina Wilson.
According to the report published on the CNBC website, 2020 may be the ‘tipping point’ of a new work trend – it is the ‘working from home’ culture.
The number of people who are willing to do work-from-home jobs is increasing too. The FlexJobs report said around 4.7 million Americans were doing work-from-home jobs in early 2020.
The work-from-home trend has become so popular in the US, many people forget to notice that the “make money by working at home” opportunity could be illegitimate.
You may have noticed these advertisements in newspapers, cell phone messages, or in your email:
‘Make money at home! Get paid $4000 per week!’
People are easily deceived by these advertisements that target one of the biggest human weaknesses. They ultimately face disappointment and monetary cheating.
If you keep a vigilant look to discern between scam jobs and legitimate ones, finding a real make-money-from-home job is not that tough.
Now, let’s take a look at how these 3 simple ways can help you detect a scam company.
1. A fraudulent company will advertise that you can earn a lot of money without much hard work. In the real world, it is not possible to earn a lot of money without toiling hard, building up a reputation and gaining credibility.
2. A fraudulent firm will make very loose or almost no scrutiny of the eligibility of the candidate to execute the job role. Believe me! Anywhere in the world, you cannot get a legitimate job without proper scrutiny. So beware of the company that has offered you lucrative remuneration without carefully scrutinizing your profile.
3. If the company is asking from you some money first, for example, you have to buy something from them or the company is asking for direct access to your bank account, chances are that the particular company is not a credible company.
If you have experienced any of the 3 situations, you better not believe the company.
Now, let’s take a look at some genuine work-from-home jobs and how much they are paying to the employees
Finding a genuine work-from-home job is not really too hard if you have registered yourself with a bona fide job portal.
Take a look at the 7 work-from-home jobs that are gaining popularity among Americans.
1. Customer Service Representative
The trend of working as a work-from-home customer service representative is in rage in the US. Reputed customer service firms are hiring employees in their thousands who are willing to work as home-based customer service representatives to earn their living.
Employees are getting paid around $10 per hour and when you fulfill the criteria of working more than 1,000 hours, some companies are willing to offer you 401(k) benefits as well.
You are getting all these benefits simply on a work-from-home basis.
2. Survey Participant
It is one of the latest work-from-home-and-make-money trends that has emerged in the market. The MNCs (Multinational Companies) are ready to spend millions of dollars on it. If a new product is launched in the market, the MNCs first want to get reviews from common people and consumers regarding what they think about the product – whether it is better than the other products in the same category or it is not up to the best in competition with the other products.
Here, the need emerges for surveys and survey participants. The income is not bad either. You may earn around $100 per week as a survey participant, if you spend a lot of time and stick to the legitimately paying ones.
This is where you have to be very aware! There are too many fraudulent companies waiting to catch their prey in the online survey market. They pounce on your personal information by baiting you with high earnings, but have no intention of paying.
So be cautious before giving any sensitive information to online survey companies. Stick to the well-known ones that have been around for some time, and you should be fine.
3. Online Tutor
Skype, Zoom and other web interface tools have made the teaching job oh so easy!
But of course, to be an online educator you need to have a minimum college degree as well as proficiency and patience in explaining everything simply and clearly to your students.
There is no dearth of jobs for virtual tutors. Mathematics, sciences, and languages teachers are always in high demand.
Earning is not bad too. You may earn about $15 per hour if you can establish yourself as an effective and reputable online tutor in your specific subject area.
4. Website SEO Checker and App Tester
The more our society is turning digital, the more demand is growing for virtual website SEO checkers and app tester jobs.
The website SEO checker has to check a particular website virtually and give his or her expertise review about the website’s performance in terms of search engine optimization.
The Application Tester job demands from him or her to test an online app, and provide feedback pertaining to how well the app is working, improvements to be made to the user interface, features and functions, etc.
These checking and testing jobs can give you $60 per test. How much money you want to earn depends on how much checking and testing you are conducting every day.
5. Virtual Data Entry Operator
Many business firms in the US prefer to hire virtual data entry operators rather than providing a physical space for them in an office. Their work profile includes data entry and data researching.
A virtual data entry operator can earn around $960 per week or around $4000 per month on the high side, depending on the company itself, and the skills needed for the job. It is definitely not a bad income at all.
6. Freelance Writer, Editor, or Proofreader for Online Content
According to Marketing Mag, the market for online content is around a $300 billion industry in the US. Freelancers serve as one-third of the total workforce in the US.
These 2 statistics are enough to help you understand the demand for online freelance writers, editors, and proofreaders.
The income is also not a small one. You may earn an average of $30 per hour as an online freelance writer, editor, or proofreader.
7. Virtual Personal Secretary
This is another virtual job profile that has enormous potential to grow in the US. Many small and medium-sized companies are preferring to hire a virtual personal secretary over having a physical secretary on the payroll.
These virtual personal secretaries are capable of doing every type of job like travel arrangements for his or her boss, event organizing, etc.
The salary structure is good too. According to data published by Payscale, 90% of virtual PAs (Personal Assistants) are currently earning $28 per hour. It means they will get $32,000 to $57,000 as their salary per annum and that too without having included the bonus yet.
You can easily apply to become a virtual PA as long as you meet the eligibility criteria, preferably have some prior experience, and have good testimonials from previous companies to back you up. But make sure the company you are applying to be a virtual secretary with is legitimate.
At the minimum, do some background check on the company.
What does the FlexJobs report say about legitimate and illegitimate home-based jobs in the US?
A survey conducted by FlexJobs is enough for you to feel the shiver down your spine.
FlexJobs found that the ratio between legitimate work-from-home jobs and fraudulent jobs is 1:60 in America. Among 60 fraudulent jobs in the market, only a single true work-from-home job is available.
The survey has gone deeper to find that among all the job seekers who are trying to find a work-from-home secured job, 20% has been a victim of the scam-job offering companies. So, beware before taking any home-based-job-related decision and avoid making financial money mistakes.
Have you already become a victim of these fraudsters? Contact federal agencies first
The US federal government has 2 bureaus that may come to your help if you have already become prey to fraudulent practices.
● You may call the Better Business Bureau to file a complaint against the company.
● The FTC or Federal Trade Commission may help you if you are cheated by any fraudulent company.
Check the websites of these agencies and lodge a formal complaint against the scam company through an official email or by making a call to the relevant agency.
What else?
MMO (Making Money Online) jobs are definitely on a growth path in the US job market. But apart from legitimate jobs, there are numerous fraud companies that are roaming the market. You should do good research about any company before making your final decision.
Good Luck.
Valentina Wilson is a personal financial blogger. She loves to analyze personal financial matters and help others manage their finances in a better way. Traveling is also her passion. She loves to travel and explore different places by herself.
To connect with her, go to http://www.bestdebtconsolidation.org | Facebook | Twitter.