| If you're struggling to locate a job or make extra money, you're a target for the most popular scam of all — the lucrative work-at-home offer. Then you must wire money back to the scammers and fill out an evaluation form of how well Western Union performed its services for you. By then, you'll have endorsed a fake check, which the bank will eventually return to you and insist that you repay. They'll send you a (forged) cashier's check for $2,100 as opposed to $1,200. They'll say, 'I'm so sorry. "Say you have a couch for sale for $1,200. I've overpaid you. In reality, such schemes originate outside the United States. "We get to prevent a lot of it with the ones who call us," she said. "But we do hear from victims. " One local doctor sent $5,000 to Canada recently in a version of a money-transfer scheme, which can be combined with work-at-home opportunities as well, she said. "It sounds black and white when we're talking about it, but scams have emotional appeal attached to them. Something that you'd ordinarily pass off as phony — it claims you can earn checks of $5,000 if you order the work-at-home kit but gives no other details — may take on a new air of legitimacy when it appears to be emailed from a well established co-worker who has already shared with you her favorite recipes and family photos. In truth, her email has been hacked and hijacked to launch the fraudulent message. It's a whole new twist on the old weight-loss scams that featured amazing success claims that came with a handwritten sticky note attached, urging you to try it, said Monica Horton, president of the Better Business Bureau of North Central Texas in the Chase Bank Tower in Wichita Falls. "They're wanting to gain credibility coming through friends — someone you know as a trusted source," Horton said. " Horton's office currently has a stack of more than $500,000 in fake checks, each one appearing authentic and made out for less than $5,000. " Work-at-home schemes may trick you by enticing you to receive checks to help you to do mystery shopping. They'll send you a check for less than $5,000 and instruct you to cash the check and shop for specific items to purchase and evaluate. You may invest hundreds of dollars to buy instructions and materials and spend hours making items like baby bootees, toy clowns and plastic signs for a company that has promised to buy them, but may end up claiming your work doesn't meet its standards. You are left with merchandise that's difficult or impossibleto sell. Chain letter ads boast that making copies of the letter and sending $10 to names on a list the company provides will return thousands in cash. "We have not come across a legitimate work-at-home opportunity yet," Horton said. She takes calls daily from Wichitans who have received questionable offers. It clouds your judgment. law enforcement. You're stuck with the couch, and you're out the money you wired back to them. The most common work-at-home scams are ads that pitch easy money by assembling craft items — no experience necessary. Will you accept that check and wire back the difference?' The checks look really good. |
Friday, 2 March 2012
Avoid the work-at-home scam
