For National Consumer Protection Week (March 6–12, 2022), the United States Postal Inspection Service® (USPIS®) is focusing on work-from-home scams. Since the pandemic began in 2020, work-from-home opportunities have become more attractive to jobseekers. But is that job posting legitimate?
Many of these opportunities to earn money by working at home are often nothing more than fraudulent schemes and, at best, rarely result in meaningful earnings. Before you apply for that ideal work-from-home job, here are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Many of these postings or ads use common phrases that are meant to get your attention. Beware of any job posting that sounds too good to be true:
n Be your own boss.
n Guaranteed jobs.
n High paying positions that don’t require special training. “No experience needed.”
n Instant job offers without an interview.
2. Scammers use variations of job descriptions like these for fake job postings:
n Shipping Specialist.
n Mystery or Secret Shopper.
n Medical Billing.
n Envelope Stuffing.
3. Protect yourself with these tips:
n Check directly with the company to verify its legitimacy.
n Get any job offer in writing.
n Verify a potential employer by checking the Better Business Bureau, your state’s Attorney General’s office, and your state’s consumer affairs office.
n Verify any unexpected compensation to determine whether a check or money order is valid.
Lastly, if you are the victim of a work-from-home scam or suspect fraud, report it. Submit an online report to USPIS at uspis.gov/report or call 877-876-2455.
— Communications, Governance, and Strategy,
U.S. Postal Inspection Service, 2-24-22
