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October 10th, 2023
Working from home during the Coronavirus pandemic can be a great way to make money, but going through a work from home scam and Multi-level Marketing (MLM) scam can be a disaster for those who want to earn cash. No one deserves to be scammed, but the risks are worse when scams happen in the midst of a pandemic. These are the work-at-home and Multi-level Marketing Scams to watch for and warn friends and family about!
What is a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) Scam & Work from Home Scam?
Multi-level marketing is also called network marketing or referral marketing. While it is a strategy to sell products and/or services without using salaried workers, it is considered a legal pyramid scheme. MLM scams offer you a detailed compensation plan, which may be tempting. You will be told that after you “buy-in”, you’ll receive payments if you sell products, services, or have others sign up. Some MLM scams are worse than others, but all require caution. Meanwhile, work-at-home scams convince prospective workers that they can make real money working from home when the opportunity won’t really be lucrative or might be a complete scam.
Examples of a Work From Home Scam or MLM Scam During COVID-19
The Coronavirus has made some work-at-home and MLM scams more prevalent.
1. Medical Billing
For medical billing scams, you’ll be offered the ability to work from home or for an agency, as long as you pay for your materials or contacts upfront. While this might differ from a true pyramid scheme, you will likely lose money and end up without any medical billing leads.
2. COVID-19 Tests
In this scam, you will sign up to distribute at home Coronavirus tests or package them for mailing. However, if you pay to distribute these, you will soon realize that there is no money to be made, as the tests won’t work or will never arrive. The only choice would be to convince others to sign up for the same scam job!
3. Holistic COVID-19 Treatments
These MLM scams might include buying and selling aromatherapy essential oils, herbs, or other legal holistic therapies that the company will claim to improve your health. Unfortunately, they won’t help protect you against Coronavirus or help you get better if you contract the virus. Worse, you’ll end up stuck with products you don’t need and won’t use… and pressured to trick others into signing up… just to recoup your lost profits!
How to Avoid a Work From Home Scam or MLM Scam During the Coronavirus
You can avoid these scams by being careful and astute!
1. Read the fine print
Read all work-at-home or MLM offers that you receive and digest the details, in full. Look for anything that isn’t what you expect and ask questions. Have a trusted friend or family member review the job materials and give their opinion.
2. Search the company
Search the company’s logo online and see if it is being used as part of a scam. You can also search the name of the person wanting you to sign up, email address of a person or a company, phone number(s), and more
3. Use Common Sense
Continue to use common sense even when you really need the money. Ask questions and stay skeptical. Losing money will be worse in the long run.
4. Payments
Find out how you will be paid and any consistent payments you will receive. Beware of sending your bank information to an online job offer… even if they claim it’s for direct deposit. Wait until you’re sure the job is legit and ask for paper checks to start.
5. Online reviews
When you read online reviews, be aware that they might be fake or written by the company or a bot. Fact check the details with the Better Business Bureau.
6. Get Help with Your Work From Home Scam
If you believe that you have been scammed, contact the Federal Trade Commission. If you gave away any personal information, like Social Security Number, driver’s license, etc., and lost money, also contact the police and file a report.
If you are serious about finding a work-at-home job, avoid going through a work from home scam and MLM scam. Look for real job ads. Apply at local companies which also offer you the ability to work from home.
Social Catfish is Here to Help You!
Social Catfish allows you to search for people through multiple methods. You can also reverse search for companies using images, phone numbers, and email addresses, and more. If any job wants you to pay money upfront, move on. You should not be paying to get a job. Stay safe from the Coronavirus and job scams! Social Catfish is here every step of the way.
