The Eclectic WAHM

I may have touched on this before, but a recent flurry of posts on a WAH website recently reminded me of something. When looking for work from home jobs it is absolutely required to be CAREFUL about the opportunities you see. Places like Craigslist, WAH forums and even sites like Monster and Careerbuilder are littered with postings that may seem legitimate but upon closer inspection are nothing more than scams, or at the very least are questionable "opportunities."

So, as a reminder, here are some tips to keep in mind during your search:

1. If it looks to good to be true, it probably is.
When you see postings that offer big money for part time work or a lot of money for really simple tasks that is a big RED FLAG!

2. Don't even consider "jobs" that entail receiving and sending money.
Every one of these that I've seen are nothing more than money laundering schemes that at best won't pay you and at worst will land you in serious legal trouble. No legitimate business EVER needs you to use your personal accounts to transact their business.

3. Always get the business name and state of incorporation before sending your personal information.
The internet makes it very easy to check up on businesses. Find out the business name and where they are registered and check up on them. Visit the BBB, check with the Attorney General in their state. Verify, verify, verify.

4. If they have a website, find out who really owns it.
You can do a simple Google search on the business name and find out information, but you can find out more about who registered the domain at http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp.

5. Ask others' opinions!
Use forums like WorkPlaceLikeHome.com and WAHM.com to ask more experienced WAH moms about companies you come across. The great folks on those forums are so helpful and willing to share information that will help you steer clear of scammers.

Good luck out there! The good news is that there ARE lots of legitimate jobs out there and eventually you will find the right one for you.