Work from Home Scam
Yet another kind of social media scam that has come under the radar of security officials is the “work from home scam”. This blog explains how such scams work, and how can you steer clear from them.
Work from home scams are mostly linked to people who are unemployed and look for jobs that can be carried out from the comforts of home. Such jobs promise attractive salary and purport better work life. With Internet reaching to every nook and corner of the world, scammers do not have to sweat to lure people into such scams.
How do Work from Home Scams Work?
The main methods that scammers use to execute such scams, include spam emails, advertisements and even noticeboards. Such scams may advertise different jobs so that they attract people from different backgrounds.
Here is an apt example of a work from home scam we came across off late:
We came across a work from home advertisement, offering an easy job of selling products of online warehouse websites. We had to sell these products as daily deals and services on our website. The advertisement also provided with the necessary tools for creating our own website and sell these products. And the more of these products we sell, the more money we bring in. Seems like an easy and decent job doesn’t it? Even we thought so. But, when we began to register for the job offer, we landed on a page where we had to make an online transaction of Rs. 4000, as the registration fee. It was at this point that we steered away from getting tricked from yet another online marketing scam.
Our malware team has recently discovered that such adds are being posted on social media sites like Facebook. Here’s a screenshot of it.
Work from home adds usually appear on the left or right hand side of the page of a website. Here’s an example of an add that purports the employer as Google, promising a ridiculous pay of Rs. 4000 an hour. (Click on the image for an enlarged view.)
At Quick Heal, we feel responsible for informing netizens of these and other types of scams. Comprehensive security solutions like that of Quick Heal come handy in blocking spam emails (which usually carry such advertisements). As far as the adds that appear on websites are concerned, you have to stay wary of them and most importantly, updated about all such scams.
51 Comments
Thank you for posting this article. I have been looking for some real work from home option for last two years but have not landed at any. All sites take you to a initial registration amount ranging from 1500 to 5500,for CDs,training kits, etc. I was wondering if there is some govt.official site where we can report such scams creators.
Recently on Facebook page also a work from home Ad. asking 5450/- for training CD & Kit has been alive for sometime.
Yes, Abs. true and people seldom give thought to such thing. That’s why there is beg business in this. There main catch is student , who bought Laptop/Pad & get attracted to earn money while studying.
I wish many more & more people read this.
ya i known that
thanks soumya for this type of information it is a very good and nobel effort for QH user and i m also one of them since last 5 years and read blogs on regular basis thats why i m safe from these types of things and viruses thank to you all
Thanks a lot QUICK HEAL for your uprightness in informing the gullible Public.
Many a thought crosses one’s mind at the prospect of “earning from home” before it becomes too late and you start “learning from home” that you have been made a fall guy.
There are also these pup-ups that prompt “run your pc faster” when we open our Laptop…do give us an idea whether these are also destructive.
Thanks Soumya and QH too for highlighting on such scams. People have to note that nothing comes easy and in short duration. People trapped in such scams are always out of pocket.
Hey thanks for informing about these types of scams which are ruining the people
Thanks again
Admin @ realmasti
I don’t say that one can not be fooled, but I think common-sense prevails and must be applied to at least such claims. Earning even a Rs. 1000/- per hour is lucrative enough (and that too from the comfort of home!) to raise eyes in today’s scenario!
Thanks for this I wish i had seen this before jan 2012. I was tricked into giving them my credit card details to them and thankfully they only took $600 nz dollars.I cancelled my card quickly when they came back wanting another $1000.00 for further training and for getting my site up on amazon and ebay.My bank tried to get the money back but they haven’t been able too. The Add I saw looked real and was on nz smilecity.co.nz site. I have seen it regularly on facebook. I still have the phone number on my phone in case they call again.I will now check these blogs more often.
Thank you once again.
Very good information for youngsters especially,who in mad hurry want to grab any opportunity to earn money.This is an eye opener for me and thousands who read this to be safe while surfing from viruses.Thanks
Very True, Since one month we can able to see these kind of ads on various social networks as well as on file sharing websites. Instead of doing this jobs, I will recommend: Anybody who wants to earn money & have internet… Go Start Your Own Blog, Write Some Useful Content (That Makes Sense), Socialize it & Try Some Ad Networks (Like Google Adsense)to earn money. Its the honest way !
I am working remotely from home since last 1 year as a web developer using tools such as .Net, CMS etc. Actually I have seen such adv. on net so much of time and as it say that u will get a high pay. This is enough to guess that they are fraud. Whereas I am getting an avg salary for my work. So be careful from such advs.
Thank you Soumya for the valuable advice. Recently I was being persuaded by one such company MTSI advertising. Their initial registration fee was Rs. 10,000/- for a monthly earning of Rs. 2300/-. For this I was supposed to watch the advertisements(?). I guess it is somewhat similiar to Speak Asia. This alert is for our readers.
Sudheer
Hi,
I took the risk last month and registered with MTSI Advertising. However, I got the first payout on 1st of the month.
I am not sure whether it is fake site but I have atleast received first payout.
Sowmya, you are abs. true on this subject. Becoz, one of my known female candidate has cheated in all respects and finally, she soldout all items in her house. Please post the articles on this issue more and more to awake the over optimistic people from India.
Once, in past I recd an email from my regular contact, enticing me to go for one such lucrative, work from home offer. The guy is not of type to indulge in such things or forward such mails. I suspected someone had hacked his yahoo mail ID and was spreading such spams through it. I called up that guy, to ask if he had really sent that mail, when he said he didn’t, I asked him to log in and change PW immediately. Needless to say he was not aware of the hacking and was thankful for being alerted in time.
I have been shouting since last 10 years to people for DON’T TRUST THESE SCAMS not only online work or fraud but many marketing company like “MLM”, chitfund, investment agencies are also frauds and scams..
just mind only one line:
IF U WANT TO EARN… WORK HARD in YOUR JOB is right concept…
PAYING REGISTRATION FEES TO EARN MORE MONEY is the fake concept…
.I don’t say that one can not be fooled, but I think common-sense prevails and must be applied to at least such claims. Earning even a Rs. 1000/- per hour is lucrative enough (and that too from the comfort of home!) to raise eyes in today’s scenario!
Hi Soumya,
Thanks for again bringing the online scams in the forepage.
People should understand that there is no easy way to make money, but there are easy ways to lose money.
hope everyone understand this basic concept.
Vikas
thanx a lot for such a useful information
Good to know that, I was not aware of it. Has QH reported cyber crime agencies, through Home Ministry If not you ought to do this as a corporate citizen. Thanks a lot.
You should have gone a little further and exposed the scamsters. Only people like you who belong to dedicated organisations could take up such crusade.
Thanks Soumya, Good Work, Scams like these are not new, but their style or Modus Operandi changes and more people (youngsters especially) fall easily. I remember ‘Speak Asia’ it was Televised so widely (and openly) one would hardly doubt, except those who like me believe in ‘nothing is free’ it may be hidden cost, indirect cost etc
Thank you very much to you all!!!
This will definitely save many from falling
into such scams unknowingly.
And it is very true that Money doesn’t come to you
easily. One has to work real hard to earn it!!
No one will give you a handsome amount just
for spending few hours on the laptop from the comforts
of “home”.
Thank you again!!
Absolutely true! The base for this kind of Work from Home jobs is the Network Marketing, in other words MLM. When someone gets registered say by paying Rs.1000/-, he will be given some tools like “free banner HTML codes” or “Text Ads” to post on Classified Websites and when people get attracted and approach, the procedure is same that they will have to pay registration fee of 1000/-. So, the person who initially posted the ad may get paid some amount for each such referral. So, the job here means posting ads and getting referrals – kind of MLM only.
People often get mistaken to see such ads “Work From Home”. They think that some kind of data entry / content writing / Image-Word conversion kind of works – but this is not true. Only 1% of such offers only may turn out to be genuine, but very difficult to get paid because of ‘accuracy’ measures.
Hope this info helps.
Very very useful warning for netizens .Thanks Quick Heal .
not bad
good
THOSE MAKING FRAUD SHOULD BE PENALISE, U HAVE GIVE IMPORTANT INFORMATION
BEST OF LUCK
Learning from MISTAKES of Others is WISDOM.
One who acts on IMPULSE pays a heavy price.
Thoughtfulness before falling prey to such traps is the sign of WISDOM,else recklessness.
But why reputed brand like Google and Naukri do nothing about it. They are getting spoiled because of this.
Good posting for those who want to earn easily from these types of jobs.
hi soumya
thanks a lot for this useful information on such a useless thing,
wish this will help a lot to those fools who r in a habbit or earning easy money.
It is wise to advise like this as people are running for easy money………Advertisement like this will surely attaract people, who will be easy pray for them……….Not this alone….Call letters in the name Reserve Bank Of India, Maruti Suzuki Ltd;, etc are also posted by fraudesters……………so be carefull……….
Thanks a lot for the advise
nic wrking
You have don a very good job. Thanks a lot for that. It is really an eye-opener. Many unemployed people will be cautious now. Thanks again. Quick Heal has done a very very good job. Henceforth we expect more such good articles from you. This is necessary.
– Atmaram Borate, Phaltan, Satara.
Thanks for this valuable news to post. I was also thinking about to join such type of online work. You have saved me….
yes that fact i had seen a fake advertisement in delhi which is also advertised in newspaper and online too. they provide a web address and required 500 rupees for registration.When i investigate it purely bogus and farad.. i requested all my friends who are seeking jobs …must verify the advertisement no on employment news paper ..
this is a great step for general awareness..thanks all quick heal team..
pls send details about this work from home
Mainly they target retirees and housewife. I also once answered the Ad and went for the Meeting where one stylish lady explained the ver simple job like typing on the computer for which I could earn upto 30,000/- At last she came to the point of registration fee of Rs.5000/- She also offered me discount if I register immediately. I asked why she requires deposit. and If necessary she can deduct the amount from my very first earning. She refused.
I realised that this is a fraud for collecting money in the garb of registration fee and then not paying on one pretext or other. I want to know why police are not taking up the matter. Perhaps they want the crime to take place first.
Thanks Soumya for this article…
oh! what an eye-opener!!!thnx quickheal team! great job! I request all of you reading this message to share this link on some social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter..thnx again for the very important blog..keep posting good blogs!!:)
Thanks but we don’t expect from our government to stop it.
please inform us for such frauds in future.
i was bit late for this information but thx 4 ur valuable information so atleast other guys cannot be trapped.
Thanks a lot for this very important information. It is an eye-opener article.
Thanks again. The unemployed persons may get caucious.
Thanks for the article. There is this mtsiadvertising.com. I had invested 5L in this advertising company and recovered a good profit in last nine months. Now this is my last month of contract and my payout is 1.7L…. which is on hold.
Earlier this company was too good with making payouts on time… but I am not sure what exactly happened but they are not giving my payout now. Also no one is picking up the call in entire MTSI, neither they are replying to my email. I hope everything will be fine.
I will update you all one I get my payout. Till that time, please DO NOT invest in MTSI (mtsiadvertising.com)
Thanks
Amol
Thank you Amol for sharing your experience and feedback. We hope you receive what is due to you.
Best regards.
Thank you soo much for the post… I was about to invest in mtsi advertising… now I will hold off….. u saved my money… but plans are good… let us know once yu receive your pendings so that we can think about investing… Satkaar