Remote job market which is ever getting bigger by the day, from its flexibility and high work efficiency which leads to the rise of jobseekers for remote jobs.

But as the remote job market is getting bigger, so do petty scams and tricksters who wouldn’t waste a second to steal your personal info or cause you substantial financial harm.

Which makes hunting for a remote job risky. Although work from home offers a lot of benefits, many people are becoming skeptical about finding one that is legit.

In this article, we’ll discover some of the obvious scams when hunting for a remote job. And how to counter them to find you your next legit remote job.

But first, let’s understand how remote Job scams work.

How Does These Remote Job Scams Work?

Scammers make money by exploiting jobseekers in several ways.

Personal info theft:

One method is by asking for personal information, which they sell on the dark web or to companies for promotional purposes. This often leads to a cycle of scam calls and ads.

Banking info theft:

Another way they scam people is requesting bank information, and use your information for illegal activities, such as money laundering, phishing or direct fraud.

Fake check fraud:

Scammers also use fake checks, which eventually bounce and, leaving you responsible for the lost funds while they steal your cash.

How do you know if a remote job is legit or a scam?

When it comes to hunting for a remote job, there are many scams that can lead to financial and social harm.

Which makes finding a legit remote work often difficult. But there are some signs that differentiate scams from legit remote jobs.

Here are the warning signs to look for when hunting for your remote job and how to find the real ones.

Signs If a Remote Job Is a Scam:

1) Their job offer is too good.

The first sign of a scam remote job is, they promise too many benefits for minimum effort. It feels too good to be true, especially their requirements.

Such as little to no qualifications, minimal work schedule, typically 2–3 hours, with incredibly high pay, sometimes ranging between $5000 to $10,000 a month.

If you encounter such jobs while hunting for yours, be wary of the signs.

2) They don’t share much about their company.

If a remote job comes with limited info about the company, and you can’t find a proper website or social media of the company, be cautious.

Although when applying for a remote job, it’s impractical to identify every single company, but make sure to identify those who gave you a response.

Recently, these scammers are using new tricks to build trust, such as making fake websites, and building enough presence on social media to deceive you.

Always stay sharp of these signs and never share anything personal such as your bank info or driving license.

3) They ask you to pay.

Another crazy sign of a scam remote job is, when they ask you to pay for any reason. Scammers might request payment for a starter kit, training, initial courses, or even background checks.

If a job requires you to pay, regardless of the reason, it’s a clear sign of a scam. It should be them paying you, not the other way around.

No matter how attractive the offer may seem, this is a major warning sign and should be avoided.

4) They have bad online reviews or complaints.

Let’s say, you’ve decided to do some research and ended up finding a lot of negative reviews and complaints about them. Especially those related to scams or toxic work culture, it’s a major red flag.

It’s always a good idea to do some research on Google or social media to learn about the company. Search their company and founder name to see what people are talking about.

If you find consistent complaints or negative feedback, avoid getting involved with those companies.

5) Bad gut feeling.

The final sign of a scam remote job is you naturally don’t feel right about the job. Trust your guts, if you feel uneasy about the job.

Whether you are feeling uneasy because of their bad grammar, punctuation or sense of urgency.

Or their company mission, job post itself feels off, Trust your intuition and move to the next job post.

Relevant Read: How to find companies with good remote workplace.

How To Find Legit Remote Jobs:

6) Research the company.

Before getting involved with any company, do your research. It goes without saying, when preparing for the interview or just to verify if it’s a legit company.

It’s crucial to do a proper company, job post, company’s decision makers, research to get to know them better.

One of the effective ways to do a company’s research is to search about their past employees.

You can check on websites like Glassdoor to see what past employees are saying about the company to make sure you’re committing to a legit job with a healthy work culture.

7) Look for jobs on legit sites.

Avoid sites like zip recruiter and freelancer, as they tend to have a lot of scam jobs.

Instead, consider using remote job boards like Indeed, Flexjobs and LinkedIn, although not being scammed is not a guarantee, but it decreases chances of being scammed significantly.

Using the practices given in this article along with these legit remote job websites, you’ll surely find your next real remote job.

Relevant Read: How To Find Your Ideal Remote Job, Despite Competition.

8) Network with people.

One of the best tips of this article is to start networking and personally build relationships with interested companies, startups and businesses that can lead to a potential remote job.

It also means you’re personally invested in the company, doing research, reaching out and getting to know them better. This can give you the clarity on whether they’re a scam or not

Pro tip: When networking, use platforms like LinkedIn, where many decision makers and recruiters are active. When starting conversation with these people, start by building personal connections and finding mutual interests.

Avoid talking about jobs right away. And emphasize on sharing value and insight, as they find you valuable, they’ll respect you more.

Gradually share info about your career, experience, this approach helps you build trust and credibility. Making it more likely for you to find legit remote job opportunities.

Relevant Read: Best Networking strategies for Jobseekers.

9) Ask for previous co-workers or clients.

Reach out to former co-workers and clients when searching for your remote job.

They might know of any opening or a company who’s hiring and be open to be your reference. Jobs that come from trusted people tend to be legit.

However, even with the recommendation, it’s still crucial to conduct your own research of the company. To personalize your approach and make sure, they’re legit and right fit for you.

10) Look at the FIND SERVICES listing.

At FIND services, we share listings of best and legit remote jobs.

FIND Services offer global remote job, internship and career development opportunities.

To help you find a personalized and legit remote job. You don’t even need to stress and worry if it’s legit or not, FIND services got you covered.

We build a list of best and legit remote jobs from all across the internet in various industries to help you find the perfect match with remote job benefits.

Such as, ideal income, work-life balance and Job satisfaction all within a few scrolls.

Here’s our latest Job listing.

Conclusion:

Being aware of obvious signs, such as high pay for minimal tasks, being asked to share personal or banking info, or just a little gut feeling.

You can avoid falling for potential remote job scams, and with strategies like proper research, hunting jobs on legit job sites and leveraging your networking.

You’ll sure to find your ideal remote job, but if you want to go one step further, check out our weekly FIND Services remote Job listings to find your best match.