This article is by guest blogger Sarah Lam - Writing Consultant.
“I will never get cheated”. People always say so. At least you think so.
Too bad you never know when someone will cheat on you.
It is time to review again, how you can avoid scams whether you are looking for work or business opportunities.
There are eight tips to remember.
1. Too good to be true.
When someone is making an offer you can’t even believe it, chances are the offer is a scam to lure you into giving all your hard-earned money to the irresponsible people behind the scam.
2. Use your common sense.
I am sure you are old enough to think logically at all times. If you come across a job offering you all the money you want and yet you have nothing much to do, just how true can that be? There is no free lunch.
3. Get rich quick? Think again!
There is no such thing as get rich quick scheme that really works. With so many stories around the world involving get rich quick schemes, you should have known better that they are all scams.
4. Think hard before you agree on any deals.
Yes, think, think and think again many times before you say ‘yes’ to any deals anyone offers to you. If someone offers you RM5000 a month just to work as a data entry at home, think of those who earn RM5 per hour as a data entry in the office. If it is so easy to earn RM5000 a month, then there won’t be anyone working for a mere RM5 per hour.
5. Why pay for a job when you are supposed to get paid to do the job?
This is the question you need to ask yourself when you are looking for a job. Job agency? It is better to do your research before engage in any job agencies to find a job. Never pay any money to get a job.
6. Ask as many questions as possible during interviews.
When you are going for an interview, make sure you ask the job scope, the salary range, the working hours, the terms and conditions and of course, the benefits of working for the company. Chances are if any of the answers are suspicious enough for you, they lied. Think of as many questions you want to ask so you get to know more about the company and the people behind it.
7. No one offers you a job before an interview.
Just as much as we want to know our potential employers, they want to know about us too. Therefore, usually before you secure a job, you have to go through interviews. If someone offers you a job without having an interview, beware!
8. Look out for work-at-home scams.
Scan the newspapers and I am sure you get a lot of classifieds claiming that you can earn big money while working at home. I don’t deny the possibility but it is the way they conduct the business that is the scam. I know there are many people who wants to work at home. In fact, I am working at home.
Once, I sent a payment of RM80 for an ‘instructional CD’ complete with the ‘materials’ I need to start my own home business. I realised that whatever I have received from them are useless or to be exact, garbage.
Usually, they will talk about how much you can earn by doing small jobs such as sending out letters and so on. Then, they will proceed to ask you to pay a ‘small’ amount of fee to get started. By that time, you will believe it is true that you will hand the money to them instantly. The payment is usually through bank-in. Beware! Never trust such a scheme. It doesn’t work. They are the only ones who will be rich and you will get poorer as soon as you bank-in the money.
With these tips, I hope you will be better equipped the next time you search for a job. Good luck!
