Searching for a job on the Internet? Don’t fall for data entry job scam!

Looking for a freelance job? You can see a lot of offerings to work at home doing data entry. Such ads on Craigslist and other job websites look very attractive because they don’t require any special diplomas or experience. You can just enter data online and earn hundreds of dollar per week. Even though this scam has been around for a long time, it is still very common - the number of people who want to work from home is rapidly increasing. So what will happen if you response to data entry job offering? 

'Make a $1,000 dollars a day! Earn money entering data from the comfort of your home! No experience needed.' 

‘Get paid to type data online! This is an ideal position for students, stay at home moms or anyone else who want to earn extra cash. ' 

Do these ads look familiar to you?

The online data entry craze is on the rise. It seems that everyone wants to earn money by typing online! Why are there so many people interested in data entry jobs? First of all, you can work from the comfort of your home and spend more time with your kids. Then, you can set up your own working schedule. And finally, there is no need to have any special qualification to enter data online, but the payment is rather high (fraudsters offer $500-$1000 a week).

No wonder that a lot of Americans want to apply for this job and start earning money online. However, we need to admit: the majority of data entry jobs are scams. When you response to the ad, you will receive an email with a job description, requirements, payment details. The potential employer will promise to send you step-by-step instruction on how to get started in the training materials. However, you will need to send one time non-refundable fee of $10 - $25 to cover the cost and processing of the training materials. 

Now you can say: “Of course it is a scam! Who can believe this stuff?” The answer is simple: people who are new to freelance world and people who have been looking for a job for a long time. You can think that you can spot any fraudulent ad, but your aunt, who has lost her job due to the recession, could be very happy to enter data online. 

Typically, the response emails are written so reasonably and professionally that you may believe that you are one of the luckiest persons in the world who have found a legitimate data entry job. The fraudsters use sentences that make you agree with them, for example “The processing fee shows that you are sincere about the job.” And you think – “Really, there are so many people who can start that important job and don’t finish it in time! But I am not one of them, let me prove it by paying the processing fee!”  

So, you jump out, submit your payment and wait for training materials. Sometimes you get nothing. Sometimes you do get the training materials, but they will explain you how to type more 'data entry ads' and convince other people to post the same job offering you responded to. Anyway, you will lose your money. 

Data entry job ads have numerous variations, but the basic implication is the same: the employers ask you to send money for training materials or other materials. How to spot a legitimate job offering from a scam? Here are some clues: 
1.    Legal businesses have contact information, telephone numbers and at least a one page website.
2.    Yahoo, hotmail, gmail or any other free mail services should make you be very attentive. Such email accounts are very easy to open and very easy to give up.
3.    Use searching engines to find out more information about your potential employer. For example, you can google a part of the data entry ad and find out that there are hundreds of similar ads posted on all job websites.  
4.    Don’t think that scammers care about customer service. It is either very poor or non-existent. You can ask them a simple question and they typically won’t answer.


Of course, legal data entry jobs exist. However, you can hardly find them behind thousands of scam ads. “Real jobs” may have nothing common with your expectations. They typically require applicants to pass a typing test and/or to have previous experience. And, since the data entry work requires only modest skills and education, the payment is also modest – from $ 8 -12 per hour.

Beware all jobs that ask your money first! You should not have to pay someone for a job. Legitimate companies pay you for work, not the other way around!