Work From Home Scams: 8 Signs to Spot Them Before They Cost You

A work from home offer is almost always a scam if it asks you to pay to get started, sends you a check to deposit, or wants your bank account or Social Security number before you've had a real interview. Real employers pay you. They don't charge you for the job.

I went looking for a way to help my family make extra money because we needed it. That's exactly the kind of family scammers look for: people who are tired, stretched thin and hoping this one is real. So I want to make this simple. Here are the signs I watch for, and what to do if you've already been hit.

Training fees, a "starter kit," software, a background check you pay for. A real job doesn't charge you to work there. If money has to go out before any comes in, stop and look closer.

This is one of the oldest tricks. You get a check to buy equipment or supplies, and you're told to send part of it to a "vendor." The check bounces days later, and the money you sent is gone.

No phone call, no video call, just messages. Real companies want to see and hear who they're hiring.

Big money for easy tasks like "liking" videos, reviewing products or stuffing envelopes. If it sounds like free money, it usually costs you something.

Your Social Security number, bank login or a photo of your ID before you've had a real interview or a written offer. That's how identity theft starts.

You receive packages at home and mail them somewhere else. These "jobs" are often used to move stolen goods, and you can end up in trouble and unpaid.

No real website, a free email address, a name that changes from message to message. Search the company name plus "scam" or "complaints" before you reply.

"Only a few spots left." "This offer ends tonight." Pressure is there so you don't have time to check or talk to your family.

Here's where it gets confusing. Some honest home businesses do cost money, like a tool for your website or a membership with training. That isn't automatically a scam. The difference is that you know exactly what you're buying, what it costs every month and how you can cancel. A scam hides the cost or pretends to be a job.

For businesses that cost money, I use a different list of warning signs. I share them in How I Spot a Hype Program Now. And I list the real monthly cost on every business I review.

1. Stop all contact. Don't send more money, even if they promise to fix it.

2. Call your bank or card company right away. Ask them to stop or reverse payments. The sooner you call, the better your chances.

3. Change your passwords if you shared any logins.

4. Report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The government also has a plain-English guide called Job Scams Explained.

5. Be kind to yourself. These people do this all day. Feeling ashamed is what keeps people quiet, and staying quiet helps them find the next family.

Real options exist. They usually pay less than the scams promise, which is how you know they're real. Freelance sites like Upwork and Fiverr let you sell a skill. Rev pays freelancers weekly to transcribe audio. I put more of them in my Get Paid for Your Skills list.

Scammers change their scripts all the time, and a careful one can dodge every sign here. Use this list to slow down and ask questions. When something feels off, trust that feeling.

Amazon does hire people to work from home, but scammers use its name all the time. Only apply through Amazon's own jobs website, and never pay anyone for an Amazon job.

A real job has a company you can look up, a real interview, a written offer, and it never asks you to pay to start.

Usually not much, but expect more scam messages. Don't click links in them, and never share more information.

I put the 7 questions I ask before joining anything into a free one-page checklist. Keep it next to you the next time an offer lands in your inbox. Get the free checklist here.