The following is based in part on On Point Technology’s BullsEye Newsletter article: “Work At Home” & Other Scams Aimed At Claimants
Often desperate for income, unemployed individuals are likely to become victims of one of the many “work at home” scams. Unemployed persons should be aware of these scams so as to avoid becoming victims, which results in their situations becoming even grimmer.
“Work at Home” scams can take many forms, among the most prevalent are:
- Rebate processing
- Stuffing envelopes
- Mystery shopping
- Craft kit assembly
- Medical billing
- E-mail processing
- Typing at home
- Data entry
- Transferring funds and stashing money
- Counterfeit documents
- Contests of all kinds offering compensation and prizes
Some good advice is to:
- Beware of offers that sound too good to be true. Including those that promise big bucks for little work or no experience.
- Never pay a potential employer for hiring you. Legitimate employers do not ask for banking or credit card numbers in return for hiring.
- Always research a potential employer’s background. Three resources that offer free background information on businesses and companies are: The Better Business Bureau, The Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, Online bulletin boards such as scam.com provides information from individuals that know first-hand the unscrupulous tactics some companies use.
Also, unemployed persons should never use websites, other than official government websites, to file UI claims. Fraudulent websites have been charging unknowing individuals a fee in order to file a UI claim on their behalf.
Some of the websites pitch false hopes of being promised quicker service or assistance with a problem claim. To the contrary, if the claim actually ever gets filed at all it is more likely to delay the process, not hasten it.
The New York State Labor Department recently became aware of this scheme being perpetrated in their state. It is a scam that has been ongoing in a number of states over the last several years and unfortunately accelerated by the recession. New York Governor David Paterson summed it up best when he said, “The message here is clear, there is no cost to sign up for Unemployment Insurance Benefits. If you are told differently, then it’s a scam.”
Remember that non-government sites are not endorsed in any way by state governments. Users could very well become victims of identity theft in dealing with non-governmental sites promising assistance with unemployment insurance claims. Users of non-governmental sites may have a delay in receiving benefits or even jeopardize their eligibility to collect benefits.
I’ve just sent letters to Members of Congress on the Appropriations Subcommittee that deals with foreign aid letting them know I oppose the President’s request for $2.7755 billion in military aid to Israel for FY2010. Israel routinely violates the U.S. Arms Export Control Act and Foreign Assistance Act by using U.S. weapons to commit human rights violations against Palestinians. Join me in taking action to oppose more military aid going to Israel by 
