Rumors of my death . . .

Okay, folks I've been out of commission for a couple of weeks. No, I'm not dead. No, the blog is not dead. In fact I have over 100 posts ready to "become live" with a click of my finger. The problem with this is, Blogspot does not let you indicate automated future posting.

Oh Blogspot, when will you give us an "automated posting" feature? Truly, that's all I want for Christmas. I think I speak for many people using your wonderful system when I say that being able to write a blog post and indicate on what day it should go "live" would be so very wonderful. It would help busy people like me become much more consistent in our blog posting . . . thus allow you guys to hold on to your large blog audience . . . thus create more revenue for you. Please, please ole' great programmers in the sky of blog universe -- could you make this happen for us lowly bloggers?

Just for my readers, I didn't forget about you. I just couldn't lift my head from the pillow for a week. And then last week I had to catch up on work (you, know the thing that pays the bills? -- I'm not a millionaire yet). But I'm back now, so look for more help in finding telecommuting jobs, more discussion on mad schemes to make more money, and tips on how to KEEP said money.

Thanks for understanding.
Telemill

There would have been no housing bubble if we would have followed 2 simple rules . . .

Stumbled upon a blog called Everything Finance . . . good stuff, go read. The author had a simple, yet very truthful post on the 25 ways to grow rich (actually, to live comfortably). And he/she bolded rules 3 and 4.

3. Spend no more than 2 1/2 times your income on a home. For a down payment, it's best to come up with at least 20%

4. Your total housing payments should not exceed 28% of your gross income. Total debt payments should come in under 36%

And I thought to myself, what the hell happened to good old-fashioned common sense? The above rules make utter sense. And if we would have held FIRM to that sense (by "we", I mean the collective population) we would not be in a housing bubble (or housing deflation) right now. How did this happen? Did greed really make this happen? "Greed" is really that powerful that we will set aside good sense to follow it -- to believe that gaining 10% - 15% - 25% appreciation in one year can carry on forever? Did people REALLY and truly believe this? Or were they just bull-shitting so the next guy would jump in the game and continue the "appreciation" run?

I mean, the people that bought a house for $600,000 put $10,000 into "renovations" and turned it over the next year for $750,000 . . . did they really believe that this would continue? Or in the back of their mind they said "Whoo, got away with it. Hope this crazy "appreciation" scam holds out 'til I sell my other three houses."

The two rules above are so common sense, so "fundamental" -- how did we get into the 5 and 6 times your salary for a house purchase is okay pot? Are we the simple minded frogs that get cooked alive because the heat was slowly turned up?

Scammer Fee #8 - Make Sure You're Serious Fee

I see this statement all the time. 'We request that you send us $25 to make sure you are a serious applicant.'

Yeah, right! Let me show you the ridiculousness of this statement.

Let's suppose you own a company, BCD Inc. You need an employee. You look at two resumes and competency test scores. One guy really fits the bill. This guy has experience, the skills and
education you need; and in addition, you see from his competency scores, he's fast and accurate too. The other applicant has the skills you require, but he's kinda slow and has a questionable
employment history (actually, he has been fired from his last two jobs). Now BCD Inc., also requires from applicants a 'make sure you're serious fee.'

Now this is the dilemma, what if the first applicant doesn't have the money? What if the second questionable applicant does have the money? Would you hire the questionable guy?

Let me answer for you . . . NO you wouldn't. You would want the better employee that will work fast, do a better job and make you lots of money. You wouldn't care about how much money an employee has to give you, because that is not where your bottom-line - your profits - come from. Your profits will come from competent and fast employees doing the business of the business. Would you actually turn down a great employee just because they don't have an admissions fee? A materials fee? A starting fee?

Yeah, when you look at the telecommuting from the employer's eyes -- all those scamming schemes become real clear don't they?

Congratulations, you have passed Scammers 101. Go out and get that work-at-home jobs with confidence that you will NOT become a victim of a scam.

Other ways scammers try to get ya':

Scammer Fee #2 - Administration Fees

Scammer Fee #3 - Software Costs

Scammer Fee #4 - Materials Fee

Scammer Fee #5 - Starting Fee

Scammer Fee #6 - Manual/Training Fee

Scammer Fee #7 - Registration Fee

Scammer Fee #8 - Make Sure You Are Serious Fee (You Are Here)

Scammer Fee #7 - Registration Fee

"We find your resume impressive and would like to offer you the job we advertised. But before we can proceed, you must pay our registration fee."

Puleeze!

The only time I've paid a registration fee is to take a college course, join a conference or drive my car. I'm not paying registration fees for a job. I don't care if your company's headquarters are in another country. If you really want my skills, my knowledge and my know-how to help you company make money -- you'll pay my registration fees, buddy.

Other ways scammers try to get ya':

Scammer Fee #2 - Administration Fees

Scammer Fee #3 - Software Costs

Scammer Fee #4 - Materials Fee

Scammer Fee #5 - Starting Fee

Scammer Fee #6 - Manual/Training Fee

Scammer Fee #7 - Registration Fee (You Are Here)

Scammer Fee #8 - Make Sure You Are Serious Fee

Scammer Fee #6 - Manual or Training Fee

Have you heard about the new manual fee? No? How about a training fee?

If you have encountered this fee, it means you must pay for the instruction on how to do your new job. Let me say this again, in case you didn't get it. The employer is asking you to pay for your own on-the-job training! What the . . .

Let's pretend . . .
It's the first day of your new job. The office assistant shows you to your desk. The boss greets you and asks you if you are ready to get to work. You answer yes and rub your hands eagerly.

'Okay,' he says, 'I'll tell you the first few duties that's required for your job, but first you must pay me $25.00 for my time and the hand-outs I've prepared to help you understand the tasks you need to complete.'

Huh?

Don't laugh; this is not so ridiculous. This is exactly what happens when you accept the Manual and Training Fee requests of scam artist employers.

Nope. We're not falling for that one either.

Other ways scammers try to get ya':

Scammer Fee #2 - Administration Fees

Scammer Fee #3 - Software Costs

Scammer Fee #4 - Materials Fee

Scammer Fee #5 - Starting Fee

Scammer Fee #6 - Manual/Training Fee (You Are Here)

Scammer Fee #7 - Registration Fee

Scammer Fee #8 - Make Sure You Are Serious Fee

Scammer Fee #5 - Starting Fee

Starting Fee? What the heck is this? I've never had to pay an employer to start working!

Well, many scammers would gently explain to you (like you were some kind of slow-minded individual) that there are many people who want to work from home. That you are one of the fortunate few being considered. That they have been burned by those wanting to work from home in the past. So, what they want you to do is send them some money -- a starting fee. And with your first paycheck (an indicator that you are doing the work properly) they will refund that fee in full. It's just a way to protect themselves from those awful people who are scamming businesses by saying that they want to work from home. (funny!)

Whenever I've started a job, I was always concerned with how much 'I' (the employee) would be paid and when my first check would arrive. Working off a starting fee or waiting for a refund of my money is not my idea of successfully working from home.

Question: Have you ever paid an non-telecommuting, regular "brick and morter" employer a starting fee?

I don't think so.

Other ways scammers try to get ya':

Scammer Fee #2 - Administration Fees

Scammer Fee #3 - Software Costs

Scammer Fee #4 - Materials Fee

Scammer Fee #5 - Starting Fee (You Are Here)

Scammer Fee #6 - Manual/Training Fee

Scammer Fee #7 - Registration Fee

Scammer Fee #8 - Make Sure You Are Serious Fee

Tele-Jobs: VIPdesk

"VIPdesk specializes in delivering Concierge Programs, Virtual Contact Center Services, and Reward Redemption Services for national brand leaders in the travel, auto, financial services, and retail industries."

Don't worry, they are looking for "employees," so send your resume (you don't have to incorporate).

Go to "Join our Team" in the menu bar.

You May Wish to Read About:

Other companies that offer Telecommuting Jobs

************************************************************************

Please remember, dear job hunter, if your qualifications and experience do not fit the position, do us all a favor and refrain from applying. Employers do not want to be bombarded with resumes of people who can not do the job.

Scammer Fee #4 - Materials Fee

The materials fee is the excuse used typically for work-at-home crafts positions.

This one is easy to avoid. Ask them where you can purchase the materials. What third party or wholesaler do they recommend?

If they can't offer that information because they must supply the materials 'to guarantee quality of the product' then ask them:
'Why are you giving away your tax deduction?' Remember, all items purchased by a business are tax deductible, if they have you purchase it, they are gaining an income.

And believe me, these scammers have made their business income when you've send the check for the materials.

Other ways scammers try to get ya':

 Scammer Fee #2 - Administration Fee

Scammer Fee #3 - Software Costs

Scammer Fee #4 - Materials Fee (You Are Here)

Scammer Fee #5 - Starting Fee

Scammer Fee #6 - Manual/Training Fee

Scammer Fee #7 - Registration Fee

Scammer Fee #8 - Make Sure You Are Serious Fee



Scams, Schemes, and Fraud: How Not to Become a Victim by Johnson, Shir (Google Affiliate Ad)

Tele-Jobs: Tutor.com

From their website:

Tutor.com is the world leader in live, on demand tutoring and homework help services. Every day, thousands of students come to us for help with homework, projects, essays, exam review and research. We connect each student with a real tutor, for a live, one-to-one tutoring session online. Students who use Tutor.com tell us that we've helped them complete their homework assignments, improve their grades and feel more confident about their school work.
Tutor.com seeks highly motivated contributors with the ability and desire to operate in a challenging, fast-paced environment to fill the following roles and job locations. If you would like to apply, please forward your resume, cover letter and salary requirements to hrjobs@tutor.com.

Visit their website and click on "Become an Online Tutor" - this is the category with the most home-based jobs.

You May Wish to Read About:

Other companies that offer Telecommuting Jobs

************************************************************************

Please remember, dear job hunter, if your qualifications and experience do not fit the position, do us all a favor and refrain from applying. Employers do not want to be bombarded with resumes of people who can not do the job.

Telecommuting Jobs, Work at home jobs, telework, hom

Scammer Fee #3 - Software Costs

All software and equipment costs so employees can get the job done are tax deductible for the business which hires the employee or independent contractor.

If you need special software to do the job, you (the job seeker) should never purchase it from the employer. Note that I did not say, 'Never buy software needed to fulfill a position.' You may purchase software, just get it from someone other than the employer. Find out if you can purchase it from a large chain
store or the actual software company instead. If the employer IS the software company then one of the perks of working for a "real" employer is -- you guessed it -- free software use at the job!

You see purchasing from the employer means they generate income from the sales of the software, not from whatever they claim to do. This especially applies to those in clerical positions. Look through the Sunday Classifieds in your local paper. Examine the clerical positions - what software are employers requiring? They usually require either WordPerfect or Microsoft Word, right? Do you see any other off-brand name software in these listings? Probably not. You see everyone is using well-known software these days, everyone has 'standardized' the skills needed. Why would this company be the only company in the nation to use a special word processing package?

Even as an independent contractor working with software companies. If the client wishes that I use their software -- they give it to me free of charge. It's just common courtesy and expected if you are going to work for them and help them make the big bucks, right?

Don't fall for the old -- you have to buy this software from us -- trick.

Want to know more ways scammers separate you from your money?  Read these blog posts too:

Scammer Fee #2 - The Administration Fee

Scammer Fee #3 - Software Costs (You Are Here)

Scammer Fee #4 - Materials Fee

Scammer Fee #5 - Starting Fee

Scammer Fee #6 - Manual/Training Fee

Scammer Fee #7 - Registration Fee

Scammer Fee #8 - Make Sure You Are Serious Fee


Scams, Schemes, and Fraud: How Not to Become a Victim by Johnson, Shir (Google Affiliate Ad)

Scammer Fee #2 - The Administration Fee

Many scammers will send you an e-mail talking about how excited they are about your resume. How they can't wait to meet you or talk to you. But first, before you can proceed any further in the application process -- you must pay an Administration Fee. You see, there are so many people that want this job, and your would-be-employer needs to differentiate between the "serious applicants" and the "not so serious applicants."

Get real! Let me show you the silliness of this type of fee.

Have you ever encountered a regular, on-site employer that has ever asked for $10 or $20 dollars to process your application or your employee records? Have they asked for money to set you up with a desk, a phone and e-mail service for you?

If you haven't yet realized, it is unethical to ask an employee to pay for something that a business can receive a tax deduction for doing. Yes, companies receive a tax deduction for equipment, software, furniture, salaries and benefits of their employees. On the other hand, everything you (the employee) purchase from the company is considered income for that company and is taxed.

Now ask this question the next time someone asks for payment of administrative fees: 'Isn't this a tax deductible for your business? Why would you want me to pay for that?' And watch them squirm.

If they are in business to sell a product or a service, then their fees to their clients should cover all employee costs, period. If their business can not cover employee's costs then you don't want to work for them. Look, if they can't afford the costs to "look" for viable employees -- then there is great doubt that they have enough money to pay your salary. Case closed.

Don't be a sucker for the Administrative/Processing Fee line.

Other ways scammers try to get ya':

Scammer Fee #3 - Software Costs

Scammer Fee #4 - Materials Fee

Scammer Fee #5 - Starting Fee

Scammer Fee #6 - Manual/Training Fee

Scammer Fee #7 - Registration Fee

Scammer Fee #8 - Make Sure You Are Serious Fee



Scams by Bercowetz, Cynthia S. [Paperback] (Google Affiliate Ad)

Scammer Fee #1 - A True Employer Will Not Ask You For Money

It seems that there are a lot of people looking for work-at-home opportunities and are still getting scammed out there. In light of this problem, I thought I would begin October with a little lesson in how not to become a victim of work at home scams.

This is a multi-part series that will hopefully give you enough information that you can effectively look for telecommuting jobs without the fear of being ripped off by the many (and I mean tens of thousands) of people that are looking for those individuals so desperate to work from home that they will try anything . . . even things that don't sound or look right.

First of all, I want to say to those looking for telecommuting work, know that a true employer will NOT ask for your money. In a "real" work opportunity, money goes from the employer to you (not in the other direction - ever). So, if you make a pact with yourself to never give money to a potential employer than you have won 80% the battle of never getting ripped off. There is still that chance that you do work (spend valuable time and energy) and an employer neglects to pay you for it. But that does not happen very often, because the real goal of scammers is to get your money and get ghost (disappear).

I hope you benefit greatly from Scammer 101 lesson plan. Let me know if you like it and please don't hesitate to share your scam stories . . . you never know how it could help out a fellow reader of this blog.

Want to know more ways scammers seperate you from your money?  Read these blog posts too:

Scammer Fee #2 - The Administration Fee

Scammer Fee #3 - Software Costs

Scammer Fee #4 - Materials Fee

Scammer Fee #5 - Starting Fee

Scammer Fee #6 - Manual/Training Fee

Scammer Fee #7 - Registration Fee

Scammer Fee #8 - Make Sure You Are Serious Fee

I haven't seen that many fees since I last opened a bank account with Bank of America!


Scams, Schemes, and Fraud: How Not to Become a Victim by Johnson, Shir (Google Affiliate Ad)