Many students are off for summer break and find themselves searching for temporary work. Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning high school and university students looking for work this summer to avoid common job scams. Here are 10 tip-offs that the “employment opportunity” could be a scam:

1. Big bucks for simple tasks. Watch out if they promise to pay you a lot of money for jobs that don’t seem to require much effort or skill. If it sounds too good to be true, it might be a scam.

2. Job offers out of nowhere from strangers. If they offer you a job without getting an application from you, meeting you or doing an interview, it’s probably a scam. Don’t hand your personal information, especially your Social Security number or credit card information to such people. This could lead to identity theft.

3. Requests for up-front payments. If someone wants you to make an advance payment to partake in a new business opportunity – especially if it’s a big investment, or you don’t have much information about the deal – this is a red flag. “Advance fee scams” are very common and they come in many varieties.

4. They ask you to wire the money. If you wire a payment to somebody, it’s gone forever. Wire transfers of money are a convenient and perfectly legitimate service. But scam artists often ask you to wire payments that they are requesting (especially to destinations in other countries) because they know you won’t be able to get your money back.

5. High pressure to do it now. Don’t be in a hurry to accept an unsolicited offer of work, or to make a business investment, particularly if the other party is asking you to spend your money on the deal. Take your time and check it out. If somebody tries to convince you that this is a “limited time” offer and you have to act now, just tell them to forget it. High pressure is a common sign that something’s wrong.

6. Refusal to give you full details in writing. Ask for complete information in writing. Look carefully at any documentation they might provide to make sure it answer all your questions. If they won’t give details, or don’t respond to questions, don’t do business with them.

7. References are missing or a bit suspicious. A real business should be able to give you professional references, ask for references and check them yourself. Even if the references seem good, don’t make your decision based on references alone. Do a careful background check; free Business Reviews are available at www.bbb.org.

8. Contact information is missing or doesn’t make sense. Be very cautious if a company is trying to get you to accept a job, but seems to lack any established physical location with a real street address. A cell phone number and website address are not enough contact information. If there is an address, it’s worth taking a moment to check it out on the Internet.

9. They want you to buy expensive items. Be cautious if they expect you to make a major purchase of equipment, software, inventory or information in order to get started in business. It seems like it might be a real business opportunity – but it’s not; the buyer makes the purchase and never receives the things needed to set up the business.

10. It has a bad rating with the BBB. Victims do complain to the BBB about work-at-home scams. It only takes minutes to check a company’s record with us at www.tucson.bbb.org.

The start of a new year is a great time to resolve to be a smarter, safer consumer. Better Business Bureauhas 10 resolutions for 2012 that can help you fight scammers, prevent identity theft and save money:

1. Always check out a business with BBB.  Nearly 9,500 local businesses meet BBB standards and are qualified to use the BBB Accredited Business seal. Check with your BBB to find Business Reviews for more than 100,000 local businesses.

2. Get everything in writing. Do not just take a company’s word for it. Get every verbal agreement in writing to limit miscommunication and misunderstandings later.

3. Always read the fine print. The details are always in the fine print. Take time to read through all contracts, paperwork and documents in their entirety before signing anything. This will ensure that you know what is expected and fully agree to what you’re signing.

4. Be skeptical of “job offers” that promise easy money. With a high national unemployment rate, scammers are targeting people desperate to find a job. Beware of any job offer, work-at-home (more…)

As Tucson’s unemployment rate hovers around 8.5 percent, Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona is warning consumers of three Tucson-based work-from-home companies that are soliciting consumers with questionable offers for employment.

BBB received a complaint against one company, Sweet Success Publications, in which a Maryland consumer, Mary Norris, said that she sent the company $30 for a list of residences she would be paid to mail letters too, but never received a product list, and was not able to get a refund.

“They sent a letter griping at me for contacting the BBB, and told me they had a no-refund policy,” Norris said. “I don’t see how a company can tell you they have a no-refund policy if you never even receive a product to return.”

Sweet Success Publications lists a Tucson P.O. Box numbered 35083, but BBB is not aware of a phone number or a physical address for the company.

Another company, Radall Co. located at 6336 N. Oracle Rd, claims consumers can earn up to $500 per-week in their “spare time” by painting toys at home, and a third company, Home Employment Agency, claims consumers can be paid for selecting products off a list and posting them on eBay.

“A lot of people are desperate for work and this creates a great opportunity for scammers,” said Kim States, BBB President. “It’s important for consumers to thoroughly research any potential work-at-home job opportunity, especially before sending money or handing over personal information.”

BBB recommends looking out for the following red flags when searching for a job:

Red Flag: The employer offers the opportunity to become rich without leaving home
While many legitimate businesses allow employees to work from home, there are also a lot of scammers trying to take advantage of senior citizens, stay-at-home moms, students and others looking to make money conveniently from home. Job hunters should use extreme caution when considering a work-at-home offer and always research the company with their BBB first www.tucson.bbb.org.

Red Flag: The employer asks for money upfront
It is rarely advisable for an applicant to pay upfront fees or make a required purchase to get a job. BBB often hears from job hunters who paid a phony employer for background checks, training for jobs that don’t exist, or for “kits” that are required to perform the work. Always research the job thoroughly (more…)