The best way to spot a money-making scam is to become familiar with the most well known but frequently successful scams. For example, job offers that require payment before beginning employment are typically scams. In addition, a significant portion of work at home jobs are also scams. Lastly, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is; do not waste time with mysterious lotteries you did not enter or inheritance from unknown relatives with unreported deaths.
Sometimes a money-making scam sounds completely legit, but the website or recruiter asks for payment at the last possible second. This is a major red flag because legitimate employers do not ask people to pay to work for them. Often the money is for information that supposedly cannot be obtained elsewhere or books on how to complete the job. These are just tactics to get people to pay; the material will likely be handed over, but even if you learn the material, you cannot be hired for such a job without certain degrees. The job might also require turning into a recruiter yourself in order to scam other people into giving the main scammer more money for useless materials.
Money-making scams often promise that the job can be performed entirely at home. This scam plays off a popular dream to work from home, knowing people will at least be mildly curious. Even if the job sounds like the real thing, if the company does not go through the usual hiring process or neglects to interview or test your skills, it is likely a money-making scam. Most reputable companies do not hire people on the spot, with no interview or assurance that they can actually complete the job. When all else fails, search for the company on a popular search engine to see what other people are saying about it.
Inheriting a large sum or winning a lottery are a few legitimate ways to get rich quick that many people have dreamed about at least once. Scammers exploit these idle daydreams by claiming they have actually happened, but certain “fees” must be paid before claiming the money. For the most part, lotteries and inheritance claims do not require upfront fees — even taxes are paid after the property is legally yours. When presented with this type of money-making scam, it is often very tempting to pay a relatively small fee for an incredible profit. If you fall for this scam, however, the scammer will ask for more money periodically for unexpected fees, until you either catch onto the scam or go broke.
