Whenever somebody uses a search engine like Google to look for data entry jobs the first few pages will be filled with ads claiming that anyone can do this work and make piles of money. Such an unbelievable statement is the first tip-off that these companies probably won't deliver what they promise.
The second red flag is the small registration fee, which they say is to cover the expenses of running the business and of course to ensure you are serious about doing the work. Before sending hard earned cash away to these companies, stop and think.
How Would You Know if a Data Entry Job is Fake?
The first thing that should alert anyone this is a scam is the registration fee that is required before a worker can begin. They should be paying the workers and not the other way around. Pay close attention to the layout of the website. If there are big pictures of dollar notes, fancy cars and other expensive items then proceed with caution. A real data entry company will never look like this.
Secondly, check with the Better Business Bureau and see if there are any complaints against the company. As good and as real as it might seem research is still necessary. No company anywhere in the world will pay somebody thousands of dollars a week to type and to copy/paste content. Jobs that are this profitable so quickly simply do not exist in the real world or in cyberspace.
Finally, fake sites will have no customer support, no place for members to post their comments and won't return any e-mail or phone messages. In fact, there will be no chain of command whatsoever.
These data entry jobs as they are called are not jobs at all. They are risky opportunities. What is really being peddled is affiliate marketing. A person gets somebody else's ideas of how to make money from writing small ads. It sounds easy, but there's a catch. Not only would people have to know exactly how to write these ads, they would have to know where to put them.
Real Data Entry Jobs and Where to Find Them
Data entry doesn't exist in the way that most people think it does. Those who have been burned at least once with a scam are going about finding this type of job in the wrong way. The following list of jobs pay workers to carry out data entry related tasks.
- Legal and Medical Transcriptions – This will require the worker to have experience and to be thoroughly familiar with the terminology used in those professions. Anyone who wants to do this job should get comfortable with the keyboard and have exceptionally fast typing skills.
- Virtual Assistants – These professionals provide administrative, technical or creative services to clients from a home office. They can work for small or large businesses.
- Real-time Captioners – These people are court reporters that caption live broadcasts. Captions appear on the screen seconds after the words are spoken so anyone who does this job must have a high degree of accuracy on a steno machine.
- Customer Service Representatives – These workers can do their jobs from home and get paid the same wages as they would in an office.
Scott Hayden - Since joining Suite101 in early 2007, I've contributed articles about travel, history and health. My speciality is writing about workplace ...
Join the Conversation