The UnSponsored Link: Consumer Reports WebWatch's Weblog: Beware Work-at-Home Job Sites

We’ve been getting an increasing number of e-mails from anxious readers asking us to check out work-at-home sites to see if they’re legitimate or scams. Here’s a typical one we recently received:

To Whom It May Concern:
I certainly hope you can help me out. I'm looking for work, (have been out of work for 6 mnths), and have been checking out Data Entry Online Jobs. I know that there are many scams out there, and in particular am looking for some information on the website: www.online-data-entry-jobs.com offered by a Laura Kauth. I've heard good things (online of course), but am trying to be sure this is not a scam. I have emailed them 2x's now (admittedly with in the past 24 hours), and as of 2:37pm EST, have had no reply. I'm trying to find out if this is an honest offer or just another internet scam. Can you possibly help me out? Or offer me some direction? Anything you can offer would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for your time.
Theresa H.

We did a little digging and began with Laura Kauth’s underwhelming site. First red flag: The improperly sized images, tacky graphics, and neon fonts impart an amateurish feel common to sites selling snake oil. Based on WebWatch criteria alone, this site fails the credibility test due to a complete lack of contact information beyond an e-mail address, which is particularly unacceptable for a site that purports to help you earn money—but demands an upfront fee first.

The Better Business Bureau has no report on the site, but we did find a less-than-flattering testimonial on the ripoffreport.com from someone who says he wasted $50 on them.

We also found a glowing testimonial on a similarly slapdash site called Consumer Rated, who had this to say: “We were so impressed with the work-from-home data-entry programs presented by Laura Kauth. She has designed some of the best work-from-home data-entry jobs you will find on the Internet today.”

We also couldn’t help noticing an intriguing seal of approval at the top of the page from an organization we’d never heard of before, the Better Internet Bureau:

We wondered if the Better Business Bureau had anything to say about the Better Internet Bureau, and they did indeed. Turns out the BBB gave it an unsatisfactory rating “due to its failure to discontinue the use of the BBB's federally registered trademark when demands have been made to do so.”

So much for the Better Internet Bureau. . .

Using “the Google,” we ran across a site called Work at Home Jobs, one that bears an eerie resemblance to Laura's, right down to the bargain-bin aesthetics. But the resemblance runs deeper than that. Coincidently, both sites feature “proof” of their earning power with a graphic illustrating sales subtotals.

Here’s the one for Online Data Entry Jobs:

And here’s the one from Work at Home Jobs:

Notice any similarities? You should, because they’re identical, right down to the dates, dollar amounts and graphics. Of course, this could mean that both these programs are remarkably similar in terms of their earning potential. Or it could mean that they’re both complete scams run by the same outfit using the same fake cut-and-paste “proof” to try and lure desperate jobseekers into forking over their money.

If this exercise should teach you anything, it’s to do a little digging before you agree to send any “work-at-home” site any money. There are thousands of scam artists out there taking advantage of the ease and anonymity of the Internet to create scads of shoddy looking sites designed to separate you from your money. A few clicks can save you a lot of money, headaches and hassles.

We also heard back from Theresa, and here’s what she had to say: “Thanks so much for the information. While it doesn't help me get a job here at home, it will help me keep my $ in my account!”