If you are an aspiring virtual assistant or you simply want to earn extra cash or even a full-time income, one good way to do it is to do data entry jobs. It is one of the most popular freelance jobs today.
However, due to its popularity, more and more data entry scams have popped up over the years.
This makes it hard to find a good data entry job. That is why you must know how to avoid data entry scams if you want to get into this kind of remote work. In this guide, I will discuss the things you need to remember so that you can easily spot data entry scams and avoid them.
This will help you land a good data entry job where you can earn extra cash or even a full-time income and stay safe at the same time.
So, let’s go ahead and get on with the guide, shall we?
What is a data entry job?
Let’s discuss what a data entry job is before we talk about the things you need to know to avoid data entry scams.
By doing so, you’ll understand better what this job entails, and hopefully, it will also give you insight into how to avoid new scams for this kind of job in the future.
According to Indeed (one of the leading freelance job platforms today), “Data entry is a type of clerical work that involves using various processes like typing and voice recording for entering data into computers.” So, it’s a type of job that involves little analytical skills. In short, it’s a job that is easy to do. All you need is time and basic computer skills, and you are good to go.
This is why it’s a popular way to earn money, because almost anyone can do it. Due to its popularity, more and more people also fall victim to data entry scams. In the next section, I will discuss the usual types of data entry scams that appear online.
Types of data entry scams
Now that you understand what this job entails, let’s discuss the common types of data entry scams you can find online. You will typically find these scams on freelance platforms, but sometimes, these scammers also have their own websites.
These scams are designed to take your money, personal or financial information, and even steal your identity. That’s why you need to be aware of them so that you can spot them easily in the future.
Scam #1 – Asking for money
One common scam you’ll find online (and this is true for all types of online work) is job offers that ask for money. The scam works like this. The employer posts a job offer (typically on a freelance platform).
When someone applies for the job, the employer will then require them to pay some kind of fee for them to get the job.
Other times, they would masquerade it as a form of service or administrative fee that the applicant needs to pay.
Sometimes, the employer would also ask for money in exchange for equipment or training necessary to do the job.
The latter, in my opinion, is the trickiest form of scam because it is somewhat believable. Once the applicant pays the money, they will never hear back from the so-called employer.
I have especially seen this scam on certain freelance job boards, so be careful, even if you see a job posted on an official job board, as scammers are very creative, and some freelance platforms do not filter job posts.
Scam #2 – Offering money
One scam will ask for your money, but there’s also another scam that will actually offer money. But you see, this is just a smokescreen for the scammer’s purpose.
What happens is that the scammer will send you money in the form of a check and ask you to deposit the check. Then, a few days later, they will ask you to send the money to someone else, and they will usually give believable reasons.
In exchange, you can withdraw the check that you deposited. The problem is that when you go to withdraw the check, it will bounce. So, in the end, you lost money because you sent it to a person (who is most likely the scammer or the accomplice).
All of this will be disguised in a data entry job offer. The scammer will pretend to hire you and sometimes even ask you to go through training to gain your trust. But the final goal is to just skim money from you. This scam is also called the “fake check scam”.
Scam #3 – Identity theft scam
Another scam you need to be aware of will steal your identity. This form of scam is disguised in many ways, one of which can be a data entry job offer. It's also one of the more prevalent scams, so you need to always be on the lookout for this.
The employer/scammer pretends to offer you the position, but you have to provide your driver’s license or social security number. Sometimes, they would also ask for your bank information, pretending to add it to their payroll.
So, as an applicant, you’ll be too eager to comply. Once the scammer gets all the information, you will never hear back from them. This, in my opinion, is the most dangerous scam because it can look like a legit opportunity.
Things to remember to avoid data entry scams
Now that you are familiar with the common scams for data entry jobs, it’s time we discuss the things you need to remember to be able to identify if an opportunity is a scam. These tips can also work with other forms of online jobs.
#1 – Research the company
When an employer posts a job offer, there’s a chance that they are working for a company. So, the first thing you can do is to do your due diligence. You can research the company to find out if it is legit. It’s also a good way to know what the company is all about.
If you can’t find the company online or there isn’t any information about it, then more often than not, the opportunity is a scam. Now, what if the employer is an individual who doesn’t own a company? Well, you can ask for their social media information, like their LinkedIn profile or some other piece of information that would verify their identity.
Don’t worry about offending them by asking for that kind of information because that is part of the hiring process. If the employer refuses to divulge that information, then they are hiding something, which, in my opinion, isn’t good.
#2 – Check the pay
What I mean by this is that if a job offer claims to pay you a high amount of money for little work, then chances are there’s something fishy going on. Scammers love to employ this trick to make the opportunity sound more attractive.
And when an opportunity is very attractive, then they can potentially scam more people. What you always have to remember is that “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
So, you always have to be wary of data entry jobs offering very high pay because, to be honest, this is not a very high-paying job. Sure, you can earn a full-time income from it, but the pay shouldn’t equal that of the pay of, let’s say, a graphics designer or programmer.
Those jobs require specific skill sets, and if a job requires a specific skill, it usually pays more. What you can do before you go and look for data entry jobs is to do some research about the market rate for data entry workers. That way, you’ll have some idea of the going rate for this kind of job.
#3 – Legit companies will never ask for your money
Another thing you need to remember is that legitimate companies or individuals will never ask for your money. If a job offer claims you need to pay a fee for training or equipment, then don’t believe it. It’s their responsibility to provide you with the proper training or equipment to do your job.
You shouldn’t have to pay to do your job. It’s supposed to be the other way around. That is why if you encounter a data entry job offer that will ask you to pay for something, you should immediately stay away from it.
The same is true for opportunities that will also send you money, even if you are not hired yet. Transfer of money from one party to another will always happen once you are hired. No sane company will give you money without working for it.
#4 – Poor communication skills
This might sound a bit petty, but if an employer is not good at communicating with you (i.e., poor grammar or inconsistent information relayed), then there’s likely something fishy going on. You see, headhunters or HR staff all need to have good communication skills because it’s part of their job.
If the employer is poor at grammar, or they are not giving complete or consistent information, then there’s a high chance that they are a scammer. You see, most scammers, based on what I’ve observed, have poor grammar. These are the bad scammers, in my opinion.
Scammers are sometimes not well-educated. They have the street smarts to pull off a scam, but they don’t usually have the intelligence you gain from a good education, and educated people will not go through this kind of scheme just to make money. Plus, in my opinion, employers who can’t use proper grammar should have no business hiring people.
Also, poor communication can be very vague job posts. You will often see a job post with a very vague and short description. If it only describes a job with a few words or sentences and promises high pay, it is very likely a scam.
And be careful of any job post where they try to immediately get you to contact them on another platform.
Very often, it might be to try to get you to contact them on Telegram (refer to photo above) instead of the job platform you found the job on. In my experience, when this happens, it is a huge red flag and I have personally encountered quite a few of these over the years.
Final Thoughts
So, there you have it. These are the common scams you will encounter when looking for a data entry job.
One good rule to stick with when looking for a data entry job (or for any kind of job, for that matter) is to always think whether the offer is too good to be true or not. Because if it is, then it’s probably a scam.
Plus, you should always remember that when applying for a job, you shouldn’t have to pay a fee just to land the job. In any kind of hiring process, there won’t be any fees involved. If you are looking for a site where you can find legit data entry job opportunities, I recommend you check out the best sites to find data entry jobs.
Now, if you don’t want to deal with scammers but are looking to earn a full-time income, I recommend you build your own online business instead. That way, you don’t have to deal with potential scammers.
You can check out how you can earn a full-time income online. This free guide will teach you how to build your own online business so you can earn even when you sleep.
If you have any comments or questions, I would love to hear from you in a comment below.
