Few people would turn up their noses at a job where they can work from home. It’s one of those things just about anyone would love. And rather unscrupulous people have always taken advantage of that. So how do you know when an online writing job is a potential scam? You’ve seen the various offers/ads posted on places like Facebook or Instagram, should you bother with them?

For all the bogus types of jobs I mention, there will likely be some that are legitimate. These are only general guidelines.

The first warning flag is the popular “no experience necessary“. They are trying to attract as many people as possible, but the reality is that most real online writing jobs do require some skills or experience. Now, writing is a bit different from other online work and there are plenty of places that hire you based on your writing skills alone, without any professional writing experience. That said, any ad that stresses this should be viewed with caution, especially if there are other shady things about it.

The next thing to watch for is when large amount of money are promised, usually in exchange for hardly any work. Sure, there are plenty of well-paying gigs to be had, but the legit ones don’t go bragging about in an advertisement.

Also, be wary when hardly any details are given. A freelance writing job, advertised without any mention to subject matter, for example is suspicious. Very few places are open to you writing about anything at all. They will almost always have some kind of specific need. If they don’t have any specifics, it’s likely a content aggregator site (like Associated Content) that doesn’t actually hire you, though the ad may imply that they will.

Anyplace that requires you to pay a fee or membership should be avoided. But I’m sure you’re quick enough to realize that obvious tip.

Finally, watch for ads that promise big ad revenues in the future because the site is such a great idea. Not quite the same as what I mentioned above, as these jobs usually are clear that there is no pay now. But since the site will be an enormous success, it will soon be raking in the dough. Well, this isn’t a scam but simply an exaggerated sense of worth on the part of the person doing the hiring. Go ahead and give it a go, but don’t hold your breath waiting for the six-figure income. Everyone thinks their new site or ezine will be huge.

There are plenty of ads that give no indication of any scam, but will still end up screwing you because the people running the job refuse to pay in the end. There is no way to know ahead of time, unfortunately. There are a few places online where you can watch for warnings from other writers, such as:

• Writer Beware from the SFWA
• Whispers and Warnings from WritersWeekly.com