Working From Home Job Vacancy Adverts on DWP/JobCentre Plus/JoBungo websites

[Little Eva]

I'm currently not working, due to ill health, and am in receipt of ESA. Although I don't feel completely ready to start working again, I'm finding it really difficult trying to survive on the benefits, so am looking for part time jobs.

 

I am subscribed to the DWP/JobCentre Plus website called `Jobungo', and have noticed several job offers detailing opportunities for working from home s e.g. data entry/typing documents/stuffing envelopes.

 

Can anyone tell me if these sites are legal and safe, or are they all/mostly phishing traps? Or, does the fact that they are on the approved `Jobungo' jobs site, provide satisfactory validation? I have 3 main concerns. One site asks for an upfront £26.00 Registration payment. If I proceed, is it likely that I will get the promised work? Secondly, if the work doesn't then materialise, would I get my money back, and would this be straightforward?

 

 

Lastly, a few years ago, I clicked onto a link to a similar `work from home' site. It turned out to be bogus, and my email account was hacked. (My email provider then blocked my account, and it was a long process proving my innocence, and getting access again).

 

Before I contact JobCentre Plus/DWP, has anyone got any advice or experience of this? If so, are there specific companies in this field to steer clear of, and conversely, any companies with good records?

I'm desperately hoping someone can help.

 

Little Eva

Edited February 25, 2015 by Conniff

[honeybee13]

Hello there.

 

I've moved your thread to the benefits forum and left you a link to follow from the other forum. I expect the guys will be along later with advice for you.

 

HB

[honeybee13]

They seem to be US based, Little Eva?

 

HB

[Nystagmite]

My concern would be that they're asking you for money. What exactly is this money they're asking you, for?

[ericsbrother]

Run away!!!!.

I would also report the companies to Jobcentreplus as an abuse and see what they say and more importantly, do.

[tommy456]

They most probably will do little if anything at all, there's lots of non existent (ghost) job ads usually a ploy by employment agencies just to get your details on their books,they will posibly sell this data to 3rd parties As for paying a registration fee, this to me is no more than a con , I wouldn't pay any employer a registration fee, and if you really think about it why would anyone pay a registration fee that doesn't guarantee anything in return, jobungo, the name sounds ridiculous enough

[antone]

I can find nothing to indicate that Jobungo is run, owned or endorsed by the DWP. It may be that some of their ads end up on Universal Jobmatch because UJM isn't well-policed.

 

In any case, the job ads market, especially online, has a good number of dubious players involved - caution is well advised. And under no circumstances should you pay an upfront fee to any "employer" or recruiting agency: genuine recruiters are paid by the employer, not the jobseeker.

[tfp]

Ahhh...the good old envelope stuffing con. I was aware of these in the 90's. A con for two prime reasons:

 

Firstly, as others have pointed out, no genuine opportunity (other than a genuine franchise) asks for cash upfront. There is every chance they'll take your 'registration fee' and scarper. You'll not hear from them again.

 

Secondly, I have heard people actually receiving, say 1,000 envelopes to stuff. They do this within the allocated time period and send them off or even post them themselves. Only to be told they won't be paid due to the envelopes not filled or addressed properly. So not only have they ripped you off for £26, but they have effectively got you to do the work for them for free. Better still, you've actually paid them to do so.

 

Pretty disgusting (albeit not surprising) that JCP does nothing to stop such bogus vacancies. Were there any caveats posted under these vacancies? In newspapers readers are at least advised that replying to work from home schemes do so at their own risk.

 

When Cameron, Smith and McVey boast about 500,000 jobs advertised, they have no idea whatsoever how many of them are totally fraudulent.

[Conniff]

You've never been for an interview where they have asked you for money. The only money discussion will be the wages you will get when you start working.

No one asking for money for you to work for them is legitimate, companies pay you never the other way around.

 

The site auto filter will not allow certain words to be used, one of those begins with 'S' for con, so I can't put a link to the action fraud page on work at home cons.

[Mr.P]

Try this: http://bit.ly/1LCCiih - A redirect from another site.

 

Envelope stuffing is an old con - It usually involves sending "self employment" offers to other people doing envelope stuffing.

 

Another one to watch for is as an ebay lister/seller. You list the goods on behalf of someone else, take the money, pass it on to someone else, and the goods are shipped out from "somewhere". Of course, the goods never exist so do not get shipped. The buyer then logs a dispute and gets the money refunded. End result is you lose all your money & reputation as well as risk being prosecuted.

 

Third "dodgy job" is acting as an escrow agent or middle man. Someone sends you money, you deduct a handling fee, and pass it on to a third party. If the money is via paypal, you risk having a charge back being applied if the original deal turns sour. Alternatively, if the incoming money is by way of cheque or other form of paper transfer, it is likely to be a fake. Either way, you will lose money and perhaps get prosecuted for fraud and money laundering.

[jasta11]

At least some things remain consistent in this 21st century age of technology - the old 'make millions from home' rackets

 

In addition to the pitfalls already mentioned, don't forget that if you write down on your Claimant Commitment booklet or jobsheet that you intend to apply for jobs such as these then not actually do it, the JC can claim you 'failed to take advantage of a job opportunity'. Also, in the unlikely event of you actually starting the work and stopping because it's a dodgy business, the JC can then accuse you of having work and leaving it for no good reason..and we all know how that will end up. Sanction. The JC aren't interested in the quality of the job, just that you had one and left.

 

I remember these schemes from way back in the 70's. The vast majority were no good then and I'm sure nothing has changed, apart from the technology available now making it far easier to get people's attention and entice them.

[Nystagmite]

Some people have reported on here that many jobs on UJM are fake. I wouldn't be that surprised if this was one such job.

[jasta11]

The only worthy envelope-stuffing job is the one where you're paid to put the 'Redundancy' notices in envelopes and ensure they're correctly addressed to the right Jobcentre adviser.

 

I think we'd all do that for free..1000 letters a day? No problem