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From the little known cell phone carriers that can save you a bundle, to recognizing fake work-at-home offers

It’s One For the Money with Danielle Serino.

CLEVELAND — SPOTTING A FAKE WORK AT HOME OFFER

Have you ever seen the signs posted on telephone phones: ‘Earn $4,000 dollars a week selling from home’?  Or ads offering big bucks for transcribing medical records? Not all work at home offers are frauds, but a lot of them are. Here's how to spot them.

They ask you to pay upfront

They ask you to pay for training or require you to purchase start up materials. Legitimate companies won't ask you for money to work for them.

They don't ask for a real interview 
These days a lot of companies want to talk by phone or video chat first, which is fine. It’s usually for cost saving reasons. But, if all they want is an online chat or text, or offer you the job after asking only minimal questions, that’s not a good sign. It’s the same if they pressure you to take the job right away.

The job description is vague

The ad only tells you about their perks or has grammatical errors. Grammatical errors are usually a sign of an overseas company.

 They ask for personal information upfront

The application requires sensitive information like a social security number or financial information as part of the application. Those are likely scammers.

The best way to protect yourself is by researching the company first. And don’t go by testimonials on You Tube. Those are often paid for.

SMALL CELL PHONE CARRIERS THAT CAN SAVE YOU MONEY 
We've talked a little about this before; Mobile Virtual Network Operators or MVNOS. They are lesser known companies that use the same infrastructure as the major networks but for a lot less money. And here are some of them:

Visible 

It uses Verizon’s network, costs only $40 per month, and offers unlimited data, messages, and minutes. Plus, you don't have to buy a new phone to sign up.

Mint Mobile

This runs on T-mobile's network and has a crazy promotion going on for the next week: $20 a month for unlimited talk and text. And if you buy 3 months, you get 3 months free.

Red Pocket

This runs on all the major networks. It's $40 dollars per month for unlimited talk and text, and 10 giga-bytes of data. But there is a one- time $45 fee...I guess for activation.

Before signing with any of these carriers though, I recommend you go online to check reviews of service in your particular area.

But even if you're happy with your service, you should definitely check them out... especially since there are no contracts.

And that is, One For The Money.

Before You Leave, Check This Out