Freelance or Fairytale?

Everyone dreams of an easy income, working from home, and many web “businesses” are catering to this dream.  So very few are legitimate, however, and I would like to mention one that definitely is not.

I came across  an  ad for Freelance Home Writers a few days ago.  The site appeared to be legitimate and the method by which writers could bid upon job seemed to be fair, so I decided to try it.  There was a modest fee of $2.95 (which should have been my first clue that it was too good to be true), which I prompty paid with  PayPal.

After browsing the site for a while, I decided to place a bid on a job.   When I clicked on the job, I was taken to another site, away from Freelance Home Writers.  I was a little leery of this, but tried again, with the same results.  After several attempts to place a bid, I decided to do a little research, and I am so glad that I did!

After reading a few reviews about Freelance Home Writers, I discovered that the modest $2.95 fee was only the beginning.  Subscribers who do not cancel their accounts within a certain time frame will begin receving $47 monthly charges, regardless of whether the site has helped them earn anything.  This charge is automatically deducted using the credit card or PayPal account with which they paid the initial $2.95. 

Thankfully, the review that provided the information about the hidden monthly charges, also had a toll-free number for Freelance Home Writers (1-800-750-7660).  I called, cancelled my subscription immediately, and am still hoping not to see any surprises in my PayPal account next month.

Just like Mama always said, “If it seems to be true, it probably is.”  I have learned to be more cautious and I hope that reading this has helped you to avoid a dangerous scam as well.  Thanks for a better way to write, Triond!