FlexJobs has had to overcome a few misconceptions (I admit I had a few doubts), thanks to less-than-honest scam artists out there who are ready to cheat anyone. Fell offers a few questions to make it easier to tell whether an online placement company is legitimate or not.

• How much information do they provide up-front? Any company that has you sign up or provide personal contact information before giving you comprehensive details on what you are actually signing up for is a big red flag.

• Do the words “evasive” or “sketchy” come to mind when you look at their site and read the information? If there is anything that gives you a gut reaction causing you to wonder if it’s legitimate, that’s a red flag.

• Does the site provide contact information, including an address? If there’s a contact form, use it to try to talk with someone to ask some questions before signing up, or if there’s a number, try calling it. If you can’t reach a company as a prospective client, you will NEVER be able to reach them as a dissatisfied one.

• Check with the BBB, IC3.gov (the Internet Crime Complaint Center, a partnership including the FBI), and even just google. Google the company name with the word “scam” and see what comes up.

Not only does FlexJobs offer legitimate jobs, they have a blog filled with helpful tips for finding the right online job and avoiding work at home scams.

Happy (online) hunting!