ruth901
Dubious mini-jobs are boomingThe lousy promise of quick money
from Maria Neubauer
600 euros in ten minutes. Earning money has never been so easy!
Self-proclaimed coaches advertise messages like these on Instagram and TikTok. The dream of making quick money seems just a few clicks away. The clips appear professional, the promises concrete. But there are dangers lurking here.
If you are interested, you will often be invited to a free initial consultation. But, be careful: “What is being sold is expensive coaching. There are different tricks or different tips that these coaches give. Sometimes they are investment tips, sometimes they are also live tips, so how can I appear particularly confident or something like that,” explains Franziska Geißler, consumer advice consultant. The perfidious thing: During the free initial consultation, you are then guided through an ordering process.
The expert warns: “You'll then be sent a link, live during the conversation. Sometimes it's just a phone call and then you have to tick the appropriate box, enter your data and you're really put under a lot of time pressure.” They say: You have to invest money at the beginning, but you'll probably earn it twice or three times over in a short period of time. These promises hit a nerve. Rising cost of living, job insecurity. Many are looking for quick solutions. This is exactly what the providers rely on. But what should you do if you have fallen victim to such a scam?
“It's important that you get help quickly. You can get advice from the consumer advice center. We can then check whether this contract was really effectively concluded. Especially if you paid with such a payment service provider, you can also try to get this buyer protection involved.”
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This is what the consumer advice center advises when looking for a mini-job
If you are generally interested in a mini-job, you should only look for reputable job portals that are (also) publicly known and well rated. If you become aware of a provider, you should pay attention to the following things:
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imprint
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Reviews
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Monetary demands
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communication
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Pressure and time stress
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Realistic promises
If there is no imprint or the company headquarters is abroad, this could be a warning signal. Reviews also provide information: Only positive reviews could be fake; you should avoid many negative ones. Reputable providers do not charge money, do not put pressure on you and communicate clearly and not exclusively via messaging services. And: promises that sound too good usually are. Because serious work is not available for payment in advance, and certainly not with a guarantee of quick money. (mna)
