~*~*~ THE RAT RACE REBELLION TELEWORK BULLETIN ~*~*~ Dear Reader, A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Hope you are having a wonderful week! Here in Virginia, we have Spring weather (global warming?), and the buds are coming out on the trees and the parents are getting notes from the teachers about their distracted kids. (Jazz, daughter o’ mine, are you listening?) But I should get back to work myself. Today we bring you news of our newest initiative, the Rat Race Rebellion Work at Home Court™; more on the Ashley Furniture scam (continued from last week); a reader’s question (and our answer) about becoming a concierge; and a score of interesting jobs and projects. Enjoy, and Good Luck! OUR “WORK AT HOME COURT” IS NOW IN SESSION! Chris and I receive many emails from folks who are concerned about whether a particular job lead or home-based “opportunity” is legitimate or bogus, and we try to answer every one. This has produced a steadily-growing stack of questions and answers. Since our scambusting video, too, has proven so popular, we decided to convene the Rat Race Rebellion Work at Home Court™. Here, we will discuss and judge, on a new page at RatRaceRebellion.com, whether the jobs and opportunities that people send us are good or bad. (We are assisted in the proceedings by “Ratticus Finch” -- a close relation of the upstanding lawyer, Atticus Finch, in the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.”) Our present case concerns the “Postcard Mailers Job Opportunity,” in which people are invited to earn money by mailing postcards from home. For the facts, analysis, and verdict, see http://www.ratracerebellion.com/ripoff.html . PS -- As a former Wall Street lawyer, I take great pleasure in participating in meaningful legal work for a change. THE “ASHLEY FURNITURE JOB” SCAM As you know from our email last week (and if you’re just joining us, please read on), the Ashley Furniture “Part-Time Accounts Receivable Officer” at http://tinyurl.com/3xejob is a scam. Ashley Furniture itself (a real company, with a real website, at http://www.ashleyfurniture.com/ ) appears to have no connection whatsoever to the ad. One of our readers (we will call her “Susan,” not her real name) responded to the ad and received an email from the scammers. To give you a sense of how they operate, I will include it here, just as she forwarded it to us: From: "ttomjacksonjr@aol.com" To: susan@xxxxx.com Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2008 6:45:24 PM Subject: Re: Looking for work from home. Hello Susan, We are offering this position (Accounts Receivable Officer) to all interested applicants. Please carefully read through. We serve the entire United States and a growing export market, particularly in the supplies of selected products. Superior products including Sofas & Love seats,Bedding Ensembles, Chairs & Ottomans. Your primary task for now,as a representative of the company is to coordinate payments from customers and help us with the payments processing.You are not involved in any sales for now. Once orders are received and sorted we deliver the product to a customer.After this has been done the customer has to pay for the products but in most cases we make our clients prepay for orders or items they ordered for. About 90 percent of our customers prefer to pay through Cashiers Checks or Money Orders or Cash drawn from the United States. Because of the increasing number of clients, We have decided to open this new contract -to-hire job position for solving this problem. Your First Primary task(Collection of Payments): 1. Receive payment from our Customers or Clients. 2. Cash Payment at your Bank or any cashing facilities near you. 3. Deduct 10% which will be your percentage/pay on Payment processed . 4. Forward balance after deduction of percentage/pay to any of the offices you will be contacted to send payment to. You'll have a lot of free time doing another job because this job is part-time.You'll receive good income.Get back to us with the below information so that we can add your mailing address to our regional database and forward it to our customers for them to send payments. First name.. Middle name.. Last name.. Address Line 1.. Address Line 2.. City.. State.. Zip/Postal code.. Age.. Nationality... Home phone.. Cell phone... YOUR PREFERED MODE OF COMMUNICATION EITHER BY PHONE OR BY EMAIL Your response to this email is needed so that we can re-confirm your mailing address details we have in our database.We will update you as soon as the payment is made. A swift acknowledgement of the receipt of this email will be appreciated. Thanks For Your Understanding. Mr Thomas Jackson Jr. Human Resources Department, Regional Manager, ASHLEY FURNITURE COMPANY Website: www.ashleyfurniture.com Email: ttomjacksonjr@aol.com At Ashley Furniture, We are proud of our past, encouraged for our future and genuinely excited to make furnitures for the most important people there are - you. ### What the email is describing -- poor grammar, typos and all -- is actually a classic “payment-forwarding” scam. The “Cashiers Checks or Money Orders” that the victim is promised are fraudulent. (In some cases, they are bona fide “blanks” that have been stolen from banks and other sources, which delays the discovery of the fraud.) Susan will not only lose any cash she forwards to the scammers, she may be liable for depositing fraudulent checks and money orders, as well. Thanks to the readers who brought the scam to our attention. Well done! May this piece of con artistry die a quick death. INTERNET CRIME COMPLAINT CENTER Our thanks to a Utah reader who asked us to mention the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a (US) partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. IC3 has put up an online form where scams can be reported in detail, for further action. (We’ll be adding this resource to RatRaceRebellion.com shortly.) For more on IC3, see http://www.ic3.gov/ For their complaint form, see https://complaint.ic3.gov/Default.aspx FROM THE R3 MAILBAG -- QUESTIONS ABOUT WORKING FROM HOME, AND OTHER RAT RACE TOPICS DEAR R3: I would like to work from home as a concierge, but I don’t know much about it. Where should I look? R3: Concierge services is a growing field, and we expect it to continue to expand as contemporary lifestyles wring more and more time from our 36-hour days, and businesses like American Express seek to differentiate their services and build customer loyalty through “that special touch.” VIPdesk hires home-based concierges as employees, offers training, and is accepting resumes for positions in the US and Canada. (Customer service experience is required.) In the US, the company is recruiting from Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Virginia. In Canada, they are recruiting from Ontario. You’ll find details at http://tinyurl.com/32ecpv . If you’re interested in self-employment as a concierge, I would strongly recommend a book by Katharine Giovanni, “The Concierge Manual.” At $29.95, it’s not cheap, but it’s the best guide we’ve seen for succeeding in the field. However, before you lay out any money or fill out any applications, be sure you’re the customer-service type, with a “hospitality” personality. If not, you won’t be happy in this niche (and your customers may not be thrilled that you chose it, either). SEMINAR IN ONLINE TEACHING SET FOR ATLANTA -- DEADLINE MARCH 10 A quick reminder -- If you’d like to earn primary or supplementary income by teaching online, Danielle Babb, co-author with Jim Mirabella of “Make Money Teaching Online” (Wiley 2007), is giving a two-day seminar in Atlanta, Ga., USA, March 28-29. Dani is also offering Rat Race Rebellion Bulletin subscribers a 10% discount off the seminar fee, and 15% for all members of the US military family, including active-duty servicemembers, reservists, veterans, and their spouses and widows. (Details will be given at registration.) Dani and Jim are both Contributing Experts at RatRaceRebellion.com, and are well-known authorities in the growing field of online teaching. (I can highly recommend their book, which I reviewed here last year.) For more on the seminar and the book, see http://www.teachonlinebook.com/purchasetools-i.html . FRUGAL AND SIMPLE LIVING Our ever-laboring team has dug up some new freebies this week, though they have once again felt the sting o’ the lash for coming up empty-handed on non-US deals. If you would like to save these poor, benighted souls from further abuse, please send any non-US freebies you might find to my attention at mhaaren@staffcentrix.com, and I will put away the cat (o’ nine tails) and publish them here. -- Hamburger Helper Microwave Singles (with newsletter signup): http://tinyurl.com/3bc9bp -- Dove Hair Care samples still available: http://tinyurl.com/2tsqq6 -- Privet Bloom perfume: http://tinyurl.com/2z4eqy -- Reach Access Flosser: http://www.reachaccess.com/sample_accept_decline.htm -- Metamucil: https://www.metamucil.com/cgi-bin/sampleRequest.cgi RAT RACE QUOTE OF THE WEEK “We don’t seem to be able to check crime, so why not legalize it and then tax it out of business.” -- Will Rogers Rebelliously Yours, Michael Michael D. Haaren, Editor-in-Chief The Rat Race Rebellion =>=> New Leads for Home-Based Jobs and Projects <=<= *Editor’s Note: All positions are screened, but we can’t of course “guarantee” the legitimacy of any hirer or lead, so please do your own ‘due diligence’ as well! All positions are paid unless otherwise noted. The amount of compensation is included in the summary when given in the underlying lead. Also, please note that on occasion the hirer will decide to change the description or the availability of the job or project shortly AFTER the summary is published here. (Unfortunately, we have no control over this.) Therefore, be sure to read the underlying ad carefully, and apply promptly for any job that interests you. ||||| 1. Freelance Website Content Writers ||||| Spain-based website OppSpain is looking for Content Writers. “You will mostly be writing content for our different travel and destination guides for Spain and the rest of Europe. Before writing the content you will initially have to do the research via internet but in our main office in Spain we can assist you with information when necessary.” Must have good writing and research skills. => Learn More: http://journalism.berkeley.edu/jobs/details.php?cat=free&ID=6425 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 2. Freelance Writer for Media / Publishing Firm ||||| US-based Vault, a media firm focusing on the careers field, seeks “a talented and versatile freelance writer to write profiles of consulting firms and other consulting-related materials for book projects and the Vault website.” Candidates should have at least 2 years’ professional business writing experience. Must have strong research skills, as well as “familiarity with ongoing trends in business and experience reading and interpreting financial reports.” => Learn More: http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings/jobview.asp?joid=73626&page=1 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 3. Project / Team Lead for AETNA (US) ||||| AETNA is looking for a Project / Team Lead with at least 3 years’ experience in data interpretation and analysis. Responsibilities (quoted from lead) include: - Manages the overall delivery of information and transaction products and activities. - Manages, leads, or participates on complex projects. - Oversees and or assists staff with creating complex queries, complex technical programming, and complex applications. - Strong business as well as systems knowledge required. - Able to perform reasonability checks. Salary range US$66,330 - $83,600. => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/2mhcld <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 4. Scientific Translators, Japanese-English ||||| Japan-based consulting firm ProGenomics is looking for part-time Scientific Translators, Japanese to English, “in the fields of biochemistry, molecular biology, biology, genomics, proteomics, structural genomics, clinical medicine and computers. Scientific documents and patents are the main projects you will work on.” Must be a “native or near-native” speaker of Japanese and excellent scientific English writing skills. Pays US$10-$15 per page. => Learn More: http://jobs.phds.org/job/1321/culturenova-ltd/scientific-translator <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 5. Enrollment Eligibility Representative for AARP Insurance Program (US) ||||| US-based Ovations Insurance Solutions (UnitedHealth Group), which is working with AARP, seeks an Enrollment Eligibility Representative to process new enrollments on AARP’s Health Care Options Program. Duties (quoted from lead) include: •Overseeing the proper setup of members into our system •Performing data entry •Calling applicants to collect or verify information •Performing preliminary underwriting •Drafting and sending out letters to customers regarding their enrollment status •Supporting our administrative services teams Requirements include experience providing telephonic customer service. => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/yslrfr <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 6. *IT Internships for PhDs, Graduates, Undergraduates (“Live and work anywhere”) ||||| US-based SciEssence, which specializes in scientific instruments and components, is offering IT Internships (XML, XSTL/FO, Java, PERL/PHP) to selected PhDs, graduate students and undergrads. “Internships are like extended Final Exams, lasting up to 2 months part-time or as little as a week full-time, answering questions, researching information, and developing examples.” *Editor’s Note: It isn’t clear whether these positions are paid or unpaid, so you’ll need to contact the hirer for more details. => Learn More: http://jobs.phds.org/job/1139/sciessence-llc/information-technology <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 7. Online Community Developer / Content Editor for Urban-Youth Nonprofit ||||| US-based nonprofit Global Kids, Inc., which works with urban youth, seeks an Online Community Developer / Content Editor for a short-term assignment, developing a new social networking site called “RezEd: A Hub for Virtual World Educators.” “This project is designed to provide educators using virtual worlds with access to the highest quality resources and research in the field, and to use the most effective technology to establish a strong network of those using virtual worlds for education. RezEd features will include podcasts, newsletters, best practice documents, contributor blogs, an event calendar, job postings, resource library, listserv, and other social networking functions.” Ideally, the candidate will have website development and strong writing and editing experience. => Learn More: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/267751-18 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~Advertisement~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chris and Mike here -- Do you need writing experience to qualify for freelance writing, proofreading, blogging, or editorial jobs? Want to showcase your expertise in a subject to employers or prospective clients? We recommend Helium (and it’s free!). You can get writing experience with an easy-to-start blog, and be eligible for compensation while you learn. You can also choose among many popular topics, and build your credentials while you write about what interests you. For more, just go to http://www.hemium.com/?ad=680&placement=HAP002 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 8. e-Learning LMS Administrator/Coordinator ||||| US-based printing services firm RR Donnelley is looking for an e-Learning LMS Administrator / Coordinator. “The e-Learning Administrator will act in a support role and perform a variety of T&D [training and development] activities in partnership with our seasoned T&D design team and professional colleagues throughout our company.” Duties will include “[c]oordinating centralized training administration activities, and coaching and supporting a large group of local administrators,” as well as “[a]dvising employees and managers on T&D programs and processes” and “acting as a central point of contact for T&D activities.” Minimum requirements include a Bachelor’s and 3 years’ experience working with T&D practitioners. => Learn More: http://jobs.astd.org/jobdetail.cfm?job=2829204 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 9. Newsbrief Editors / Writers ||||| The Internet-based publication Targeted News Service is looking for freelance Newsbrief Editors / Writers. “We cover government and political news. You revise, massage, shape and edit.” => Learn More: http://journalism.berkeley.edu/jobs/details.php?cat=free&ID=6424 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 10. Freelance Manuscript Intake & Cleanup (“Initial training & periodic consults in Boston, MA) ||||| The US-based Health Effects Institute, which focuses on the effects of air pollution on human health, seeks help preparing manuscripts for its scientific copy editors. “Facilitate intake of documents by marking elements for special treatment in desktop publishing. Format the electronic file with correct fonts and Word styles…Remove any extraneous characters electronically (periods, hyphens, extra spaces, etc.). Make routine editorial changes.” Must have a minimum of 2 years’ experience as a proofreader / copy editor in print production. => Learn More: http://bbboston.org/pageJobs_view.cfm?jobid=6570 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 11. Small Business / Marketing Blogger ||||| Small-business blog SmallFuel Marketing is looking for a Small Business / Marketing Blogger for two 400-800 word articles per week at US$200 per month. “The ideal candidate will be passionate about small business, an excellent writer, and have experience blogging. We're ready to take our blog to the next level, and are looking for someone to take it there with us.” => Learn More: http://jobs.problogger.net/view/1103 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 12. Medical Transcriptionists (US) ||||| US-based Archivus is looking for several full-time clinic-transcription MTs with at least 2 years’ experience. => Learn More: http://www.mtjobs.com/job_detail.cfm?RowID=14928 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 13. Account Manager for UnitedHealth Group Co. (US; MN or FL) ||||| US-based Ovations Enterprise Services, a UnitedHealth Group company providing claims processing and related services, seeks an Account Manager “to join our team in either Minnetonka, MN or Sunrise, FL.” (“The chosen candidate may also have the option to telecommute.”) Requirements include experience in Medicare or Medicaid and proficiency with MS Office. “Key responsibilities of the Account Manager include: * Interfacing with various departments within the company * Facilitating, coordinating and participating in meeting * Monitoring quality and performance * Ensuring service-level metrics are met * Understanding the needs of the client and product variations * Recognizing ways to improve processes” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/28v68x <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 14. Google Quality Rater -- English Language (“US or CAN work authorization”) ||||| Google continues to advertise for temporary Quality Raters to evaluate websites. Must know the Web well, possess a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, and have high-speed Internet. “Strong ability to read and write in the English language.” => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/36urba <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 15. Senior Java Developer, on Mac (“US citizen or green card”) ||||| US-based placement firm Advancement Alternatives is advertising for a Senior Java Developer experienced on the Apple Macintosh OS X, to assist a virtual software development organization. “Expert: JAVA (on MAC), MAC OS X, OS X UI design, Client/Server Network prog., Tomcat, Hibernate (major +'s) SWT, SWING, MYSQL.” Must have at least 5 years’ experience with Java. Pays US$80,000 - $175,000. => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/2omgmy <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 16. Medical Writer / Editor for Short-Term Project on Autism (US; “Westport, CT, area”) ||||| US-based staffing agency Writing Assistance is advertising for a Technical Writer to help a client with a fellowship paper on Autism. => Learn More: http://www.maxhire.net/clients/mh188a/jobsearch_detail.asp?reference=3551 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 17. Newsbrief Editor / Writer ||||| Internet-based publication NewsWatch Native America is looking for freelance Newsbrief Editors / Writers. “We cover Native American issues. You revise, massage, shape and edit.” => Learn More: http://journalism.berkeley.edu/jobs/details.php?cat=free&ID=6423 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 18. Google Quality Rater -- Finnish Language (“US or CAN work authorization”) ||||| Google seeks Quality Raters fluent in Finnish to evaluate websites. Must have a Bachelor’s or equivalent and US or Canadian work authorization. => Learn More: http://tinyurl.com/2saszy <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 19. C# Game Programmer for Urban-Youth Nonprofit ||||| US-based nonprofit Global Kids, Inc., which works with urban youth, is looking for a freelance C# Game Programmer for a short-term project. “The Game Programmer will work with two professional game designers, an illustrator/animator and a group of 25 high school students to help develop a game using the Torque X Builder Platformer Starter Kit.” The ideal candidate will have C#/.NET game programming skills and knowledge of the XNA design environment. => Learn More: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/267540-10 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ||||| 20. InfoSite Writer / Editor ||||| Staffing firm Volt is advertising for an InfoSite Writer / Editor to work with an Internet-based travel agency that serves customers internationally. “The Infosite Editor - SEO role is responsible for creating and loading search engine optimization (SEO) keywords into all hotel descriptions, called "infosites", contained within assigned spreadsheets in a timely manner and in accordance with in-house style and product requirements.” Requirements include at least 3 years of editorial experience and proficiency in WORD, Excel and Outlook. Pays US$18 - $20 per hour. => Learn More: http://jobs.volt.com/jobcart/job_details.cfm?JobID=210172 <= ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ******************************* That’s this week’s issue, Dear Reader. Until next week’s issue, don’t forget to visit us for fresh job leads at http://www.ratracerebellion.com/job_postings.htm ! Rebelliously Yours, Michael -- Michael D. Haaren, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief Staffcentrix, LLC Email: mhaaren@staffcentrix.com Co-author of the bestseller on working from home as a Virtual Assistant, THE 2-SECOND COMMUTE, now available at Amazon.com or http://www.2secondcommute.com. See what else we’re up to on the Web, at http://www.WAHBoom.com (our new work-at-home site for Boomers), http://www.msvas.com (our Military Spouse Virtual Assistant community), and http://www.fse-entrepreneur.com (our Foreign Service spouse e-Entrepreneur community). ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ All contents copyright 2008 Staffcentrix, LLC, "The most trusted name in home-based careers."(TM, SM) All rights reserved.