4 answers
Angy
Student
Milan, Lombardy, Italy
12
Questions
Asked
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Is this job a scam?
Hey I’ve recently connected with the CEO and founder of a startup in web design and web development and brand awareness. I asked him if he was hiring sales people and he did. He was hiring for sales people and having them paid on a commission based salary. I asked him if he could take me on an internship unpaid and he said ok. He asked me to send him his resume. So I went and created one but he replied me that it was okay if I didn’t have one. I’ll just had to send him a email talking about myself. He said that the introduction was pretty good and he hired me for the internship on the spot. I don’t know if this is a scam or not. I’ve checked on internet and nothing with scam appears. They have a instagram and a website. They look very professional on the website but the LinkedIn page said that they only had 3/4 employees. The thing that scared me the most is that I didnt have to do any interview. Should I trust this guy? He send me via email a template on how to do outreach. I don’t know could he steal my information(he has my email my name and surname and the profile picture from LinkedIn)
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4 answers
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach
488
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Angy,
I can't tell you for sure if it is a scam or not. As a start-up they wouldn't have many employees, so that's not necessarily a concern. A snazzy website doesn't tell you anything. Scams tend to have snazzy websites and nothing behind it. You should check if this business is registered and if the address is legit. Who is listed on their website, and are their roles and backgrounds specified? Google the people involved in this company to see if they have an appropriate background. Can you find out how many they have free-lancing for them? Get a contract, so at least if the company is not legit you could potentially take them to court.
Also look at what you are risking: you will not get paid, so they don't need banking information from you. Don't reveal anything they don't need to know. I suppose the work is either where you live or online? So, you won't have to pay for a move or anything. As long as the company doesn't require you to pay THEM for some made up reason, your risk is low. Their risk is low too since they don't pay you.
On the plus side, a start-up can be a great opportunity. You tend to get work/projects beyond your actual qualification/experience because they are short on time and employees. If you do well in that environment, you'll have valuable experience, a great recommendation, maybe even a job. I would say, go for it unless you find something better before you start.
I hope this helps! All the best!
KP
I can't tell you for sure if it is a scam or not. As a start-up they wouldn't have many employees, so that's not necessarily a concern. A snazzy website doesn't tell you anything. Scams tend to have snazzy websites and nothing behind it. You should check if this business is registered and if the address is legit. Who is listed on their website, and are their roles and backgrounds specified? Google the people involved in this company to see if they have an appropriate background. Can you find out how many they have free-lancing for them? Get a contract, so at least if the company is not legit you could potentially take them to court.
Also look at what you are risking: you will not get paid, so they don't need banking information from you. Don't reveal anything they don't need to know. I suppose the work is either where you live or online? So, you won't have to pay for a move or anything. As long as the company doesn't require you to pay THEM for some made up reason, your risk is low. Their risk is low too since they don't pay you.
On the plus side, a start-up can be a great opportunity. You tend to get work/projects beyond your actual qualification/experience because they are short on time and employees. If you do well in that environment, you'll have valuable experience, a great recommendation, maybe even a job. I would say, go for it unless you find something better before you start.
I hope this helps! All the best!
KP
Hey thanks for the great response. Actually you can check the website here: https://cabeysinfodeer.com/ it really looks great to be honest so I wound t worry about it. I am just a anxious person myself
Angy
Hi Angy, you are very welcome. Let us know how it works out!
Karin P.
Ok thanks. You checked the website. Is it professional in your opinion?
Angy
My McAffee blocked the site (they block lots of things). It's usually about the cyber security of the site, not a reflection of the company itself.
Karin P.
Ok well anyways even if it’s a scam I don’t really risk anything. I’ll just put it on my resume as an internship. The thing is that what is it is a scam and I am helping them sell it and then I get caught and I get in trouble with the law because of this. What are your takes on this?
Angy
You would be selling website designs to companies/people who need a good website? I don't see how that would be a scam that gets YOU into trouble. Customers would probably get some examples of the work, explain what they need and sign a contract that specifies the extent of the work and the payment. Even if they ask up-front payment and don't deliver, YOU shouldn't be in trouble.
Karin P.
Michelle M.
Actress
2317
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Angy !
I can just give you my take on this. It's good that you didn't find any bad reviews about the company. If it is an American company, go to the website of the Better Business Bureau to see if this company is registered with them. It is good if they are. The stand-out word is that you say it's a "start up" business. That means it's new, so there may not be too many things online yet about it depending. I think it's just someone who wants to sell something online which is very common in the U.S. at this current time.
The thing that I would have done differently would have been to tell the owner that yes, you would accept a commission for doing the work, which means if you sell the services - get him customers - (web design, brand awareness and web development) you'd get paid. Instead, you will be getting this company customers and business without getting paid for it. So now, you will have to work hard to drum up business for the owner, who probably has a home based remote office, and not get paid for all the time you spend helping the company. Plus, it would look much better and valid on your future resume to have put this as employment experience. Maybe he will let you change your mind and work on commission. It will be important to ask. Commission is when you sell something or a certain amount of something, that's when you get paid. If you do not drum up any business for the company, you won't get paid. There's a certain amount of incentive to work for commission. If you work for free, it's on the level of volunteer work.
The reason he may not have wanted a resume from you and just a quick e-mail exchange is because he's not going to pay people unless they help increase his business. That's all he wants - people that will pay him to do web design, web development and brand awareness (is that advertising ?). Especially that you told him not to pay you, why would he want an interview. This is not a large company that you are going to be volunteering for. It's not really an Internship either because it was presented to you as a job and he'll expect you to sell and get customers for him.
There's really nothing unusual about this. People are doing online businesses selling products or services and creating their businesses in different ways. What I see as an issue is that you deem it an internship when it's really not, so my advice is to ask him if he will do the commission for you. I can understand there's a lot of questions when applying for remote, online work, so ask the owner any questions that you have. Many people have small companies with few employees, especially remote online companies.
I hope that this job works out for you and wish you all the best !
I can just give you my take on this. It's good that you didn't find any bad reviews about the company. If it is an American company, go to the website of the Better Business Bureau to see if this company is registered with them. It is good if they are. The stand-out word is that you say it's a "start up" business. That means it's new, so there may not be too many things online yet about it depending. I think it's just someone who wants to sell something online which is very common in the U.S. at this current time.
The thing that I would have done differently would have been to tell the owner that yes, you would accept a commission for doing the work, which means if you sell the services - get him customers - (web design, brand awareness and web development) you'd get paid. Instead, you will be getting this company customers and business without getting paid for it. So now, you will have to work hard to drum up business for the owner, who probably has a home based remote office, and not get paid for all the time you spend helping the company. Plus, it would look much better and valid on your future resume to have put this as employment experience. Maybe he will let you change your mind and work on commission. It will be important to ask. Commission is when you sell something or a certain amount of something, that's when you get paid. If you do not drum up any business for the company, you won't get paid. There's a certain amount of incentive to work for commission. If you work for free, it's on the level of volunteer work.
The reason he may not have wanted a resume from you and just a quick e-mail exchange is because he's not going to pay people unless they help increase his business. That's all he wants - people that will pay him to do web design, web development and brand awareness (is that advertising ?). Especially that you told him not to pay you, why would he want an interview. This is not a large company that you are going to be volunteering for. It's not really an Internship either because it was presented to you as a job and he'll expect you to sell and get customers for him.
There's really nothing unusual about this. People are doing online businesses selling products or services and creating their businesses in different ways. What I see as an issue is that you deem it an internship when it's really not, so my advice is to ask him if he will do the commission for you. I can understand there's a lot of questions when applying for remote, online work, so ask the owner any questions that you have. Many people have small companies with few employees, especially remote online companies.
I hope that this job works out for you and wish you all the best !
Hey thanks for the reply. It’s just that I wouldn’t be able to get payments since i need to finish high school before getting my tax entity. If I accept payments it would be tax fraud. And if I took it I’ll need to pay for accountant and tax entity which in my country are expensive. I think I’d be better to keep it as unpaid and list it as an internship. I’ll learn a lot for then get a base salary remote sales job. After high school and do all my things. My main concern was just that I thought it was a scam
Angy
Yes, I addressed your concern about the legitimacy of this job. I had no idea that you'd work for free due to Italy's Tax requirements, so now I know. I wish you all the very best with it !
Michelle M.
Ok so you say it’s all legit? Here is the website: https://cabeysinfodeer.com/ they also have a LinkedIn and a instagram page
Angy
The website doesn't look any different than any other business and it's a nice quality. They provide complete options to contact them, too, so I wouldn't worry about it.
Michelle M.
Rafael Diaz Montelongo
Consultant
395
Answers
Raleigh, North Carolina
Updated
Rafael’s Answer
Hi Angy,
When evaluating a job offer for potential scams, consider the payment structure and ensure the commission details are clear, especially if it is commission-based or an unpaid internship. The absence of a formal interview can be a red flag, although less common in small startups. Verify the company’s legitimacy by checking their registration and online presence, and be cautious with the personal information you provide—avoid sharing sensitive financial details unless you are confident in the company's authenticity. If something feels off, trust your instincts, and consider contacting current or former employees for insights. Hope this helps!
When evaluating a job offer for potential scams, consider the payment structure and ensure the commission details are clear, especially if it is commission-based or an unpaid internship. The absence of a formal interview can be a red flag, although less common in small startups. Verify the company’s legitimacy by checking their registration and online presence, and be cautious with the personal information you provide—avoid sharing sensitive financial details unless you are confident in the company's authenticity. If something feels off, trust your instincts, and consider contacting current or former employees for insights. Hope this helps!
There had been only three employees because they use all freelancers. Honestly the guy told me this when I asked him about the company, and what he did: After the project Ceaser's spot we started white labeling that is we made designs for other big branding agency in their names. Now due to high operational costs most of the works be given to freelancers. We have a bdm and a developer for full time, I handle queries and im the design lead. .
He is already giving me some tasks to do and hopefully It’s allo clear. It is an Indian company. And they operate in US and UK. But I don’t know how to evaluate this
Angy
Briana Fregoso
Strategy Consultant
10
Answers
Hayward, California
Updated
Briana’s Answer
Hi Angy, it sounds like the company might be legitimate since you haven't found any signs of a scam. Since this is an unpaid internship, just be careful with sharing personal information. You can use this experience as a great learning opportunity. As you work, keep an eye on the business and its customers. Meanwhile, you might also want to explore other internships nearby or with well-known companies that could offer more experience and maybe even pay. I hope everything goes well for you!
Thanks, well I thought that maybe their product was a scam and If I started selling it. I would start selling a scam and getting in trouble with the law about it. I don’t really know. Let’s see
Angy