Work At Home Scams
Envelope Stuffing. Judicial Judgments. Medical Billing.

These are examples of the most popular online scams. They are everywhere, and if you don’t learn about them, you may just be out of hard-earned cash.

They are posted in online malls, classified areas, and just about any other place that people can post them. They aren’t sold as an “envelope stuffing” or “selling” job. They are worded carefully and are very “tasty” if you know what I mean. People want to believe they are real, but in reality, they are not.

Most scams are packaged as “opportunities”, but are actually information about different ways that you can work at home.

For example, the typical envelope stuffing scam consists of sending $30.00 or so to the processor, and you’ll receive copies of the ad you answered, and some brief instructions on how to find “new suckers” to take their money.

Don’t get us wrong; there are legitimate opportunities at home that require some sort of initial investment. Some work at home websites tell you never pay a penny for any type of working at home. Listening to this advice could cost you your dream opportunity.

• Never Pay For A “Job”: There are no “real” work at home jobs out there that ask for money. If you want to work at home in a regular position that could be filled outside of the home, you are in for a tough, but not impossible search. Do not pay to work at home in a job that you’d never think about paying for outside.

• Don’t Rule Out Bizz Ops: So many times we hear “I just want a job. I do not want a business.” Why? There are so many inexpensive opportunities out there that can be done that make nice income. Don’t rule out working at home if you find it impossible to find a real job.

• Job Finding Assistance: Have you heard: “Do not pay for a list, it’s a scam!” This is not always true, but if you want assistance in your job search, you should be careful. These services do cost, but if you find the right one, you may find a work at home job much easier then a normal job seeker.

So what should I do to protect myself?

• First, look over the prospective website or e-mail carefully. If you find many grammar mistakes, or illogical claims (e.g. MAKE MONEY QUICK!), you shouldn’t waste your time. NEVER respond to any jobs that are sent via SPAM. These are “Get Rich Quick” schemes and hardly ever work. An example of this is the PayPal Chain Letter Scheme.

• Second, look for their contact information. The more information provided, the better. You should at least find an Address and E-mail Address. Phone Number is a definite plus. Contact the organization, provide a resume, ask for more information, for testimonials, what consumer organizations they are apart of and whatever else you feel you need.

• Third, attempt to verify any consumer organization memberships, testimonials, addresses, phone numbers and other information provided. If you cannot verify, you should definitely exercise caution.

• Contacting the Better Business Bureau at http://www.bbb.org.

• Post your questions on our message boards.

• Put “Company Name Is A Scam” in a Search Engine like http://www.google.com.

Please Note: Not being a member of the BBB does not mean you shouldn’t consider the opportunity.  BBB memberships are quite expensive and many times they will not accept any work at home companies.