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Scams are the bane of the work at home parent's existence. They abound on the Internet and in the world in general. Fortunately, there are some warning signs you should always look out for that will keep you from falling for most of them.
Home Assembly and Crafting
So many people would love to use their crafting skills to earn money at home. Is it possible?Envelope Stuffing
Another of the classic ways people want to earn money at home. You always see the signs for this along the sides of the road. Does it work?Online Surveys
Filling out surveys sounds so easy, and the stories are so promising....Chain Letters and Randomizers
Chain letters long predate the Internet while randomizers are newer. Are they safe to participate in?Mystery Shopping
Earn money while you shop! Sounds like a dream come true.Ad Posting
All you have to do to earn tons of money is post ads on sites! What is the reality?Data Entry
You have great typing skills, so data entry sounds like a great work at home opportunity. How do you know if it's real or a scam?Reshipping
Recieve a package someone else bought, then forward it on. What could possibly be wrong with that? Plenty!Payment Processing
Cash a check or money order while keeping your share. So easy, could it be true?Medical Transcription/Billing/Coding
The demand for help in the medical industry is quite high. Can you really do this from home?Fake Work at Home Job Leads
You find what looks like a great work at home opportunity on a job board. What is it really?Work at Home Job Boards
Pay a fee and you'll get leads on finding legitimate work at home jobs? Hmm....Autosurf
Get paid for surfing websites. Is it legitimate?
Refund Tracers
Help people get their HUD refunds? Sounds great!Internet Marketing Seminars
Pay a fee to attend a seminar to learn how to earn money online. Are internet marketing seminars worth it?Online Business
Is there even such a thing as a legitimate online business?
Multi-Level Marketing
What makes the legitimate opportunities different from the scams?The FTC also offers some excellent advice on selecting a franchise or business opportunity, which applies to both online and offline opportunities.
Watch out if the ad promises hundreds or thousands of dollars with little effort, "guaranteed!" No one can guarantee that any business will succeed, and all businesses require effort and time to make money.
Also beware if no experience is required. While there may be legitimate opportunities out there that do not require experience, it is more likely that they are trying to prey on the inexperienced.
LOOK OUT FOR CAPITALIZATION!!! AND EXCLAMATION POINTS!!! Got your attention there, didn't I? That's their goal too. A scam wants you to get so excited about their opportunity that you don't think. Be too smart to fall for that.
Vague ads where you have no idea what the product or service you will be selling are also trouble. Legitimate companies want you to know what you'll be selling, so you'll be excited about the business and the product. Scams just want you to be excited about the business.
If you feel pressured to make an immediate decision, tell them the answer is 'no.' Once again, a legitimate company wants you to be enthusiastic and happy with your decision. If you're buying a franchise opportunity, make sure they have a money back guarantee.
Check the company out on the Ripoff Report. Businesses can reply to reports here, so you get both sides of the story. See also the BBB's report on work at home scams.
First try to clear it up with the company. If they are uncooperative, let them know that you will be contacting officials about the matter. Then do it.
Keeping Your Ethics as You Work at Home
Much as it would be nice to think otherwise, there are a lot of ethical considerations to working at home. There are quite simply a ton of work at home scams out there, and many people have no problem with promoting them, in the hopes that they will profit. What happens to others doesn’t matter [...]
5 Steps to Guarantee You Fall for a Work at Home Scam
Falling for a work at home scam is so easy, anyone can do it! Just forget common sense. Be eager for big earnings with no effort. And forget the cost… you’ll be earning big bucks in no time, right???
Step 1: Search “Work from home,” “home business opportunity,” “earn money fast” or similar terms.
You may very [...]
Anyone Can Fall for a Scam
I came across an article last night that I think is a good reminder that it’s not just people wanting to work at home who fall for scams. Even professionals who are earning a good living can make big mistakes.
This particular Ponzi scheme was pretty sneaky. It was run using facilities at the University of [...]
Why Don’t Work at Home Scams Get Shut Down More Quickly?
The bane of searching for a work at home job is avoiding all the scams. They’re so prevalent that finding a real opportunity is a pretty long search for most people.
Ever wonder why so many scams thrive? There are a few reasons.
1. Affiliate programs.
Not all affiliate programs are bad, not by a long shot. Many [...]
Is Rebate Processing a Scam?
In the search for a work at home job, you may have come across sites telling you that you can earn big money as a rebate processor. All you have to do is send in your money and they’ll tell you how.
Right from the start, one of the classic hallmarks of a scam. Pay us [...]
So Long, AGLOCO!
I am not at all surprised to announce the demise of AGLOCO. John Chow posted about it on his blog, after having promoted it heavily.
While I’m filing this under scams, it’s more sham than an actual scam. Maybe they’ll sell their list or something, I don’t know, but you only lost money on this if [...]
Thursday Thirteen - 13 Ways to Avoid Work at Home Scams
Being scammed when you want to work at home is so common that a huge percentage of those who work at home have fallen for a scame one time or another. Sometimes they’ve fallen for multiple scams. The scams are so easy to find that many people think that they are all that exist.
Obviously that’s [...]
Why Do So Many People Still Look for Envelope Stuffing Jobs?
It amazes me sometimes just how desperate people get to work from home. They hear that someone is having success with something and they don’t even pause to think. They can be willing to send money to learn how to do what sounds like an insanely easy way to earn money from home.
This is how [...]
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