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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.
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 [...]
How Should You Review a Stay at Home Business Opportunity?
One of the big challenges about starting a stay at home business is getting past all the scams. There are many wonderful opportunities out there, but finding them is not easy. And there are so many opportunities that sound wonderful, yet turn out to be scams.
What can you do?
You need to learn how to review [...]
Ways to Spot a Scammer
With my recent post on the paid posting scam, I thought it was time to go over the signs of a scam. I’ve discussed this before, but some things are worth repeating.
The most obvious way to spot a scam is that it is simply too good to be true. It will offer spectacular results for [...]
Be Careful When Choosing Paid Blogging Companies
I must say, in some ways this one doesn’t surprise me - a paid blogging company that turned out to be a scam. The scam artists are always willing to take up the latest way to legitimately earn money and turn it to their advantage, after all.
It appears that a company called Bloggerwave is one [...]
Looking Out for Scams in the Medical Transcription Industry
Medical transcription is a very popular option for working at home. Landing that first job after training can be tough, but it’s legitimate work once you get going.
But that’s the challenge. Getting things going.
The first thing you need to understand about medical transcription is that you need training at the very least, and quite possibly [...]
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