.

Unfortunately con-artists prey on those who are looking to work from home. Although the FTC and other authorities are cracking down on these scammers, there are so many of them that they are still prevalent everywhere you turn. We are going to expose some common scams below so that you will recognize them and stay clear.

Warning: Scam #1 - Data Entry Jobs/Type at Home Jobs:

Here is a typical ad:

Data Entry Jobs
Work at Home - Make $200 a Day
Working 30-45 min. a Day.

OK, the first red flag here is that you only have to work 30-45 minutes a day to earn this kind of money with a job. Always think of it this way when examining a work at home job, say to yourself, "Could I make this kind of money if I were to get this job outside of my home?", if your answer is "No" then this tells you that this is too good to be true. Wages for at-home jobs are not higher than those of a traditional job. Now, here is the truth behind this scheme. They want you to send them money, usually $49.99, before you can start earning money. Once you pay you are redirected to a back office that gives you your instructions for earning money. Your instructions are that you must post ads everywhere for the same scam you just fell for, as well as some other things you can advertise too to earn money. The only "data entry" you will be doing is "entering" ads into advertising forms on places like Google and Yahoo using your own money. The only time you will make any money is when someone buys through your ad. Another variation of this scheme is ads for "typing at home". Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to find a legitimate data entry or typing job from home (because they just aren't available), and if you were to get one the pay would be very, very low. Anyone can type these days thanks to the Internet boom and there is no need to hire people to do this type of work from home. However, there are many people who are looking for these jobs and that is why scammers post these types of ads all around the Internet. Be sure you don't fall prey to their scams.

Warning: Scam #2 - Home Assembly Work:

A typical ad says that you can earn money assembling products from home. Products range from jewelry to miniature furniture. You send in $29.95 to get a catalog of companies that will pay you to do assembly work from home. Once you receive the catalog you have to choose a company to work for, and once again you have to send in money. This time for materials, instructions and a sample. Materials can range anywhere from $20 to several hundred dollars. You may spend many, many hours trying to make the products to look like the sample. You finally complete the work (sometimes for mere pennies an hour) and send it in, and it is rejected. Why? Because this is the scam. Your assembled products will never meet their standards. They use this excuse, but in reality they don't want the completed products back anyways. They are only making money by selling you the materials. Therefore, you will never be paid for your work. So not only will you lose money, you will waste your time as well.

Warning: Scam #3 - Chain Letters:

Most people are aware of this scam, but just in case you haven't come across it, here is how it goes. You receive a letter that has the names and addresses of several people in it. You are instructed to send a certain amount - usually $5 to the name at the top of the list. Then you are told to take that name off of the top of the list and put your name and address at the bottom and send it to more people, who will then (hopefully) repeat the process. If they follow the same process then your name will eventually move to the top, and you will supposedly make money. This is unlikely to work, and what's more, it is illegal. And, the only people who ever really make any money with this scam are the unknown individuals who started these chain letters. They change their name and address or post office box over and over to be the main recipient of the money. If you receive one of these letters, turn it over to the local Postmaster or your nearest Postal inspector.

Warning: Scam #4 - Stuffing Envelopes:

Typical Ad:

Envelopes at Home
Work From Home Stuffing
Envelopes. Earn $12 per Envelope
Or $1576/Week.

The truth is that stuffing envelopes from home is just a variation of the data entry jobs scam. The only "envelope stuffing" you will do is to "stuff" advertisements for this same scam into envelopes, then use your own money to send them out to people to try and get them to fall for this same scam. There is no such thing as a legitimate "stuff envelopes from home to earn money" company. Real companies have machines that do this for them.

Warning: Scam #5 - Processing Medical Insurance Claims:

This scam involves buying expensive Medical Billing software that costs hundreds or even thousands of dollars, learning Medical Billing "in one day", and being promised an abundance of clients ready for your immediate services . You might see a commercial for this one on T.V., in newspapers or online. The truth is that doctors who contract out their medical billing needs often use established firms, not people working from home. If you were able to work from home as a medical biller, it would only be after you had sufficient training through an accredited school and had done the work in the doctor's office for a long period of time first - and that's assuming that your employer would agree to this.

Warning: Scam #6 - Process Rebates From Home:

This is a fairly new work at home scam. The typical ad says that you can earn $15 for every rebate you process from home. They make it sound like you will be processing rebates for well known companies. Here is the truth. No one is going to pay you to process rebates from home. This scam charges you $97 to start "working". When you send in your money you find out what this is really all about. The scam really involves you having to advertise informational products that sell anywhere from $30 to $99 a piece. In your ad you state that if they buy through your ad you will refund them $10, $15, $20 etc. So, if they buy, you are basically just sending part of your profits to them, and this is where the rebate comes from. There is no job here, just you putting up ads in hopes of someone buying from you.

To find a legitimate work at home opportunity visit our legit home jobs website.