Posted by Ray White on October 10, 2009 Comments (2)

Work-at-home opportunities abound, unfortunately many of them are scams and traps to take money and time from honest people. There are legitimate work-at-home opportunities out there for you to find. You just need a little common sense and some due diligence research.

Keep in mind that there are no real ways to get rich quick. Never believe an ad that claims that you will get rich instantly. If you are unsure about a company, do some research. Go to your favorite search engine and search the company name, or the company name with the word “scam” added. You can also check on the Better Business Bureau website. The BBB has files on all businesses that have had complaints filed against them. You can see what other people have to say about a particular company and be steered away from scams.

Try searching on message boards or finding e-mail groups for ideas of where to start your work-at-home job search. You will benefit from the experience of other members who post there. They will save you much money, frustration and heartache if you are willing to listen to them.

There are also a few red flags to look for when you are searching for Internet jobs. You should never have to pay for work or job lists. There are plenty of free listings available that provide tons of work-at-home opportunities. Companies that want to charge you for lists of jobs are just trying to get your money. The lists are often filled with dead job leads, or lists of companies that want to charge you money. Many work-at-home scams will also require you to pay a start-up fee or cover the cost of “training.” Again, legitimate jobs will never require you to pay them any money for you to work.

Another warning sign is if you are told to “act now or lose out.” You should never feel pressured to make a decision right away. Be especially wary of web sites that have some sort of countdown clock. That is a simple javascript that can be changed at will. Rarely will a work-at-home job opportunity be THAT urgent.

There are some scams that have been around for years that should be avoided at all costs. If you see an offer for any of the following types of jobs, run!

Envelope stuffing is a common scam, although it is being seen less and less these days. These jobs are normally listed as mail service jobs. You are asked to purchase a start-up kit. After you receive the start up kit, you are given instructions to place your own work-at-home ads. You basically just sell the start-up kit to other people and become a scammer yourself.

Craft assembly scams can take many forms. Typically, you receive a set of crafts to complete. You generally pay for the set and then are told you will be reimbursed for the kits and also paid for their assembly. After working hard at assembling the kits and returning them, you will be told that your work is not up to their quality standards. You will be out the cost of the kits, and they will sell your crafts anyway.

There are legitimate jobs out there, but you have to do some research on the opportunities first. With a little time and careful analysis you can find a work-at-home job that will be rewarding and profitable.