When you begin the transition into a work from home position, it can be quite easy to get caught in an Internet scam. Scammers know that the desire to work from home is great in many people, and they use that knowledge to their advantage.
While there are always new scams coming to the market, there are five that seem to repeat themselves over and over again. These “jobs” or “business opportunities” are not what they seem, and you will lose money if you invest into them. Understanding what these jobs really are will help you avoid wasting your time and money.
- Envelope Stuffing
This scam industry has been around for the last hundred years. In the beginning they advertised in the classified ads of magazines and newspapers. Keeping with the times, they are now everywhere on the Internet. You will see banner advertisements shouting: “Get Paid 100 Euros For Each Envelope You Stuff,” or something similarly outrageous. They hope to invoke an emotional response to easy wealth and work.
How It Works: Envelope stuffing has been around this long because it is actually legitimate. You will receive that amount of money each time you stuff the required materials into an envelope and post it to the recipient. However, they do not tell you up front that you will need to aggressively market the program and when and if someone responds, you will get paid. There is absolutely no guarantee of income, and you will spend a great deal of money before any money is ever made.
- Electronic or Craft Assembly
This program promises large amounts of money for assembling simple electronics or crafts in your home. They advertise that anyone can do this job, and that no experience is necessary.
How It Works: You will be required to make a purchase of supplies when you are enrolled in the program. The company will tell you that this is a “good faith” gesture and that you will be reimbursed for your purchase each time you submit a completed project in addition to your pay for that project. However, your projects will never pass quality control and be accepted for payment. This is how the industry works – period. These companies are in business to sell you these useless kits and that is all. You will never receive payment, you will never be approved. It is designed that way for a reason, which is to scam you out of your money.
- Processing Rebates
Processing rebates is the latest trend on the Internet to lure people in for easy money. These companies will tell you that you can make money processing rebates for merchandise or services.
How It Works: You are required to aggressively market a product line or service at your own expense. During this marketing you are to offer the consumer a rebate for making a purchase from you. This rebate is half the amount of the rebate that the company is offering to you. In reality you are promoting over-priced goods and splitting the difference between the retail and wholesale price. There are no actual rebates to process. These companies are using your hard earned savings to promote their products.
- Form Completions
There have been many Internet ads popping up stating that you can make large amounts of money each day by completing a simple form. Some even advertise this as “data entry” positions.
How It Works: This is a “digital” version of the envelope stuffing scam. Yes, you will make that money if you complete a “form,” but just like the envelope stuffing scam this only takes place when your “information packet” is ordered. The form that you complete is the shipping form of the information you are sending out. This is just envelope stuffing under a new title.
Work At Home Directories
This program is an indirect work at home scam, but one that must be addressed if you are entering into the work at home industry. There are many websites and banner advertisements offering work at home directories for sale. They promise that you will have everything you need to start a work at home career, all you have to do is make the purchase.
How It Works: These sites will send you a book or an e-book that contains lists of companies that are hiring telecommuters once you pay a very large sum of money. What you receive is a book filled with useless information. Companies that are hiring telecommuters place help wanted ads on job boards, not in publications. Many of these companies do not even know that they are being listed in these fraudulent publications.
