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 If you have an email address, there is not doubt that you've seen the headline - Earn Thousands as you Work at Home. You can see this kind of advertisement everywhere you go, even in your own town stapled onto telephone poles.
The Appeal of Working at Home
Most of these advertisements sound pretty appealing. After all, who doesn't dream of working at home, being their own boss, making their own hours, and running errands when they choose? But not all work at home opportunities deliver on their promise. In this article, we'll give you a quick primer on what this industry is all about.
As you might have guessed this kind of offer really sounds almost too good to be true. Well, the truth be known, there are lots of scheming con artists out there that prey on the innocent looking for that American dream.
We do have information on legitimate work at home offers, or jobs that might be suitable to part time workers and work at home moms. All of these articles contain helpful tips and links to websites where you can find some actual work at home opportunities.
Work at Home Scams
The remainder of this particular article will focus on work at home scams and the things you should look out with this kind of business offer. We're going to provide you with three examples of such scams. That is not to say that every medical billing or craft work offer is a trick. We're just pointing out some of the scams that the Federal Trade Commission has been watching very carefully lately.
That being said the following is a run down of thee examples of some of the most common work at home scams:
Example 1 - Medical Billing
Typically, this work at home offer involves turn-key billing centers claiming there is a crisis in the health care billing arena due to the tremendous amount of paperwork it generates. Of course the solution is establishing your own claims processing center.
Most likely you will need to purchase $2,000 - $7,000 worth of equipment, training and support to get this business started. Unfortunately, to make this company successful you will have to get your own clients. This is no easy task since the competition is fierce with some very large players dominating the market.
Example 2 - Craft Work
This type of work at home scam varies, but it normally involves you assembling something for a company with the understanding that this same company would pay you for each part assembled. In some instances, you might be required to purchase specialized machinery that will help you achieve the financial freedom you've been seeking.
Unfortunately, these companies have quality standards that you might have a hard time meeting. So they will take the merchandise you've assembled, but refuse to pay you for the product due to its "inferior" quality.
Example 3 - Envelope Stuffing
Companies offering this opportunity often promise to send you the secrets of this work at home dream for a small, upfront fee. In exchange for your money, you're likely to receive a small brochure explaining how to get this business started - by placing advertisements in local papers or other media.
But the only way you can make any money is if someone actually responds to your advertisement!
Victims of Work at Home Schemes
Like the saying goes - there is no such thing as a free lunch. Most legitimate work at home opportunities are best described as telecommuting jobs. These are the types of jobs that you don't necessarily have to sit in a cubicle to perform - data entry, web design, computer programming and writing. You will find these jobs in the traditional job placement market using telecommuting as a keyword.
If you think you've been a victim of a work at home scheme, there are lots of government agencies that are interested in your story. If it involves fraud through the mail, you can contact the US Postal Service. You can also contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP.
About the Author - Work at Home
Bill Sharlow is the Editor of Money-Zine.com. Copyright © 2004 - 2007 Money-Zine.com
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