Check out these 8 tips to avoid work-at-home scams

by smm1011

1. Don't believe that making big profits is easy. Operating a home-based business is just like any other business - it requires hard work, skill, good products or services, and time to make a profit.

2. Be cautious about emails offering work-at-home opportunities. Many unsolicited emails are fraudulent.

3. Get all the details before you pay. A legitimate company will be happy to give you information about exactly what you will be doing and for whom.

4. Find out if there is really a market for your work. Claims that there are customers for work such as medical billing and craft making may not be true. If the company says it has customers waiting, ask who they are and contact them to confirm. You can also ask likely customers in your area (such as doctors for medical billing services) if they actually employ people to do that work from home.

5. Know the refund policy. If you have to buy equipment or supplies, ask under what circumstances you can return them for a refund.

6. Beware of the "envelope stuffing" scheme. This is a classic scam, and instead of getting materials to send out on behalf of a company, you get instructions to place an ad like the one you saw, asking people to send you money for information about working at home. This is an illegal pyramid scheme because there is no real product or service being offered. You won't get rich, and you could be prosecuted for fraud.

7. Do your Research. The "Work-At-Home Sourcebook" and other resources that may be available in your local library provide good advice and lists of legitimate companies that hire people to work for them at home. You may find that a lot of these companies hire onlylocal people and that there is nothing available in your area.

8. Ask Around. It is easy to read blogs and forums online. Ask them if the company kept its promises.