Work At Home Scams to Avoid

5 Most Common Work At Home Job Scams

... and how they suck you in.

1) Stuffing Envelopes

There are many variations to this popular work at home scam, but they all stem from the same structure.

Most commonly the ‘company’ advertises for people to work from home stuffing envelopes. The interested individual then responds to this usually vague ad, requesting work. At this point, you receive basic information directing you to pay a fee for additional information. This is usually $20-$40 and is said to be to dissuade people who aren‘t serious about the job. From that fee you receive a kit, usually with unreasonable standards, or reasonable standards but the company has no intention of actually paying you.

2) Assembly/Craft Jobs

This is perhaps the most abundant of online scams and the most detrimental if bought into, as the employee loses not only time but money as well.

These jobs post for employees to assemble products or crafts ‘in the comfort of their own home’, but require that the individual pay the company upfront for the supplies. The company makes the case that they need to cover their tails in the event that the employee does not do the work or return the supplies.

They will tell you that once you have completed and returned the work that you will be compensated for the labor, as well as the supplies. Sounds reasonable enough, right? Well, the scam behind this operation is that when and if you do receive the supplies and complete the work, the work apparently does not meet company standards. Thus you are not compensated and "let go."

The company makes the money on selling you the kit, not on selling the assembled product.

3) Processing Claims

These claims are largely, but not limited to, medical rebate processing ones. Here is the general scenario: A job is posted stating high compensation rates often upwards of $100 an hour for filling out and submitting rebate candidate information. Here’s the catch: In order to be qualified to process these claims you will need a certification course for proper training that you will have to pay for, and then you will be asked to purchase the special software that the company uses and you will be required to install in your PC to process the claims. This normally costs several thousand dollars and then you are left with no clients, useless software and a substantial financial loss.

4) Data Entry

These ads offer at-home typing positions to fill out forms and supposedly make thousands of dollars every month. All you have to do is pay a fee (usually around $50) for the training package and to have access to their online materials. Yet once you’ve paid and reviewed the site, you find out that it is affiliate marketing. You are asked to post ads on message boards such as the one you read, hooking in more people such as yourself to pay the $50 and make no money.