I’m sure you’ve seen the ads in the back of magazines claiming you can make hundreds even thousands of dollars working at home, stuffing envelops, assembling jewelry or some other nonsense. The fact of the matter is most of these ads are simple cons perpetrated by modern-day con artists. These scams are nothing new, they have been around for many years generally targeting moms who want to stay home with their children. But today, thanks to the Internet, with the click of mouse, millions more are being suckered in. The elderly and the disabled are also groups these snakes target. As I write this blog, my e-mail inbox is full of such scams. Here’s two actual e-mails I received today (I never open them, electing to use my delete button, but the subject lines speak for themselves):
“Home Data Typers Needed 500-1500 a day, we’ll show you how!”
“Quality Home Typers wanted make 1 or 2 grand a day”
How can you tell a legitimate offer from a scam? Tell-tale signs include:
Highly exaggerated claims of potential earnings, especially while working part-time.
A claim that you are somehow getting “inside information” or getting in on a “a great ground floor opportunity“, especially when you are given just a few days to make a decision.
You have to pay money up front to get instructions, plans or products before they will tell you how the plan works. One plan, for instance, basically involves you scamming others by placing ads and getting others to pay you for information.
You can make a bucket full of money with no experience necessary.
If you fall victim to these con artists not only will you lose money but valuable time that could have been spent looking for legitimate opportunities. And in some cases you risk legal actions should you knowingly or even unintentionally promote or sell fraudulent goods or services to others.
If you become a victim of a work at home scam, ask the company for a refund. Most will refuse. If they do, tell them you will contact law enforcement officials. Then proceed to take these steps.
(1)You should contact your local Better Business Bureau.
(2) Contact your local or state consumer affairs agency.
(3) Contact the US Postal Inspection Service.
(4) Don’t forget your state’s attorney general’s office or the state where the company is located.
Finally, if you found the ad in a print (or online)publication, contact them directly and hopefully they will not run additional ads.