May 7, 2010
Scam Alert
Scam Alert By Cheryl Demas We've all seen the ads that claim to be hiring home workers. Beware, many of them are scams. Here are some warning signals that will help you weed out the scams from the legitimate jobs. They ask for money. They may claim that you need to send money to "show you are serious" or "to cover our costs." This is a giant read flag! Don't do it! You should never have to pay someone to work for them. Getting hired to do a job is different from starting a home business. You may have to pay for a starter kit when you begin many direct sales businesses, but they should be very clear about exactly what is in your kit: what you're getting for you money. Ads that emphasize WORK AT HOME but are vague about the actual work you will be doing are another danger area. They may say that you will be selling "reports" or typing "orders," but again, they are vague regarding the actual products or services. Ads for assemblers. You will have to pay to get your supplies (first red flag), but here's the big catch. In assembly scams, the company has to approve the work you do. They might approve your first or second batches, but after you purchase a large amount of supplies, your work will be rejected because it's "full of flaws," and you will be stuck with your expensive supplies. Ads for envelope stuffers. Just don't do it. Think about it. Why would anyone pay $2 to $3 to someone simply to put paper in an envelope and apply a stamp? They won't. Most often, after you pay for your supplies, you will be instructed to place ads recruiting others to stuff envelopes. The envelopes you will be stuffing will be the letters you send out trying to sell others on the same scam you just fell for. The ads claim that "No experience is necessary" and "Make easy $$$$." Of course there are jobs that offer on-the-job training, but the majority of employers prefer someone with skills and experience. If they lead their ad with these come-ons, watch out. It's another warning signal. Excerpted from " The Work-at-Home Mom's Guide to Home Business " by Cheryl Demas. Permission granted for use on drlaura.com.Cheryl lives in California with her husband and two daughters. She is the publisher of WAHM.com -- the online magazine for work-at-home moms. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com

Posted by Staff at 1:42 AM